The History of Abingdon by James Townsend was published in 1910 and the final chapter STREETS AND HOUSES describes East and West St Helen’s Street.
“ … East and West St. Helen’s Streets with their exaggerated gables retain something of their mediaeval aspect. ‘Westseynteleynstret’ appears in 1375, ‘Seynteeleynstret’ in 1404, and ‘Estseyntelynstrete’ in 1405 in the Account-rolls.
Fore Street and Back Street are names still in use for East and West St. Helen’s respectively.”
A hundred years after Townsend’s book, the overnight snow might give the streets back a more mediaeval aspect if it were not for the cars, street lamps, and pavement barriers. The houses in both streets still retain their exaggerated gables – even some of the modern ones – like ours.
