| Why Portman Road? 12:28 - Sep 10 with 3730 views | Billywitch |
Why not Constantine Road, or whatever Sir Alf Ramsey way used to be?
Who decided that the Stadium, our home, would be known as Portman Road?
Always wondered that, best guess, the front road to the main office used to be on Portman Road |  | | |  |
| Why Portman Road? on 17:22 - Sep 10 with 773 views | backwaywhen |
| Why Portman Road? on 13:07 - Sep 10 by neolithicman |
This map seems to confirm AI’s reasoning:
https://maps.nls.uk/view/24595
Although that map does predate the football club.
Constantine Road is on the map but seems to be little more than a country lane.
Ps. I have no idea why the national libraries of Scotland would have a map of Ipswich either. |
Railway Station Road not Princess St , also there is a Portman St. | | | |
| Why Portman Road? on 17:26 - Sep 10 with 758 views | Pinewoodblue |
| Why Portman Road? on 16:00 - Sep 10 by Billywitch |
the line by the river near the station? |
Lead to the docks, the railway bridge, between the new Sir Bobby Robson pedestrian Bridge and Princes street bridge is still there. |  |
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| Why Portman Road? on 17:36 - Sep 10 with 748 views | DJR |
| Why Portman Road? on 13:07 - Sep 10 by neolithicman |
This map seems to confirm AI’s reasoning:
https://maps.nls.uk/view/24595
Although that map does predate the football club.
Constantine Road is on the map but seems to be little more than a country lane.
Ps. I have no idea why the national libraries of Scotland would have a map of Ipswich either. |
This map, a little later and showing the cricket and football ground, shows that Sir Alf Ramsey Way was then Portman's Walk. Indeed, I think you can make this out on the map you posted.
https://maps.nls.uk/view/10157
I also came across this on the website of Ipswich and East Suffolk Cricket Club.
"Home matches were played at either Ipswich school or Brooks Hall until 1855 when the club moved to Portman Road Marshes [now the home of Ipswich Town Football Club]with the main square being where the current practice pitch is and the 2nd XI square being where the centre circle of the main pitch is now. "
EDIT: this article indicates they were called Portman's Marshes.
https://www.eadt.co.uk/news/21
[Post edited 10 Sep 17:48]
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| Why Portman Road? on 18:07 - Sep 10 with 706 views | DJR |
| Why Portman Road? on 16:44 - Sep 10 by N17Blue |
I'd always been told the Portman bit refers to the twelve "portmen" who ran the old medieval corporation of Ipswich before it was reformed in the nineteenth century, so it's the local equivalent of "alderman". |
The Ipswich Lettering Society website has this which conforms what you say. Here is a link to its page on street name derivations, and below extracts relating to Portman Road and Portmans Walk.
https://ipswich-lettering.co.u
Portman Road: Portman (originally Portman's) Road was built in the mid-19th century at the same time as Princes Street, running from Handford Road across the Corporation Marshes (including Portmen's Marsh) to a junction with Railway Station Road, later to become part of Princes Street. In the 1940s the continuation of the upper part of Portman Road north of Handford Road and running up to Barrack Corner was also called Portman Road (formerly Mill Lane and later Mill Street). Under the Charter given to Ipswich by King John in 1200 the government of the town was placed in the hands of two bailiffs and four coroners who were elected at a meeting in the churchyard of St Mary-Le-Tower on 29 June 1200. At that meeting the inhabitants decided to elect twelve 'capital portmen' reflecting the importance of Ipswich as a port. The name is known nationally and abroad because it is home to the Ipswich Town Football Club ground. See also Portman's Walk.
Portmans Walk: running westward from the junction with Portman Road, this is now known as Sir Alf Ramsey Way to commemorate the famous Ipswich and England football manager whose statue stands near the junction. Historians might regret the loss of the original name which was in use for 300 years. The first Portmen of Ipswich were granted a meadow named Odenholm or Oldenholm – possibly the source of 'Alderman Road'? – (later Portmen's Marsh) on which to keep their horses.
