Maps and Old Deeds
The third meeting
of the year was held on the 20th March and the subject was Maps & Old
Deeds. There was a good turn out of members which ensured a lively and
interesting meeting. Claire Page brought along deeds and photographs relating
to the "Chequer's Inn". The photographs were the result of a relative
of Box Bramwell who is living at Watlington finding a number of old pictures in
family archives. They went round the villages to see if they could recognise
any of the properties and eventually ended up in West Dereham at ClaireÕs door. Box Bramwell was the Blacksmith at West
Dereham from 1915 to about 1938. It is recorded that he died in 1947. The best
photograph was of the Chequer's with George Robertson and his Mother Lydia
standing at the door taken about 1915-20. Another was an arial shot taken in
1982 which also included the shop and Post Office. Ron Hurrell was host of the
Chequers then with Mr. & Mrs. Barton running the shop & P.O. There was
also a nice one of the cottages on The Row taken before 1940. We know the rough
date because both of the properties in the foreground were destroyed by bombs
during the early part of World War Two.
Lindsay produced
deeds and documents that related to the shop and Post Office and it appears
that the date West Durham opened it's own
P.O. was 1908, although this is unconfirmed. Up until that time the nearest
offices were at Stoke Ferry or Downham Market. The shop and Post Office closed
under the last owners, Chris and Rosemary Douglas during the mid 1990s.
Richard had
several old Ordnance Survey maps including the first one made of the West
Dereham area dated 1884 together with 25 inches to the mile updates of 1904.
These show the Village little changed from the private survey of George W.Kett
made in 1825. He was also able to show documents and deeds for properties along
the east end of Hilgay Road and much of Station Road. Before the coming of the
Railway this road was part of Fen Drove. Also included was the first known
lease for the property that became the "Life & Let Live" ale
house. The site is where Abbey Lodge now stands but the ale house stood right
by the roadside in line with the cottages. It is dated 1891 and was granted to
Eliza Germany who was a farmer like her father before her. We have no record of
when the Live & Let Live closed but can only assume that when the railway
closed to passenger traffic in 1930 the the pub went as well. Some of these old
documents have been donated to the Village and will therefore always be
available to anyone who wishes to look through them.
Richard C.French.
Visit to
Lakenheath Fen
On a fine spring
evening of the 24th of April members and guests, including some from overseas,
went to the RSPB Nature Reserve at Lakenheath Fen.
One square mile
of arable fields that before 1996 grew wheat, potatoes and carrots has been
returned to reedbeds and water meadows. This marsh allows cattle to graze in
the summer months and one of the best sites in this area to see marsh harriers,
reed warblers and bearded tits. There are dry paths between the lagoons and
waterways which are close enough to the reeds to view water loving birds. The
site also has a wide range of other wildlife including deer, insects and
wildflowers. This is not a cosmetically tendered area with immaculately cut
grass and trimmed woodland but left very much to do as nature intended. Fallen
trees are left and these provide excellent nesting sites for kingfishers,
habitat for insects and would you believe that the water filled hole made when
the tree blew over was teeming with small fish.
Reeds have been
planted along the margins of the water and these are slowly widening into the
lagoons to provide large areas of standing reed. These do have to be managed
and cut on a regular basis. The reed produced will be used for thatching where
the quality is suitable and the lesser stuff may be used to provide the site
with energy in the future.
During the 1650s
plans were made by Adventurers to drain big areas of the Fens which at that
time covered 1,300 square miles. This watery wilderness of winding rivers,
shallow lakes and huge reed beds was the home of the marsh people some of whom
were known as Fen Tigers. Early habitation was by people who lived on the low
islands and fed themselves by hunting, fishing and keeping livestock, mainly cattle.
The amount of wildlife in the Fens at that time was immense.
The living must
have been excellent because early man had the time and energy to make
beautifully shaped, polished axe, arrow and spearheads. The Fens teemed with
wildfowl right up to the beginning of the 19th century and with the coming of
the railways meant that wild duck would be for sale in the London Markets
within 3 hours of being taken off the water by the punt gunners.
