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It was named Spion Kop to honour General Coke. The Spion Kop colliery football team, called Spion Kop F.C., was playing in a local league post-WW2.

Spion Kop is a street in Padiham, Lancashire. www.alamy.com/spion-kop-apparently-one-o...-image334657773.html

Smethwick has a MAFEKING ROAD. A newspaper report shows it was under construction in 1902. In the photo Minnie Reed was born on Christmas Day 1907 dating the photo to about 1910/11. Sadly, she was no relation to Smethwick born and bred Corporal 2479 Henry Reed of the 1st Battalion of the Worcestershire Regiment who served in the Boer War (QSA 3 clasps, KSA 2 clasps).



Smethwick also has a KIMBERLEY ROAD, not sure when it was built but its first mention in the local rag was 1909.

Smethwick does not have a Ladysmith Road which is a bit ironic as “my” 207 Smethwickians who served in the Boer War gained 20 Relief of Ladysmith clasps, 10 Defence of Ladysmith clasps but only 6 Relief of Kimberley clasps and none for its defence and none in relation to the siege of Mafeking.

Smethwick also has a BELMONT ROAD. It was built in 1906 as part of a seven road development in which George Bowden, Smethwick’s 4th Mayor, architect and developer, played a leading role. He was born in Devon and two of the roads were named after places in Devon, they think another two were inspired by where his niece lived in New Zealand but they have no idea about the other three including Belmont Road – have I discovered the reason?

Mafeking Road would be a pretty cool address for a student of the Boer War!

Back onto a sporting theme, the Anfield home of Liverpool Football Club has a stand called "The Kop" named after Spion Kop.
Birmingham City FC at their St. Andrews ground have a stand called "The Kop" aswell. It is along one of the long sides of the pitch
It certainly shows the impact of the conflict on the working folk of the time to commemorate the battle of Spion Kop at football stadiums.

Not all town councils in England adhered to prevailing jingoistic sentiment. Battersea council, which had distinctly "pro-Boer" leanings, opted for "JOUBERT STREET" for the name of one of its new residential roads.

I have always thought this quite an extraordinary statement, celebrating an enemy's military commander at a time of war.
Battersea witnessed considerable civil unrest during the war, with jingoistic mobs targeting the homes of known pro-Boers.


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By way of contrast, I live two streets away from "PRETORIA ROAD", built, of course, in 1900.

When buying I looked hard for a property here, but sadly nothing was suitable ......


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Steve - you do not need to "descend" to living in Smethwick to achieve your desire as the Address Search facility on FMP throws up the following alternative locations for Mafeking Road - Wraysbury/Eton (Bucks), Newton Abbot (Devon), West Ham, Cardiff, Portsmouth, Preston, Edmonton/Enfield/Tottenham, Wellington (Salop), Brighton & Steyning (Sussex). They all first appear in the 1911 Census except Newton Abbott which appears in the 1901 Census but not thereafter, so it may represent a hollow dream.

An alternative would be Baden Powell Road/Street/Terrace - Llandilo (Carmarthenshire), Chesterfield, Gateshead, Dylais Higher (Neath), Alton (Hants), Barrow in Furness & Nottingham. If you want to sound grand by living by living in Baden Powell Terrace you will have to go to either of the Welsh locations.

For Neville - in 1911 there was a Joubert Mansions in Jubilee Place, Chelsea - it comprised getting on for two dozen apartments mainly populated by artists.

David.