Even in recent timeframes the local area has changed significantly and one example is Orchard Street. I believe land was retained to allow for a bypass to be built avoiding the centre of Rainham but when this plan was cancelled the land was then redeveloped.

The photo below from 2001 looking towards Rainham shows the old Lukehurst warehouse with the green wall and corrugated tin roof and car sales yard before the site was cleared to build the new flats

Looking up Orchard Street towards Thames Avenue, 2001

Below: Looking towards Rainham with the cleared site after Lukehursts warehouse demolished showing view through to church and Millennium centre

Below: Site after Lukehursts warehouse demolished showing view through to church and Millennium centre

 Below: Orchard Street Car sales site looking towards school

Below: Same location photo of new houses built on Orchard Car sales site, 2003

Providence Chapel Orchard Street, 2001

Orchard Street outside St Margarets School, 2001

New houses, 2003

Former Church Hall site, now flats on Hurst Close/Orchard Street

These photos of Orchard Street Rainham were taken in around 2002 before the bypass land was released and the new housing was built on the former Orchard Street Car Sales and Lukehursts green warehouse

Photos below of Orchard Street during winter of 1987 kindly provided by Darren H

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Category: Rainham Roads

This is an old photo of Moor Street Rainham, taken in approx 1910

The same Moor Street location in 2014

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Category: Rainham Roads

Many of the older houses in Rainham and elsewhere were given names for various blocks of houses. One set of houses in Orchard Street Rainham is known as Reads Terrace and is shown as being built in 1887. This is shortly after Providence Chapel further down Orchard Street was built in 1884

There is still a sign on the Reads Terrace houses showing the name and date of consrtuction

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Category: Rainham Roads

These are old photo of Broad Walk Rainham which is now High Street/A2. Broadwalk was the section of the A2 between Rainham Watling Street junction of Mierscourt Road and Otterham Quay Lane and is currently where the Rose Inn and the Congregational Church are located. I believe the houses in the photo below no longer exist. From Kelly's Directory it appears that Broadwalk was renamed High Street in the 1930s along with other street name changes in Rainham. How Rainham Kent Street Names have changed over the years

I believe the houses above are the ones in the photo below to the left of the Chapel

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Category: Rainham Roads