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Hunsdon
Hunsdon maps
Historic maps of Hunsdon and the local area, hand-drawn by Ordnance Survey and Samuel Lewis. View all Hunsdon maps
Hunsdon area books
Displaying 1 of 8 books about Hunsdon and the local area. View all books for this area
You can read extracts and browse photos from these books.
Memories of Hunsdon
Displaying a selection of personal
memories of Hunsdon.
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Memories of Peggy Pinner.
My parents, Peggy and Stan Pinner, moved to Hunsdon from Leyton in 1957. Stan's family was from Wyddial and Aspenden, so Hunsdon was a good fit for them. A small estate was being erected on Wicklands Road and they bought number 3. Our next door neighbours were the Duddys, other neighbours were the Porters, the Joyces, the Fergusons, the Richardsons and the Normans. The local vicar was Mr Pumphrey. The local 'bobby' was P C Reece, he and his family lived in a house across the street from The Crazy Pub. The Bagnells had a hardware store on Main Street not far from the Post Office. The Littleboys owned The Crown, and Peg and Stan had hopes of becoming publicans at one time. Mrs Warner's daughter Judy was a great friend of my sister Ann. Edith Cavell lived on Acorn Street, and was related to Nurse Caville,famous from the First World War. Ivor Pugsley was a mover and shaker in the founding of a theatre group, The Hunsdon Players, a... Read more
Hertfordshire memories
Morley Cottage
I remember Wareside so well. I lived at Morley Cottage just outside the village. I went there in 1937 with my parents - my father Jim McGowan and Mother Elizabeth.They both worked at Fanhams Hall for Lady Brocket. My mother then worked for Mrs. Baird at Reeves Green in the 1940's and then went as a dinner lady at Wareside C of E school - where I went until 1947 then onto Ware Grammar School. I have many memories of Whist Drives in the Village and dances and happy memories of VE Day in the village.I see that some else mentions the Temperance Hall and my parents knew the family well who lived there - their name was Godley. We too used to go to Hogham Wood to pick primroses and bluebells (not allowed now!) and then of course the railway line was still in action. In fact I used to catch the train from Mardock Station to London in the 50's to go to work in the... Read more
Mardock(s) Station
I came to live in the Station House at Mardock in 1950 as my father, Alan Dinmore was the Station Master. I was 5 years old and went to Wareside School. The infants' teacher was Mrs Pottle, and later, I believe, Mrs Chalkley. The headteacher was Mrs Norah Kay. I remember a Christopher Bunce living just up the hill from the railway. The village Hall was the scene of such events as the School Play and various entertainments - folk could really sing, then. Whist drives were popular, and my Dad won many a prize which we treasured for ages, but I was sad when Margaret Godley's father won the knitting set, which I would have loved! Across the road from us was Mardock Mill where the Grazebrook's lived. Mr Grazebrook was one of the two commuters from the station, the other being Sheila McGowan. My mother Marjorie belonged to the Womens' Institute. I remember a parade from the village to the War Memorial for Remembrance Sunday. It was impressive.... Read more
Visits to Wareside 1964 - Present
My dad was born at Hillside Cottages in Wareside in 1929 (I think). I remember visiting my Grandmother there up until she moved to Ware round about 1978/9. She lived in the house with the "Hillside Cottages" sign on the front. I remember going to visit every Saturday afternoon. The front garden was a typical cottage garden where I would collect seeds in summer from the flowers and there was a huge apple tree in the back garden that dad would prune and we 3 children would climb to collect apples. There was also a well on one side that we were always told to say away from. One of my favourite pastimes was making "mud pies" using the earth from the dug over vegetable patches at the back. We would also go for walks over to "Hogham". Not sure if this is it's real name but it's the coppice of trees you can see from the front of the house, straight ahead in the distance. This would involve crossing... Read more
Memories of The Red Lion
I was born in 1966 and lived in the Red Lion. My dad and mum were married in 1961. My dad lived in the village all his life, moving to the Red Lion on his marriage. My dad was formerly of Temperance Hall, down the road from the village stores.
Mum and Dad lived in the Red Lion in one room for several months before Dad had renovated it to be liveable. The Red Lion has a circular stair case which runs from the celler to the lounge then on to the second floor then on to the attic which was renovated in 1978ish when Dad also rebuilt the chimney on the back of the property, adding a twist to it.
There was three of us, myself and a brother and a sister. We played in the ditch which ran through the Red Lion property and the surrounding fields. We used to go to Jacob's Ladder which is on the way to Bakers End if you follow the ditch north.... Read more
My Grandfather And,Two Aunties Lived in Wareside
We were the Wren family, my name was Pamela Wren. I am trying to trace my family tree. I remember Evone,, Jenette, Auntie Nell lived in Wareside, Auntie Joyce. My dad was Fred Wren.
What Was at The Top of The Hill?
At the top of Cats Hill were three large houses, one was called Netherfield House and had been donated by the Booth family to the Salvation Army. My father ran the house as a residential home for 29 gentlemen, and I worked with him for several years. The house now, I believe has been converted into luxury apartments, and I would love to have some pictures of it, any of the past and some of it now. The family next door and opposite were called Prior. My father was called Harold Finney, I remember our cook and gardener, Mr and Mrs Barnes, lived in the village, and I also remember another lady who lived in a cottage in the High Street, May Woodcock, who always had a spaniel dog. I also remember Mrs Odell who ran the paint shop in the High Street.
