Gossip Ladies, Newmarket Road Back to Nailsworth Index
The track from Nailsworth to Newmarket went up to Chestnut Hill then, either on up by "Wherley" or along what became the back drive to Newmarket House. Past the rear of a house, then a row of cottages; along the site of what became Hillier's home "Newmarket Court" and down past the cottages to the George Inn. Isaac Hillier cut a new road out of the hillside on the line of today's Newmarket Road which was accepted by the surveyor to the tything in 1826.

Along both sides of the road were flat topped Cotswold stone walls where children loved to run and the width was designed so that two pig carts could pass each other.

All very nice until cars arrived, not to mention motor driven commercial vehicles! The field wall was regularly toppled and eventually was allowed to disappear in favour of a fence set back from the road. The stone was given to locals wanting to build garages or repair their homes. One piece of wall survived at the entrance to the former Lot Mill (King's Engineering etc). This became a favourite stopping point for people walking up the road. The Painting shows two ladies from Concord having a good gossip!