Most of the Adventurers
plans came to fruition and very little of the original fen survives. What was
started by the Romans is now complete and we have one of the most productive
farming areas in the world growing a wide range of food crops on grade one agricultural
soil. RSPB Lakenheath Fen has succeeded in turning the clock back on it's reserve here and Norman Sills and his dedicated
staff have done a splendid job in creating this wildlife haven.
Village
Walk
The meeting on
the 15th of May took the form of a village walk, part two, taking in Station
Road and Basil Road. We started off from the Cheques Cottages of which we now
have a list of the Landlords from 1850 to when it closed in 1985 with the
exception of a few years in the 1950s when there were a number of tenants of
whom memory has dimmed. Going on up Station Road the first site of interest is
Abbey View Cottages and Abbey Lodge. These all formed part of a large range of
buildings which up until the late 1940s included what had once been the Live
& Let Live pub. I believe this establishment must have closed in the period
before World War II after which it went back to being a farmhouse with several
out buildings and cottages.
The house was in
line with the two surviving cottages so it stood right at the roadside with the
other buildings at right angles at the back. The whole of this complex received
little in the way of maintenance after the war and became unfit for habitation
during the 1950s and sometime later it was demolished and the present property
erected which is known as Abbey Lodge. It stands way back off the road at the
western boundary of the plot and the owner at that time was Terry Shin. After
Terry sold up it was home to Sue and Brian Capes and has had other owners since.
Further along
there are a number of modern bungalows built in the 60s which were erected by
the Robertson's who owned the land and then to the site of
another old farmhouse built of carrstone and brick. This was also demolished in
the 1950s and the present bungalow erected by Bill Leamon. It had land out to
the back and was used as a smallholding right up to when Bill retired and moved
to Downham Market. It is now the home of Richard Leamon and his family. Richard
is a very keen keeper and breeder of rare breeds of poultry. There is a small
part of the old farm buildings still standing at the south end which is now
used as a garage.
A pair of 19th.
century cottages remain at the southern end of the road one of which now known
as Sleepers was restored a few years ago although nothing is know of their
history. We then come to a range of 8 recently built cottages on the site of
the four 19th. century originals which were farm workers homes up until the
late 1950s. They remained uninhabited right up until 1992-3 when they were
demolished and the present homes erected. Someone did attempt some work on the
original cottages in the early 70s but this was stopped by the Borough Council
over planning and building regulation infringements.
Just before we
reach the junction with Basil Road we come to Hall Close. This a very old site
which dates back to the Saxon period judging by the number of artefacts found
in the area. ItÕs on the western edge of the road and bordered
to the south by Basil Road. There could have been a Medieval house on this site
but there is little in the records to prove this theory. ItÕs now an arable field.
At the far end of
Station Road just before it joins with Fen Drove there is a range of 19th or
possibly earlier buildings which is know as CarmenÕs
Farm and is still worked by that family.
Turning in to
Basil Road I think I can safely say that the majority of buildings standing are
as they were 200 years ago. Curples Cottage is dated 1825 and stands on part of
Hall Close. College Farm is probably the oldest standing property in West
Dereham and a grade II listed building and dated on the gable 1626. It is
mainly timber framed with brick nogging but the gable walls have lower courses
of conglomerate and reused stone, probably from the Abbey. The upper part of
the south stepped gable wall is brick with a massive chimney. There are a
number of blocked windows and slits with brick mullions. The west wing is
modern built in 1900. The farm got itÕs
name from the fact is was owned from the 15th century by the Cambridge College,
Gonville & Caius.(Pronounced , "keys")
At the start of
the 20th century it was farmed and home to the Woodley family and has only
recently changed hands again when John and Doris Woodley retired from farming
and sold the land and buildings.
Almost opposite
is Pear Tree farm and yes, the pear tree is still fruiting after almost a
hundred years. It has been owned by the Starling family since 1923 and today is
the home of Peter and Jean Starling, Peter taking over after his father retired
in the 1960s.
