It’s an odd name for the road, because it’s basically a cul-de-sac. It doesn’t really link anything. It could be that at some stage in the past it did link two roads.

Whenever I see the road or hear it’s name I can’t help but . . . → Read More: Link Way, Salisbury]]> Link Way is on Bishopdown, to the north of Salisbury city centre.

It’s an odd name for the road, because it’s basically a cul-de-sac. It doesn’t really link anything. It could be that at some stage in the past it did link two roads.

Link Wray

Whenever I see the road or hear it’s name I can’t help but be reminded of Link Wray, who was a great rockabilly guitarist. He sadly died a couple of years ago.

Most of Link Wray’s work was instrumental. His best known track was ‘Rumble’ which was on the soundtrack of the film Pulp Fiction, although not on the CD. I would guess that if you like the other guitar instrumental from Pulp Fiction, Dick Dale’s ‘Miserlou’, you would probably like ‘Rumble’.

Famously ‘Rumble’ was banned by some radio stations¹, because it was thought that it would incite gang violence. I’ve always thought that this may have been a story put about to generate publicity for the record – perhaps I’m overly cynical. Anyway a ‘Rumble’ in the context of 1950s gangs meant a fight², but also the atmosphere of the song is, to quote I think Dave Marsh, “the musical equivalent of football’s forearm shiver’³

At the time of writing there are performances of Rumble on Youtube here:

• Link Wray – Rumble
• Link Wray – Rumble

And other Link Wray tunes here:

• Link Wray – Hillbilly Wolf
• Link Wray – Fatback

Link also added the atmospheric guitar parts to Terry Jack’s version of a Jacques Brel song, ‘Seasons in the Sun’ which reached Number One in the UK in the early 1970s:

• Terry Jacks – Seasons in the Sun

Link Wray obviously has nothing at all to do with Link Way. However, I can’t help faintly hearing the chords of ‘Rumble’ whenever I’m there.

Footnotes

1. The Pop History Dig » “Rumble” Riles Censors 1958 -1959
2. WordNet Search – 3.0
3. The Heart of Rock and Soul, Dave Marsh, page 306 in the Penguin Original edition

I’m not sure why it was called Manor Road. It could be a reference to the ‘manor of Milford’, which is how the Milford area was referred to in older documents and maps.

It might be derived from the building that was known . . . → Read More: Manor Road, Salisbury]]> Manor Road runs along the top of Milford Hill, from Kelsey Hill to Wain-a-Long Road.

I’m not sure why it was called Manor Road. It could be a reference to the ‘manor of Milford’, which is how the Milford area was referred to in older documents and maps.

It might be derived from the building that was known as ‘The Grange’ (and then, strangely, ‘Concordes’), but this would seem unlikely because the Grange was on the other side of Saint Mark’s Roundabout.

It could be that Manor Road is named after Milford Manor, but it seems to be too far away from the building, which is at the bottom of Shady Bower.

There are a number of buildings at the northern end of Manor Road which might be grand enough to be called ‘The Manor’ but I don’t know – I’ll have a look next time I’m up there.

Visiting Salisbury?

For accommodation, see the Hotels in Salisbury page.

The derivation of the name ‘Marina Road’ is a bit of a puzzle. I can’t see any clear reason for the name.

One possibility is that it is a reference to Saint . . . → Read More: Marina Road, Salisbury]]> Marina Road is to the south east of Salisbury. It leads off from Tollgate Road down towards the college.

The derivation of the name ‘Marina Road’ is a bit of a puzzle. I can’t see any clear reason for the name.

Is Marina Road’s name related to Saint Martin’s?

One possibility is that it is a reference to Saint Martin’s Church. The words ‘Marina’ and ‘Martin’ are similar, and Marina Road is very close to the church – I think one side of the road would back onto the churchyard.

I think a connection with St Martin’s is unlikely though. The female form of Martin is Martina, and in any case, why would a road be named after a name which is just close to the name of the church. The words have different roots too. ‘Martin’ is related to Mars, the god of war, whereas ‘Marina’ is related to the sea.

Is Marina Road related to the sea?

More fancifully still, perhaps Marina Road is an obscure reference to the idea of Salisbury being a ‘sea-port’. I’m on very shakey ground here , because I’m not sure I remember it correctly, but I believe there was an attempt to build a canal from Salisbury to Southampton.

I’ve seen the word ‘Navigation’ on maps to the south of Southampton Road – whether this is related or not I don’t know.

I think there was an article about the Salisbury to Southampton canal in a ‘Sarum Chronicle’ a couple of years ago. I’ll look it up when I’m next in the library.

Is Marina Road a reference to somebody’s name?

My guess would be that Marina Road is probably named after somebody called Marina. Perhaps the developer was called Marina, or had a close relative with the name.

