When Tawney Street was new.

In The Boston Guardian 1906, Mr A.R. Parker looked back at the changes in Boston during 
the years from 1850 to 1906.

New streets have been opened in recent years in the heart of the borough. For
instance, the once beautiful private park (known in former times as Hopkins Park) has been sliced up, and speculators and builders have certainly been in unison with regard to appearance to make this a very pleasant thoroughfare leading from Red Lion Street into Robin Hoods Walk. In the centre of Bargate another opening has been made, called Tawney Street, adjoining the very old time establishment of Woollard's Carriage Work.

Woollard's Carriage Works is in the centre of the picture with an unknown old building next 

door, and below is the scene today.

This also has a through way into Robin Hoods walk, but as only one side is at present being rapidly filled in with delightful villa residences, the aspect to the front of these villas ispicturesque, with its splendid row of giant trees formed up in line and reaching the whole length of the newly formed street.

A paddock in Red Lion Street.

The Centenary Chapel  in Red Lion Street (below) was opened for service on October 1st, 1840 and was destroyed by fire in 1909. A new one was built in its place (second picture below) but what was there on the site previous to 1840?
Well, according to Mr. George Pearson, an old Bostonian, speaking in July, 1914 there was a large paddock there, bounded on each of its four sides by a high massive wall which had been built solely for the purpose of keeping out the general public.

Above:   The first church, burned down in 1909.

Below:   The new church built on its site.

Access to the enclosure, which, as part of the property of the Red Lion Hotel was popularly known as the Red Lion paddock, was only gained by one small gate set into the wall on the side flanking Red Lion Square but, in mockery of these precautions (the young of the town especially) scaled the walls or picked the lock of the gate and took part in organised games and sports. Mr. Pearson himself confessed to going in the paddock and said on Saturday afternoons it was crowded. The ground was also sometimes occupied by a touring dramatic company, which presented plays to all who might turn up, the paddock thus serving as an open air theatre. The "Strolling players", as they styled themselves, came at any time of the year and were as irregular in their visits as another travelling group who gave exhibitions of daring horsemanship in a temporarily erected booth.