The Ipswich Lettering Society is an astonishing treasure of historical information about Ipswich. This is a link to its homepage.
https://ipswich-lettering.co.u [Post edited 10 Sep 18:08]
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| Why Portman Road? on 18:34 - Sep 10 with 685 views | Trequartista |
| Why Portman Road? on 13:07 - Sep 10 by neolithicman |
This map seems to confirm AI’s reasoning:
https://maps.nls.uk/view/24595
Although that map does predate the football club.
Constantine Road is on the map but seems to be little more than a country lane.
Ps. I have no idea why the national libraries of Scotland would have a map of Ipswich either. |
I had always assumed the station used to be in Station St, but it seems to be in it's normal place before Station St existed. |  |
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| Why Portman Road? on 18:47 - Sep 10 with 676 views | Steve_M |
| Why Portman Road? on 18:34 - Sep 10 by Trequartista |
I had always assumed the station used to be in Station St, but it seems to be in it's normal place before Station St existed. |
I think there was another station, either serving that side of the docks or prior to the tunnel being constructed, that gave rise to the name. |  |
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| Why Portman Road? on 19:02 - Sep 10 with 657 views | mellowblue |
I reckon so, whatever was on the letter heading would have been the name used for the stadium. So it would have to be that the ticket office, head office would have sat somewhere on Portman Road. | | | |
| Why Portman Road? on 19:08 - Sep 10 with 648 views | DJR |
| Why Portman Road? on 19:02 - Sep 10 by mellowblue |
I reckon so, whatever was on the letter heading would have been the name used for the stadium. So it would have to be that the ticket office, head office would have sat somewhere on Portman Road. |
From maps at the time, our first stand was on Portman Road too. | | | |
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| Why Portman Road? on 20:14 - Sep 10 with 600 views | You_Bloo_Right |
| Why Portman Road? on 18:47 - Sep 10 by Steve_M |
I think there was another station, either serving that side of the docks or prior to the tunnel being constructed, that gave rise to the name. |
Wiki makes you right. |  |
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| Why Portman Road? on 21:12 - Sep 10 with 569 views | Pinewoodblue |
| Why Portman Road? on 17:26 - Sep 10 by Pinewoodblue |
Lead to the docks, the railway bridge, between the new Sir Bobby Robson pedestrian Bridge and Princes street bridge is still there. |
A bit more on the rail link to the docks. Will surprise many it was still in use in 1990’s
https://suffolkmuseums.org/the | |
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| Why Portman Road? on 22:18 - Sep 10 with 527 views | Hugoagogo_Reborn |
| Why Portman Road? on 15:42 - Sep 10 by flykickingbybgunn |
Note the tramway that took livestock to holding pens just north of the river before they were driven down to the cattle market. Some of those holding pens are still there next to the line. |
My grandad used to take my dad and his brothers to the cattle auctions when they were kids, for a bit of entertainment. They loved it, but we're under strick instruction to sit on their hands for the duration. 😂 |  |
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| Why Portman Road? on 23:34 - Sep 10 with 486 views | The_Major |
| Why Portman Road? on 18:47 - Sep 10 by Steve_M |
I think there was another station, either serving that side of the docks or prior to the tunnel being constructed, that gave rise to the name. |
The first railway line in was obviously the London one, and as Stoke Hill was I the way, the first station was in Croft Street I believe. It didn't last long, as soon as the line was extended to Norwich, and the tunnel cut through, it moved to the current site.
If I had to guess when Portman Road itself was constructed, I'd guess mid 1800s - possibly when the river was diverted. Although it split at Yarmouth
Road bridge as it does now, it didn't come back together until near to Stoke Bridge instead of West End Road as it does today. Of course the former route is still there, it's just that you can't see most of it.
It started off as what's now the Alderman Canal, and then goes underground, crosses the Cattle Market car park, runs under Wolsey Street and Cardinal Park, and comes out through a grille near Stoke Bridge. Certainly would have been very marshy land nearby I suspect. Apparently it was known as the Little Gipping, which then explains the street name in the area.