Visiting Stonehenge?

For accommodation, see the Hotels in Salisbury page.

(If you’ve arrived here after searching for Salisbury in Maryland in the USA then you might want to go to the City of Salisbury, Maryland website, although you’re more than welcome to have a look around my website on Salisbury, England! )

I don’t know . . . → Read More: Maryland Close, Salisbury]]> Maryland Close is on Bemerton Heath, to the north of Salisbury city centre.

(If you’ve arrived here after searching for Salisbury in Maryland in the USA then you might want to go to the City of Salisbury, Maryland website, although you’re more than welcome to have a look around my website on Salisbury, England! )

I don’t know why Maryland Close in Salisbury is so-called.

It could be a reference to the American state of Maryland, which itself was named after Henrietta Maria (1609-69) the wife of English King Charles I (¹).

A reference to Maryland rather than any of the other 49 states might be because there is another City of Salisbury in Maryland (²), but there are no other roads in the area named on either the theme of the United States (sadly no Hawaiian Avenue) or on the theme of other cities called Salisbury (no New South Wales Street).

Another alternative is that Maryland Close was named after the developer or a relation of the developer.

Visiting Salisbury from the USA?
For accommodation, see the Hotels in Salisbury page.

Footnotes

1. Online Etymology Dictionary
2. City of Salisbury Maryland Official Website

I can’t see any reason for it’s being called Mayfair Road. I can’t see any thematic link with any of the adjoining roads (Napier Crescent,, Beechcroft Avenue, or Greenwood Avenue). This is particularly irritating because I’ve lived in both Napier Crescent and Mayfair Road.

‘Mayfair’ usually refers to an . . . → Read More: Mayfair Road, Laverstock]]> Mayfair Road is on the pebble-dashed estate in Laverstock.

I can’t see any reason for it’s being called Mayfair Road. I can’t see any thematic link with any of the adjoining roads (Napier Crescent,, Beechcroft Avenue, or Greenwood Avenue). This is particularly irritating because I’ve lived in both Napier Crescent and Mayfair Road.

Mayfair

‘Mayfair’ usually refers to an area of the West End of London, to the north of Oxford Street. The name is derived from a fair that was held every May.(¹)

Mayfair is, of course, the most expensive point on the traditional London Monopoly board. Perhaps this influenced the choice of the name ‘Mayfair Road’. It’s still a desirable part of London – but whether it would still be the most expensive area on the Monopoly board, I don’t know.

A few years ago I read an interesting book by Tim Moore called Do Not Pass Go(². It was about the the game of Monopoly, and why each area of London might have been chosen. I’d recommend the book if you’re interested in London.

Footnotes

1. Mayfair – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
2. This is an affilate link. If you used this link to buy the book I’d get a few coppers…but probably not enough to buy a flat in Mayfair

It’s on what is usually referred to as ‘the pebbledash estate’ for the obvious reason that the houses are nearly all pebble-dashed. The effect of this is increased by the roads being made of some sort of concrete. It always feels like there’s . . . → Read More: Melvin Close, Laverstock]]> Melvin Close is in Laverstock, which is a village to the east of Salisbury.

It’s on what is usually referred to as ‘the pebbledash estate’ for the obvious reason that the houses are nearly all pebble-dashed. The effect of this is increased by the roads being made of some sort of concrete. It always feels like there’s a lot of light.

I’ve never been able to see any theme or reason for the road names on the estate, which is particularly frustrating because I grew up there.

‘Melvin’ is a ‘Christian’ or fore name. The etymology of the name doesn’t seem to be certain.

The ‘BabyNamesPedia’ website says that it could be:

From the element ‘wine’ meaning ‘friend’(¹)

The ‘Baby Name Wizard’ site adds that:

Melvin might be an evolution of the obsolete Old English Maethelwine, Maeoelwine, a compound name composed of the elements maethel, maeoel (council, meeting) and wine (friend, protector): hence, “council protector.”(²)

The latter website says that the usage of the name, for babies, peaked in the 1920s. The pebble-dash estate was built in the early 1960s.

If you need accommodation in Salisbury, see the Hotels in Salisbury page.

Footnotes

1. Melvin – Origin and Meaning of the boy name Melvin at Baby Names Pedia
2. Melvin: Meaning, Popularity, Origin of Name Melvin | Namipedia | The Baby Name Wizard

I’ve not been able to find any possible derivations for the name of Meyrick Avenue. Bouverie Avenue’s name is a reference to the Pleydell-Bouveries who are the Earls of Radnor. It’s possible that there’s some connection between the name ‘Meyrick’ . . . → Read More: Meyrick Avenue, Salisbury]]> Meyrick Avenue is to the south of Salisbury. It runs between Bouverie Avenue and the Blandford Road.

