The ancient lane and road system of Oldnall End remains virtually unchanged today, although some long unnamed lanes have gained a name (or even several) over time. The map below shows the hamlet’s principal lanes today: an external near-rectangle ; a middle route running east-west; and a handful of minor internal routes.

1. Barretts Lane
2. Baulk Lane
3. Dockers Lane (now Station Rd)
4. Green Lane
5. Kelsey or Kelsey’s Lane
6. Lavender Hall Lane
7. Meeting House Lane
8. Spencer’s Lane
9. Truggist Lane
10. Waste Lane

Barretts Lane

Origin: named for Catherine Thompson BARRETT (1753-1827), who owned today’s Sunnyside House and several of the surrounding fields.
History: It is unnamed on the 1831 Ordnance Survey map, but appears on census records from 1841 to 1921.
Properties: In 1839, it had four properties: today’s Sunnyside House, Sunnyside Farmhouse, Pool Orchard, and Barrett’s Lane Farmhouse.

Baulk Lane

Origin: Middle English BALK(E) or BAUK, from BALCA, meaning ridge or mound. 1) a strip of unploughed land between two fields; 2) a ridge between furrows left unploughed accidentally or carelessly (source)
History: Named on the 1831 Ordnance Survey map, but does not appear on censuses.
Properties: in 1839, only Ram Hall

Dockers Lane (now Station Rd)

Origin: named for the DOCKER family who owned property on the lane until the early 19th century
History: named on the 1831 Ordnance survey map and used consistently on censuses from 1841-1911. The name Station Road seems to have come into use early in the 20th century; the new name is used by 2 homeowners on the 1911 census, and for all properties on the 1921 census. The transition to Truggist Lane normally came after the junction with Baulk Lane, but the 1851, 1861 and 1871 censuses record most properties on today’s Truggist Lane under Dockers Lane.
Properties: in 1839 there were 10 properties on Dockers Lane. Starting at the junction with Baulk Lane and walking back towards the village, these were: today’s Cherry Tree Cottage, the Brickmakers Arms, Manor Cottage, Manor House (demolished), Arch’s Shop, and five cottages belonging to the Berkswell Charities (demolished).

Green Lane

Origin: unknown, but perhaps it was once a particularly green, lush or tree-lined lane
History: unnamed on the 1831 Ordnance Survey map. On the 1841 census, the houses are recorded under Berkswell Common, and in 1891 they are recorded under Dockers Lane, but Green Lane is named on every other census.
Properties: in 1839 there were five properties in total, including a corner cottage E of the junction with Dockers Lane (demolished), 2 corner cottages W of the junction with Dockers Lane (demolished), today’s Owls Barn, and two cottages in today’s Lavender Hall Park (demolished).

Kelsey or Kelsey’s Lane

Origin: named for John and Hannah (Woodward) KELSEY, who lived and farmed there until Hannah’s death in 1874.
History: Considered a continuation of Waste Lane on the 1831 Ordnance Survey map and appears as Waste Lane on most censuses, but as Kelsey or Kelsey’s Lane on the 1871, 1891 and 1911 censuses. Note: the stretch of modern Kelsey’s Lane that was in Oldnall End ran between the junctions with Windmill Lane and Meeting House Lane (N side only).
Properties: in 1839 there were two houses on this stretch of road, both on the N side and both now demolished.

Lavender Hall Lane

Origin: named for Lavender Hall Farm, itself likely named for the LAVENDER family who lived there in the 16th century.
History: Unnamed on the 1831 Ordnance Survey map or censuses. The stretch in Berkswell village was previously known as Old Lane, while the west end was known as Berkswell Lane.
Properties: in 1839 there were two properties, both at the west end: Lavender Hall farm and Fern Bank. NOTE: the properties at the east end of today’s Lavender Hall Lane were considered part of the village centre, historically known as Church End.

Meeting House Lane

Origin: named for the historic Quaker Meeting House halfway along the lane
History: unnamed on the 1831 Ordnance Survey map; listed under Berkswell Common on the 1841 census. The 1851-71 and 1901-1921 censuses record it as Meeting House Lane. In the last quarter of the 19th century, it seems sometimes to have been known by the names of its major farming families: Bates Lane (1866; 1881-91 census descriptions) and Readers Lane (1881 census).
Properties: 15 in 1839, of which only 2 are still standing: today’s Rose Cottage and the Quaker Meeting House.

Spencer’s Lane

Origin: presumably named for Thomas SPENCER, who lived at Berkswell Farm on the E side of the lane from at least 1836 until his death in 1879.
History: Unnamed on the 1831 Ordnance Survey map and on all censuses up to 1921, although it is recorded as ‘Spencer Lane, Berkswell’ in a newspaper report of September 1906. In the early 20th century it was also known as Station Road.
Properties: only those on the west side of the lane were in Oldnall End. In 1839, there were 8 residences: today’s Malthouse/Garden House (1 property), Village Farm, The Priory, Yew Tree House, Spencer’s End, The Croft, Cromwell House, and The Tower House. There was a wheelwright’s shop opposite the Tower House, now demolished.

Truggist Lane

Origin: unknown. Documents of 1778-9 record a house called The Trudgers with a field called Trudgers Meadow.
History: the 1831 Ordnance Survey map records it as Druggest Lane. This lane seems not to have had a single identity; rather than using Druggest/Truggist Lane, 19th-century censuses record the properties in the residential nuclei of Beech End, Beechwood, Carol Green and Truggist Hill. Censuses between 1851-1871 record most properties as Dockers Lane. Truggist Lane first appears on the 1901 census (2 properties) and is used again in 1911, and in 1921 (4 properties).
Properties: in 1839 there were 12 residences [moving eastwards from the junction with Spencers Lane]: today’s Carol Cottage (2 residences), Berkswell Grange (2 residences), Jasmine Cottage, The Fordrough, Moat Cottage, Moat House Farm, Truggist Hill Farm, Truggist Hill, Pandora, and Wellmont House.

Waste Lane

Origin: in Middle English, a waste was uncultivated, uninhabited or fallow land (source). This lane may either have cut across a waste or bounded its edge.
History: It is Oldnall End’s earliest named lane; it was mentioned in the 1741 will of William PERKINS of Berkswell, appears by name on the 1831 Ordnance Survey map, and has been used consistently ever since.
Properties: in 1839 there were 7 residences on Waste Lane: today’s Laburnum Cottage, Melrose Cottage, Field Cottage and Laburnum Farm, plus a homestead, house and cottage, all now demolished. There was also a rake shop next to Field Cottage, now demolished.