Springfield farm
is now known as Springfield Cottage and lived in by Robert and Ivy Harper after
they vacated the Cheques in 1940. It faces south towards Duffields Drove and at
one time Fred Osler kept his traction engine and threshing tackle in buildings
to the rear. Robert also kept pigs on the premises and electricity did come to
this area till 1952.
The large
detached house on the corner where the road turns sharply right now known as
The Hawthorns was built in 1934 and named Nu Beaula Court. The Harpers daughter
,Barbara lived here for a time and brought up a family one of whom, Pauline,
now lives with her husband Michael at Springfield Cottage.
There are several
properties in this area including Basil Farm but I have very little knowledge
of their history and is something that we are working to try and complete.
Basil seems to have had many variations to itÕs
spelling over the centuries and is another very old site certainly dating back
to the 16th century but could well have been the site of a Saxon long house of
wooden post construction under a thatched roof.
We walked back
via Brooks Lane flanked on both sides by a recently planted (10 years ago),
traditional Norfolk hedge which includes hawthorn, hedge maple, spindle and
hazel.
Back at Hilgay
Road we were entertained at the home of Ruth and Cyril Marsters who served
refreshments which rounded off very nicely a very pleasant early summer
evening. We were also pleased to welcome a new member who joined us for the
walk, Mr. Paddy Murfitt, who is also to be congratulated for being co-opted to
the Parish Council.
KingÕs
Lynn Walk
On the evening of
the 26th June 9 members assembled at the Saturday Market Place in
Kings Lynn to meet up with Dr.Paul Richards who you will remember came to us
last year and gave a talk on Medieval Kings Lynn. Our tour with commentary by
Dr Richards was to walk round the oldest parts of Lynn looking at the
historical properties that remain. Lynn is very fortunate in having a large
number of interesting buildings some of which date from the 13th. century all
in a good state of preservation. Many were saved in the latter half of the last
century by the Kings Lynn Preservation Trust although even as late as 1974 one
of the oldest houses in Lynn was demolished ( more by accident than design) to
be replaced by a modern housing block.
From St. MargaretÕs Church which dates from 1101 and its unique Tide
Clock we walked over to Thorsby College. A Tudor building it originally housed
Priest of the Trinity Guild. A dig in the central courtyard some years ago
revealed a well preserved wooden quay which showed that the riverside was much
further east than it is today. Much of the present day quayside was gradually
reclaimed from the river with a series of rubbish "piers" which were
pushed out into the river as a way of getting rid of the day to day waste that
most human activity produces. The spaces in between silted up or were filled in
with stone and rubble to create solid footings with which the quayside was extended
westward.
Hanging in the
entrance arch to Thorsby College is a cannon ball contained in an iron bracket
above your head if you look up. This is said to be the very ball which on
Sunday the 3rd of September 1643 crashed through the window of St. MargaretÕs Church while a sermon was in progress. The Minister,
(Mr. Hinson) and his congregation were shaken but unhurt. ItÕs an 18lb. ball fired from the cannon of
Parliamentarian forces under the Earl of Manchester during the siege of Lynn
from West Lynn which had been seized by Cromwell a few days earlier. West Lynn
was known as "Old Lyn" and Boal Quay as "Worlds End" in
1561.
We were able to
visit Clifton House, a very fine merchants house, by kind permission of the
owners, Dr Simon Thurley and his wife, who greeted us on arrival passing
through the original oak doors to enter the house itself. Dr. Thurley is the
President of English Heritage. We went down into a very well preserved crypt
and you could see remains of 12th. Century stone work in the side walls which
were remains of adjoining buildings, the top parts of which were rebuilt in the
16th and 17th Centuries. There is a grand stairway to the upper rooms much of
it made in English Oak with some fine "barley twist" turnings on the
columns. The rooms, although requiring a lot of work in restoration and
redecoration, have many of the original features that have been hidden for
years behind studwork. Over time these rooms will be restored and furnished in
the 17th century manner with genuine pieces where possible. We were able to see
the magnificent Tower building, which was added in Tudor times, as we left as
there was not time to actually enter and go up into the rooms. Another time
perhaps. At this point a light rain became a steady downfall and we took
shelter down Baker Street in some old Hanseatic warehouses which are now flats
and very nicely done about 30 years ago. We had planned to go on to the Customs
House, Tuesday Market Place and Chapel Street but we decided the weather was
against us and we would head for home. Maggie Fisher thanked Dr Richards for
his efforts and a most interesting tour and an invite from him to do it again
next year.
