What's In A Street Name 6 - Broomdashers Road

This is a street name that has always intrigued me. Three Bridges is one of the neighbourhoods of Crawley and one of the original settlements that make up this New Town. Each neighbourhood has a colour allocated to it and Three Bridges is yellow. I have been itching to go out and collect more street names, and this one has been one I've wanted to do. It's normally been too wet to walk out far to take any pictures when Mum and I have been to Crawley, so I took adavantage of a very pleasant walk out of the town centre and round this particular area.

So what does this street name mean? A Broom Dasher is someone who deals in Brooms or a Broom Merchant. This was a recognised occupation. Many of the street names in the immediate vicinity have some connection to woods, so this name is following that theme. Brooms were made in areas of woodland where the twiggy bits were made into them. Some Broom Makers lived out on large areas of common, especially in parts of Surrey, such as Hindhead. They were semi-itinerant I think and where they stayed put anywhere, they lived in pretty primitive conditions and often were feared by the locals. Although not in the demand they once were, the traditional besom broom is still made by those who practice woodland crafts today.