The Francis Frith Collection.
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Alresford, Essex

Alresford maps

Historic maps of Alresford and the local area, hand-drawn by Ordnance Survey and Samuel Lewis.   View all Alresford maps

Alresford map

Historic map of Alresford

Essex map

Illustrated Victorian map of Essex

Alresford map

Historic Map of any Alresford postcode

Alresford maps
View all Alresford maps

Alresford photos

We have no photos of Alresford, although we do have photos of these nearby places: Wivenhoe, Thorrington, Elmstead, Fingringhoe, Brightlingsea, Great Bentley, East Mersea, Colchester, St Osyth

Alresford books

Displaying 2 of 13 books about Alresford and the local area.   View all Alresford books

On Sale! 70 off

Braintree Town and City Memories
Hardback
rrp £16  £4.80

On Sale! 70 off

Chigwell Photographic Memories
Paperback
rrp £10.99  £3.30

On Sale! 70 off

Chigwell Photographic Memories
Hardback
rrp £14.99  £4.50

Alresford books
View all 13 Alresford and Essex books

Memories of Alresford

No memories of Alresford have been shared yet - be the first!
Add your memory of Alresford or of a photo of Alresford.

Essex memories

A Brightlingsea Boy

I was born at 10 North Rd in 1936 My grandparents house[Harry & Maude Hammond. My mother Mabel Williams[nee Hammond] worked in James Shipyard during war then Telephone Exchange.remarried George Genever[who was buyer at Aldous Shipyard] in 1947.We lived at 15 Eastern rd then 2 Ladysmith Avenue.Brightlingsea was a great place to spend your childhood,either by the water or in the countryside, My best mates where Eric Woods,Jim Crosby and Colin Francis [Lost touch with all of them]. The pictures [all of them] brought back many happy memories,Since leaving Brightlingsea in 1957 I have travelled all over the world and now live in Morecambe Lancashire, I would like to hear from anyone who remembers me,

Shared on 21 January 2008 by Terry Williams.

Where  I  was  brought  up

I  was  brought  up  at  110  High  Street  then  at  the  top of  Backwaterside  Lane.  My  Grandparents  were William  and  Louisa  Barrenger.  My  Mum  Mabel  Barrenger (later  Mabel  Dutton)  was  born  at  9  Hurst  Green.  Many  of  my  family  were  all  born  there including  my  sister  and  two  brothers.  One  of  the  things  I  can  remember  about  the  High  Street  is  the  fair  arriving  on  Hurst  Green  and  also  watching  the  Carnival  go  along  the  High  Street.
Brightlingsea  holds  many  memories, the  shops  in  the  High Street, Bird's  the  newsagent, Phillip's  the  fruit  and  veg  shop  and further  along  there  was  the  bakers  at  the  top  of  Tower  Street.  On  the  opposite  side  there was the  Chemist  then  the  Grocery  Shop.
My  Mum  worked  at  Jacobs  Hall  when  Mrs  Wholmes ( I  think  I've  Spelt  that  right)  and  her  daughter  Celia  were  there.  I left  Brightlingsea  in  1968  but  Brightlingsea  is  where  I  spent  a  happy  childhood and  as  I  sit  here  I  can  see  the  High  Street as  I  knew  it.  I  also  belonged  to  The  Salvation  Army - people  would  know  me  as  Anne  Craig.

Shared on 15 February 2007 by Anne Holmes.

Donkey & Buskins public house, Layer-de-la-Hay

I was the licensee of the above for an all too brief time and had some regular customers who arrived every week-day evening at opening time and were called "The Club". Among them I remember a Ken & Penny Upton and a retired local Headmaster who was known as "Casey".
Time erodes memory, especially re: names, but I hope someone reads this and contacts me with any information regarding these very happy days.  

Shared on 14 October 2008 by Ken Cramer.

So sad

This picture of High Street is very dear to me because it is how I remembered it when I was a boy in the 1940s & 50s. In 1955 I was called up to do my national sevice and was posted abroard, when I returned, to my horror, the church in the foreground had been demolished.  

Shared on 02 August 2008 by Roger Reynolds.

Extracts From Alresford & Essex books

Displaying a selection of extracts from Frith books about Alresford, inspired by Frith photos.

Braintree Town and City Memories

Prior to 1935, all that would have been seen from in front of the church would have been the top of the church spire. In the foreground would have been a collection of dilapidated shops, and a large wooden maltings out of shot to the right. In 1935 the buildings, including the maltings, were demolished as part of a road improvement scheme.

This is an extract from Braintree Town and City Memories.
Read more and see photos from this book.

Braintree Town and City Memories

This road runs between Coggeshall Road and Bradford Street; it replaced the old road, which ran 30 or 40 metres back from the left-hand side of this picture, when Sydney Courtauld built Bocking Place in 1885. Houses started to be built on the right-hand side of the road from the turn of the 20th century, and provided housing for the up-and-coming professional and business people.

This is an extract from Braintree Town and City Memories.
Read more and see photos from this book.

Braintree Town and City Memories

The large weather-boarded buildings on the left are the silk mills of Warner & Sons, who had taken over the business of Walters & Co in 1894. Daniel Walters came to the town in 1822, and these mills were built in 1856. Behind these is another range of buildings constructed in 1869. Both firms produced silk products for the royal family, and Warners have woven velvet for every coronation since that of Edward VII.

This is an extract from Braintree Town and City Memories.
Read more and see photos from this book.