Birchanger
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Map of Hertfordshire
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Birchanger books (15 available)
Birchanger memories
Read and share memories of Birchanger and Hertfordshire inspired by Frith photos
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Hertfordshire memories
My 3rd Great Grandfather
The 1841 Census says that my 3rd great grandfather, William Little, with wife Ann and family, lived at this Windmill. His occupation is stated as 'Miller' so I guess he worked on the premises. One of his sons, George, grew to marry Mary Ann and run the Barley Mow Beer House on Chapel Hill. His daughter Mary Ann was a barmaid there at age 19 and at George's death his wife took over the running of the premises. It passed into the hands of other family members later.
A memory of Stansted Mountfitchet contributed by Lynne McCarrick
childhood
I was born in White Roding in 1961. In 1968 my family and I went to live in Bishops Stortford. While we were there my father worked as a grave digger and landscape gardener in the local area. I fondly remember going to some of the church yards with him and playing while he worked. The church at Little Hallingbury was one of those churches. We emmigrated to Australia in 1969 and although I went home several times I never revisited the church. This photo vividly brings back my childhood memories of lovely warm summers days lazily playing in the church yard and marvelling at the beauty of the church itself....my love of churches and church yards has stayed with me ...read more here
A memory of Little Hallingbury contributed by rebel evans
The Clock House
My Nan and Grandad lived in the Clock House for a long time, from birth I spent many happy christmas's here with my big family. This house is my most favourite place in England, I love absolutely everything about it and only wish anyone reading this could get a glimpse of my wonderful memories. I was told I was conceived here.
500 years old+, it's quite hard for me to grasp just how old that is.
The best things about this house... how 'lived in' it felt, the noise of the cars and the ages going past through the little lead windows.. waiting for Father Christmas I was convinced he'd never miss the Clock House... It has fireplaces in nearly every ...read more here
A memory of Takeley contributed by Amy De'ath
Summer 1980
My memories of the heath are from 1980 when my mother - Kathleen (Topsy) Whybrow and father bought me and my brother to the heath in the summer of 1980 for five months. My parents had emigrated to NZ and gave myself and my brother a choice - a swiming pool or a trip to the UK. I was only 8 and plumped for the pool but my older wiser brother convinced me my mother needed to see her family. And so it was to the heath we came, we attended the local heath primary school for a month, I remember Jojo, Justine and Ruth from my class - wonder where they are now? I was taught by my Great Aunt ...read more here
A memory of Hatfield Heath contributed by Sarah McGee
Extracts From Birchanger & Hertfordshire books
This row of cottages
started life as one
15th-century house of
the hall-and-wings
type. It is now all one
house again. St
Michael`s Church is
mainly early 14th-
century. In 1759 a
Thaxted curate wrote
that `the church of
Sampford does not
look like a house of
prayer, nor its vicar
like a man of God`.
An extract from from"Dunmow, Thaxted and Finchingfield Photographic Memories".
This part of
Finchingfield is known
as Duck End. The mill
lurks behind the
attractive cottages in
the foreground. It has
been said that For Sale
signs appear on
Finchingfield`s most
desirable properties
whenever bonuses
come up in the City.
An extract from from"Dunmow, Thaxted and Finchingfield Photographic Memories".
Cricketers` Pond takes its
name from the pub whose
sign is visible in the
background (left). The
pond often becomes silted
up, and has to be dredged
by local volunteers.
Behind us is the entrance
to Dunmow`s secondary
school, Helena Romanes,
which was built in 1958-59
to replace the Council
School on the Downs.
An extract from from"Dunmow, Thaxted and Finchingfield Photographic Memories".
Dating from c1580, Clock House had two famous residents. The first, Ann Line, was executed in
1601 for concealing a Catholic priest here. She was canonised in 1970. The second, Sir George
Howland Beaumont (1753-1827), was an art collector who effectively founded the National
Gallery. He used to entertain the likes of Wordsworth and Coleridge at Clock House.
An extract from from"Dunmow, Thaxted and Finchingfield Photographic Memories".
Two windmills once stood at this end of town, hence
the name. Beside the clapboarded cottage is Franklin`s
butcher`s shop. This used to get flushed out and
cleaned once a week, sending water coursing down the
street. Next door is the Co-op drapery. The white house
across the road was, until 1908, The Sun - a rival for The
Star (opposite).
An extract from from"Dunmow, Thaxted and Finchingfield Photographic Memories".