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Brentwood
Brentwood maps
Historic maps of Brentwood and the local area, hand-drawn by Ordnance Survey and Samuel Lewis. View all Brentwood maps
Brentwood Jigsaws
We have just a few copies left of a 1,000 piece Jigsaw of Brentwood. The featured photograph is High Street 1903, Brentwood.
Why not create your own Jigsaw for Brentwood from 4 favourite Frith photos of the area? Available as 520 piece or 1,000 piece Jigsaws, you can choose any four Brentwood photos, or choose photos from other places too.
Brentwood area books
Displaying 1 of 18 books about Brentwood and the local area. View all books for this area
You can read extracts and browse photos from these books.
Memories of Brentwood
Displaying a selection of personal
memories of Brentwood.
There are 16 shared memories to read.
Add your memory of Brentwood
or of a photo of Brentwood.
Happy Days
Ah Brentwood swimming pool, such happy memories. Taking the Green line bus from Romford, Mum with picnic packed would take my sister Noreen & I to the pool regularly during the summer holidays, arriving early and leaving late. I remember paddling in the kiddy pool & swimming in the big one, buying rainbow popcorn in the shop & lots of children to play with, sheer bliss. My Auntie Jenny worked in the Thermos factory which backed on to it, and in her lunch hour would give us a few coppers over the fence to spend in the cafe.
Fond Memories
I remember St Faith's hospital very well. I was the Head Porter there for a number of years until it was closed down. I met my wife there. She was a catering assistant. We were engaged with two other couples in the social club.That was thirty years ago. I didnt think of the patients as patients. They became more like friends. I have only fond memories of the time I worked there. To me it felt a friendly building, although as a workhouse it must have been very bleak. I remember that most of it was brown and green paintwork. One of the wards was used as a unit for women in service that were pregnant. As I understand it, if they agreed to have the baby adopted then they could go back to their job. If not.. well who knows what happened to them. I was contacted by an elderly gentleman whose mother was in there and agreed to have him adopted. He asked if I might be able... Read more
Auntie DID Have TB
I have recently been doing some research into our family history. I was always told by my mother that her elder sister, Bessie Dubora, died from complications following a tonsilectomy but, having now obtained a copy of the Death Certificate, I have discovered that she died at High Wood Hospital in 1925 from TB at the age of 12 years.
My family originally came from the East End of London, so I was at a lost to understand why the Death Certificate originated in Billericay. Having studied some of the entries on this site, I can now see that High Wood must have been what used to be known as a "sanitorium" for children with TB.
Obviously I never got to meet my aunt Bessie but, if there is anyone out there who survived this terrible disease and remembers her, I would be delighted to hear from them.
I Didn't Have TB!
Just before Christmas in 1953 I was admitted to St Giles' Hospital in Camberwell, south London. It was thought that I had TB. I was allowed home for Christmas, although confined to bed. After Christmas I was taken by ambulance to Highwood Hospital in Brentwood, which my parents told me was a 'convalescent home'. One of the boys on my Ward quickly disillusioned me, as of course all of the patients had varying degrees of TB. The "older" boys, myself included, had beds on the outer part of the building, which had a glass roof and long glass windows, which were left open at night. It was quite cold, and I quickly learned to sleep on my back, to keep out any draughts. During the first week of my stay, still confined to bed, I underwent a number of chest X-rays and tests. On the second Monday the Ward Sister came to my bedside and told me that I did not in fact have TB and that I could go home.... Read more
Grandmother's Childhood Home
Probably more years than just 1910. My Grandmother Rose Smith (nee Holloway) grew up here. She was one of 10 children to John and Alice Holloway. She met my Grandfather, Sidney Fraser Smith, who was a Sergeant Instructor in Small Arms at the Barracks nearby. When she lived here the Holloway family had a pet black sheep, a monkey, ducks and chickens, with many fruit trees in the orchard, which is sadly now a car park! John would send Rose down to the Thatchers Arms with a jug to bring back some of the opposition's beer for him to try out. I have a framed picture of the Headley with the Holloway pony and trap outside which I bought from the Landlord of the Thatchers in Aug 2008. The family lived here until John Holloway lost his licence because he let people in after hours. They then moved to Camberwell. My grandfather, the Smith family, had 3 generations in the Army here at the... Read more
Highwood Hospital. Ingrave Rd. Brentwood. Essex.
I was in a hospital called Highwood Hospital, in Ingrave Road. It was for children who had TB. I remember lots of friends there, the girls were separated from the boys. We had open air wards where we slept, unless it was very cold. Most of us were in our early teens. I was on a ward called Firs 5, I found out years later that it was the only hospital of this type in the country, as the chidren had adult type TB. I was there for about a year, and was completely cured. We did live quite near in a village called Hutton, we lived on a estate which was newly built, and we had moved from London to there, so we were not far from the hospital. The name of our little row of houses was called Claughton Way. I would love to hear from anyone who may have been there from about 1951 to 1953. My surname then would have been Fisher.
My House
I live in this house now, have restored it to original and I love the place. How unbelievable to find 2 pictures on this site.
Sam
In Loving Memory
I remember going regularly to Brentwood Cemetery. My Father would take us to visit the grave site of my baby Brother Barry who died at 8 months. My Sisters & I would help my Father maintain the grave. Lots of pretty floweres. I always remember the quietness, stillness, the total peace on our visits. May you continue to rest in peace Dear Brother Barry.
