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Great Bromley

Great Bromley maps

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

Great Bromley photos

We have no photos of Great Bromley, although we do have photos of these nearby places:

Elmstead| Great Bentley| Thorrington| Wivenhoe| Manningtree| Bradfield| Mistley| Dedham| Flatford| Fingringhoe| Brightlingsea| Colchester| East Bergholt| Thorpe-Le-Soken| Great Clacton| Clacton-On-Sea

Great Bromley area books

Displaying 1 of 18 books about Great Bromley and the local area.   View all books for this area

Memories of Great Bromley

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Essex memories

The Bowling Green, Elmstead Market

The Bowling Green c1965
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My great grandfather William Henry Parkins ran The Bowling Green from the 1920s until his death in 1953. I am aware that the Pub has now closed and the last time I visited (6-7 years ago) it was being converted into a private home. I would like to hear from anyone who remembers my great grandfather or any other members of the Parkins family.

Cook Family

As a child I visited my grandmother at Ivy Cottage where my mother was born 100 years ago. The Cook family and the Faircloths were the backbone of the village.  Granny Cook lived in the house next door to Ivy Cottage for which my grandfather paid 21 guineas (or it may have been 20 guineas as I believe he lost one in the garden!)  It was an exciting event when gran had a water pump fitted in the kitchen which was noisy after being primed.  My mother, Kathleen Cook, is still with us and has an excellent memory of Crockleford and its little school.  

Thorrington as A Boy

I spent many happy years as a boy living at 2 Fratting Road, Thorrington, enjoying country life, lots of friends and lovely people who resided there. I did attend school at Brightlingsea Secondary Modern School. I have returned on many occasions to see old school friends.

Early Memories of Brook Street

Brook Street c1953
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I lived in Brook Street with my family between about 1958 and 1967. We lived at the bottom of the road nearest the High Street and opposite a large pond, which was a source of great entertainmanet to me and my sister at times! We watched local firemen practice fire drill, unrolling huge hoses and aiming the water into the pond then rolling up the hoses again when they'd finished. We sometimes climbed the wall surrounding the pond and dared one another to walk along it, and even walked along a ledge on the inner side of the wall, just above the water line - we must have driven our poor mother mad! The house we lived in is long gone now, and so is the pond. I'd very much like to know what the pond was built for and when.

Witches

I have visited Manningtree only once, but I have an interest in the area as my father (Donald Turner) is tracing our family tree and he has discovered that one of our ancestors - Elizabeth Goodwin was tried and hung as one of the witches of Manningtree  by Matthew Hopkins!  She was accused of casting a spell on a grocers horse, and making it die after he refused to give her credit to buy cheese.  

Schooldays And Beyond

Starting school for the first time was at Mistley Norman School, my first teacher was Miss Temple in the infants we were given a slate board and slate pencil one thing that sticks in my memory we all had a small mattres and after dinner we all had to have a nap.Then we moved from the prefabs to Lawford soI was sent to Lawford School in Wignal Street. Transport was bike or on foot sometimes my friend and I would get a lift with the milk cart from Pooles Farm to the churn table on the corner of Bromley Road, bulk tankers were in the future so horse and cart was used for the trip. Mr Hughes the head master wore a monacle and he wouldgive it a clean then the lesson would start. One day he bought a moose head from a sale and put it on the tree stump at the school gate the antlers were so large we could sit in them .My next school was Man... Read more

Memories From David Cheverton of Hope Cottage, Heath Road

In 1953 I attended Bradfield Primary School which in this year of 2007 celebrates its centeniory year. I have fond memories of many cricket matches during my time at the school playing against other local school teams. Mr Martin the Headmaster had lots of fast cars, to the delight of all the children. There was always a scramble on match day to see who would have the pleasure of going in one of his cars.
I lived in Bradfield till 1967 when I was 21 years of age, at that time Bradfield had a brilliant football team called ' Bradfield Rovers' and I was their Linesman for many a year. They won the Amos Charity Cup and many league titles.
Bradfield also had three Public Houses at that time, one was The Strangers where the football club spent most of its time. The other two were The Village Maid and The Ram and Hogget which is now a private dwelling.

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