Key points
Location: Cul‑de‑sac off Windsor Park with postcode BT9 6WA;
Origins: Named after a Victorian villa on Windsor Park; originally a house.
Occupants: Henry J. Sheppard (Postmaster of Belfast) by 1880 lennonwylie.co.uk; Herman Boas (linen merchant) in 1901 and 1907 lennonwylie.co.uklennonwylie.co.uk; Graham Weir (yarn merchant) in 1918 lennonwylie.co.uk.
Development: The large villa was later demolished and replaced by a modern housing development; Bromfield is now a private cul‑de‑sac.
Name meaning: Derived from Old English brōm (broom/gorse) and feld (open country) – literally “broom‑covered field”surnamedb.com.
Bromfield began as a large villa on Windsor Park. In the 1880 Belfast street directory, the villa is listed as the residence of Henry J. Sheppard, Belfast’s postmaster lennonwylie.co.uk. By 1901 and 1907 the directories record Herman Boas living at Bromfield, Windsor Park lennonwylie.co.uklennonwylie.co.uk. The 1918 directory describes the property as “Bromfield 33, Weir, Graham, yarn merchant” lennonwylie.co.uk, showing that the villa retained its name while its occupants changed.
In the mid‑20th century the large villas on Windsor Park were redeveloped, and Bromfield’s grounds were subdivided into a private cul‑de‑sac.
The name Bromfield (also Broomfield) is of Anglo‑Saxon origin. Etymological sources explain that it derives from the Old English words brōm (broom or gorse) and feld (open country), meaning “open country where broom grew” surnamedb.com. The villa’s first owner likely chose the name to evoke a rural, genteel setting.
Belfast Street Directories (1880, 1901, 1907, 1918) – entries for Bromfield show residents Henry J. Sheppardlennonwylie.co.uk, Herman Boaslennonwylie.co.uklennonwylie.co.uk and Graham Weirlennonwylie.co.uk.
Surname and place‑name etymology – explains that brom + feld means “broom‑covered field”surnamedb.com.