I’ve not been able to find any possible derivations for the name of Meyrick Avenue. Bouverie Avenue’s name is a reference to the Pleydell-Bouveries who are the Earls of Radnor. It’s possible that there’s some connection between the name ‘Meyrick’ and the Pleydell-Bouveries – there isn’t a great deal of Google-able information about them, so I may have missed a ‘Meyrick’ in the family.

The Victoria County History of Salisbury tells us that:

Apart from the Alderbury Union workhouse (now Meyrick Close) near the Odstock road built in 1878, (fn. 27) little building took place south of the Avon before 1900(¹)

I don’t know whether Meyrick Close is related to Meyrick Avenue.

Planning a weekend in Salisbury?

Have a look at the Hotels in Salisbury page.

Footnotes

1. Salisbury: The expansion of the city; Milford’, A History of the County of Wiltshire: Volume 6 (1962), pp. 90-93. URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=41789 Date accessed: 07 November 2009. >

Most of the roads on the Churchfields estate are named after scientists or enigineers, of varying levels of fame (e.g. Smeaton Road, Watt Road and Telford Road).

I’m not entirely sure who Mitchell Road is named after. There are perhaps . . . → Read More: Mitchell Road, Salisbury]]> Mitchell Road is on the Churchfields Industrial Estate, which is to the West of the centre of Salisbury.

Most of the roads on the Churchfields estate are named after scientists or enigineers, of varying levels of fame (e.g. Smeaton Road, Watt Road and Telford Road).

I’m not entirely sure who Mitchell Road is named after. There are perhaps four or five possibilities.

• Wesley Clair Mitchell, an economist
• Edgar Mitchell, the astronaut
• Maria Mitchell, the astronomer and scientist
• Alexander Mitchell, the engineer and astronomer
• somebody else!

Wesley Clair Mitchell

Wesley Clair Mitchell was an economist who lived from 1874 until 1948.

He is chiefly known for his work on business cycles and for his economic research.

He seems to me to be too obscure to have had Mitchell Road named after him, paricularly in comparison to other economists that might have been chosen such as Keynes, or Adam Smith, or even Karl Marx.

Edgar Mitchell

Edgar Mitchell is a scientist and astronaut. He was on the Apollo 14 mission to the moon in 1971, and he was the sixth man to walk on the moon ¹.

Edgar Mitchell, too, seems too obscure to have had Mitchell Road named after him. You would probably expect to see roads named for the other ‘moonwalkers’ as well as Mitchell, if he was the inspiration for the road name.

The only caveat to that might be that the building of Mitchell Road could have been at about the same time as Apollo 14, but, still, you would expect to see Edgar Mitchell’s colleagues on the mission (Alan Shepard and Stuart Roosa ²) similarly honoured.

Maria Mitchell

Maria Mitchell was a 19th century American astronomer who was the first person to find a ‘telescopic comet’ – a comet visible through a telescope, but not with the naked eye ³

Again, I think she is not the derivation of the name of Mitchell Road – there are more famous astronomers.

Alexander Mitchell

Alexander Mitchell was an astronomer and an engineer.

In 1828 he invented the “Mitchell Screw Pile and Mooring”, which allowed for the construction of lighthouses in areas where they could not have been constructed before.

The screw pile was used in the construction of:

• the Maplin Sands lighthouse
• the Portland breakwater
• the Madras pier
• the Belfast Lough lighthouse

He was elected an associate of the Institute of Civil Engineers in 1837, and was awarded the Telford medal in 1848.

I think there is a good chance that Alexander Mitchell was the man whom Mitchell Road is named after.

Mitchell Road – named after somebody else?

Of the above I think only Alexander Mitchell is the only likely candidate for the derivation of Mitchell Road’s name. He was British – in that he was an Irishman at a time when the Republic was still part of Britain, and he honoured in Britain.

He is not as well known as Watt, Telford and Newton, but he is perhaps no less well known than the other engineer and lighthouse builder John Smeaton, after whom Smeaton Road seems to be named.

It could however be that Mitchell Road is named after some other scientist or engineer, or somebody unconnected with these fields – I don’t know.

Staying overnight in Salisbury?

For accommodation, see the Hotels in Salisbury page.

Footnotes

1. Ed Mitchell
2. Apollo 14 – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
3. Maria Mitchell – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I’m afraid I don’t know why it is called Munks Close – it could perhaps be named after someone called Munk.

If you have a better idea, please leave a comment.

Visiting Salisbury? For accommodation, see the Hotels in . . . → Read More: Munks Close, Harnham]]> Munks Close is in Harnham, which is a village to the south of Salisbury.

I’m afraid I don’t know why it is called Munks Close – it could perhaps be named after someone called Munk.

If you have a better idea, please leave a comment.

Visiting Salisbury?

For accommodation, see the Hotels in Salisbury page.