Ayot St Lawrence, Shaws Corner c.1955
Photo ref: A99004
Made in Britain logo

Photo ref: A99004
Photo of Ayot St Lawrence, Shaws Corner c.1955

More about this scene

This photograph shows the back of the late-Victorian rectory which became the home of the writer George Bernard Shaw from 1906 until his death in 1950, at the age of ninety-four. Owned by the National Trust, the building houses a number of literary relics, which these visitors have come to peruse. Photographs taken twenty years earlier show this aspect of the building heavily festooned in creepers, which have clearly been severely pruned.

An extract from Hertfordshire Photographic Memories.

Featuring this image:

Hertfordshire Photographic Memories

Hertfordshire Photographic Memories

The photo 'Ayot St Lawrence, Shaws Corner c1955' appears in this book.

View Book

A Selection of Memories from Ayot St Lawrence

For many years now, we've been inviting visitors to our website to add their own memories to share their experiences of life as it was, prompted by the photographs in our archive. Here are some from Ayot St Lawrence

Sparked a Memory for you?

If this has sparked a memory, why not share it here?

Many of my family lived in Ayot St Lawrence, pre and post war. Both sets of grandparents lived there. Arthur and Elsie Smith, lived at Forge Cottage and worked at Ayot Cottage & later worked at Abbotshay Farm and lived then at Church Cottage. Lou and Fen Harding ran The Brocket Arms, later my uncle Peter Harding took over the tenancy. Other family; my aunts lived at Ruins Cottages, first Mildred ...see more
I was born in Hitchin Hospital in 1948 & we lived in Abbotshay Cottage , before moving to The Home Farm Delaport in Wheathampstead , when I was 11. The post office was run by an elderly lady whose name I feel was Miss Lythe. The milk was delivered daily by Mrs Tucker . The Brocket Arms was very popular , Sunday School was held in one of the bars. The vicar at the time was Rev. Davies, he always sucked ...see more
A delightful place to work if only for six months. We would lunch at the Brocket Arms or take a picnic into the grounds by the swimming pool. We did work as well; caring for the silk worms in the mornings and showing visitors around in the afternoons. My favourite task would be to walk the grounds collecting flowers and foliage for the arrangement in the hall. The downside was the 5 mile bike ride each way in all weathers.