Downham
Market Heritage Society
Our meeting this
month was a week later than usual to fit in with our guest speakerÕs itinerary.
We were on home ground at the Village Hall on the 24th.July when we were
delighted to welcome David Flower, Chairman of Downham Market Heritage Society.
His talk outlined
the formation of the Society and its progress to date.
Formed in
September 1995 with the aim of recording and preserving local history and
antiquities. Like so many rural towns and villages much of what consisted of
daily life has been lost, forgotten or even destroyed. Thoughts turned to the
establishment of a Heritage Centre for Downham Market
The Society at
first envisaged buying the Magistrates Court building which had been put up for
sale as proceedings had been transferred to the Kings Lynn Court. This seemed
to be an ideal location for the Society to set itself up with a historical
building to hold meetings and display records, artifacts and carry out
research. There was a great deal of interest in the building from private
buyers with one having already started negotiations with the aim of turning it
into a private residence. The Society was unable to challenge this buyer as
they had insufficient funds to even think of making an offer. As it happens
this may have been a blessing in disguise as it was found to be in need of
considerable repair work due to age and damage from vandalism.
Other properties
were looked at but it was always the problem of funding that hampered their
progress. Fund raising continued until 2002 when it was decided to abandon the
project and to reconsider what should be done with the money raised so far.
At this time the
Borough Council having received cash for a Regenerating Scheme were wanting to
improve facilities and the use of Downham Market Town Hall. Quite unexpectantly
the Society were offered the use of the inside balcony which up until then had
proved to be of little use.
Things moved very
quickly after the offer was accepted and grants were obtained for the purchase
of 12 museum quality glass display cabinets and 12 display/story boards. These
would enable the Society to start setting up the items of history they already
had and added to that were the steady trickle of items donated/loaned by the
general public .By the middle of 2003 the display cases had arrived and work
started to get then up to the balcony. This proved to be more difficult than it
looked but after a lot of effort by the delivery drivers, agents reps and
members it was accomplished. The first displays were set up, the slow trickle
of items increased to a steady flow and they were able to open to the public.
The displays have
continued to grow and there is also a showcase in the Town Library which is
changed on a regular basis. They now have over two thousand fully catalogued
items stored or displayed at the site.
Currently the
Town Council has reclaimed ownership of the Town Hall and intends to carry out
a programme of repair and refurbishment. This means the present Heritage
Centre, on the balcony, will close. All is not back to square one as the Town
Council are owners of the disused Fire Station on Priory Road and this site has
been offered to the Society as their new home for the Heritage Centre. Planning
permission has been obtained for change of use and refurbishment is in
progress. This site will make a permanent home for the Society and provide more
room for the ever expanding display space and storage. It is hoped the move
will take place before the end of 2008.
The membership is
at just under a hundred people and continues to grow. New members are welcome.
Meetings are held monthly and outside visits take place to interesting sites.
There is also a web site which gives updates and has the years programme laid
out showing meeting times and venues.
West Dereham
Heritage Group will not hold a meeting in August. Next one is 20th September
when the Group will be visiting Gressenhall Rural Life Museum, Farm and
Workhouse. Any local people who would like to join us are welcome please make
your own way to Gressenhall by 10.15.,you pay on entry, and you can join our
guided tour. This lasts about an hour and then you can look at the rest of the
site which can easily take several hours. There are ample facilities on site
for toilets and refreshments. I understand there is also excellent access for
the disabled with wheel chairs available for those who have difficulty with
walking.