I seem to have read somewhere that a couple of now underground rivers started off near Spring Road (which makes sense). One heads into Town, and then turns left at Majors Corner and heads towards the docks via Upper and Lower Orwell Streets - that's why it's sometimes known as the Wash down there as it would frequently flood - Orwell Place used to be known as Steppes Street as there were stepping stones there
The other one, the Mill River, heads south east, goes under Foxhall Road (you know that dip between Kemball Street and Henslow Road? That's the small valley for the Mill River), crosses the St Clement's golf course, goes under Bixley Road and St Augustines, and comes up somewhere near Bucklesham Road, before heading off to flow into the Deben eventually.
The other things you see in the town, are those things that might have been. Obviously there was the inner ring road which came to a grinding halt at the Saints, but apparently there was a plan to try and take traffic away from Wherstead Road by making the main road towards Manningtree Birkfield Drive instead. Which, when you think about it, makes sense. Birkfield Drive is a wide straight road, and that's why we have the hairpin bend - it was supposed to carry on. Looking at a map, it's not a massive leap of imagination to extend it south until it meets the present A137.
Then there was the idea to link Sandyhill Lane up to the bypass to take the HGVs off Nacton Road, but that was scuppered by it having to go through Pipers Vale. Plus there was a sort of Western Relief Road idea to ease things on Norwich Road. It would go down Lovetofts Drive (again, a wide straight road), over the Bramford Lane recreation ground, follow the route of what is the new Europa Way, cut through Boss Hall, and then follow the river to come out on Yarmouth Road. Suspect that was seen as no good, as the junction would gave been too close to the Handford Bridge junctions. |  | | |
| Why Portman Road? on 03:17 - Sep 11 with 442 views | flykickingbybgunn |
| Why Portman Road? on 16:00 - Sep 10 by Billywitch |
the line by the river near the station? |
Yes. The bridge is till there over the river just to the west of the station. Unused now of course. If you go over the bridge on Princes Street from the station and look left you can see where the line crosses. The inside bend of the river is where the pens are. |  | | |
| Why Portman Road? on 12:22 - Sep 11 with 282 views | mellowblue |
| Why Portman Road? on 18:07 - Sep 10 by DJR |
The Ipswich Lettering Society website has this which conforms what you say. Here is a link to its page on street name derivations, and below extracts relating to Portman Road and Portmans Walk.
https://ipswich-lettering.co.u
Portman Road: Portman (originally Portman's) Road was built in the mid-19th century at the same time as Princes Street, running from Handford Road across the Corporation Marshes (including Portmen's Marsh) to a junction with Railway Station Road, later to become part of Princes Street. In the 1940s the continuation of the upper part of Portman Road north of Handford Road and running up to Barrack Corner was also called Portman Road (formerly Mill Lane and later Mill Street). Under the Charter given to Ipswich by King John in 1200 the government of the town was placed in the hands of two bailiffs and four coroners who were elected at a meeting in the churchyard of St Mary-Le-Tower on 29 June 1200. At that meeting the inhabitants decided to elect twelve 'capital portmen' reflecting the importance of Ipswich as a port. The name is known nationally and abroad because it is home to the Ipswich Town Football Club ground. See also Portman's Walk.
Portmans Walk: running westward from the junction with Portman Road, this is now known as Sir Alf Ramsey Way to commemorate the famous Ipswich and England football manager whose statue stands near the junction. Historians might regret the loss of the original name which was in use for 300 years. The first Portmen of Ipswich were granted a meadow named Odenholm or Oldenholm – possibly the source of 'Alderman Road'? – (later Portmen's Marsh) on which to keep their horses.
The Ipswich Lettering Society is an astonishing treasure of historical information about Ipswich. This is a link to its homepage.
https://ipswich-lettering.co.u [Post edited 10 Sep 18:08]
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"The first Portmen of Ipswich were granted a meadow named Odenholm or Oldenholm – possibly the source of 'Alderman Road'? – (later Portmen's Marsh) on which to keep their horses."
Re Odenholm/oldenholm, holm is a name that came with the Vikings and refers to an island, islet or raised land surrounded by water or marshland etc so that was probably it's traditional name for many centuries. Alderman does have a meaning. An alderman was someone like a town mayor or just below, at a high level of responsiblity for local government. So the road name could relate to that. | | | |
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