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Kimpton
Kimpton maps
Historic maps of Kimpton and the local area, hand-drawn by Ordnance Survey and Samuel Lewis. View all Kimpton maps
Kimpton area books
Displaying 1 of 8 books about Kimpton and the local area. View all books for this area
You can read extracts and browse photos from these books.
Memories of Kimpton
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Hertfordshire memories
The Silk Farm
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.
Ayot St Lawrence
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 polo mints!!
Prior to the silk farm the property was owned by the ex king & queen Michael of Romania.
My sister & I went to The Grange School in Welwyn & my brother was a boarder at Aldwickbury near Harpenden. My father worked for De Havillands.
Went back some years ago & stayed at the Brocket Arms , so good to relive all those happy childhood memories.
How Things Don't Change!
Oh my goodness. I was bought up in Wheathampstead and I can still see it now, the newsagents on the High Street and the then "Old fashioned" chemist called Busbys at the end!
Wheathampstead
We moved to Delaport Farm , on the edge of the golf course, in or around 1958 til 1965 to move to a larger farm in Somerset. At that time my mother would fill her car up with 4 gallons of petrol for £1.00. Simons was the butcher, Auld was the baker & Titmuus had a grain depot in the village, Mr. Amos had the shoe shop. The Maltings was a diners club run by Betty & Mac. Such good memories.
Cottages in Lower Road
My dad used to live in the end cottage up until the early 1950s (the one next to the car). Both my grandparents lived there until about 1965.
The cottage was very small, with no running water and an old earth closet toilet. The water had to be collected in pails from standpipes every day.
These were dotted around the village next to the older cottages that did not have any internal running water, and this was the norm right up untill the late 1960s, when a lot of the houses were modernised. From memory, the water appeared to be not charged or metered as during the summer holidays you always could get a free drink and play around by leaving the standpipes full on to create mini floods!
I also remember the council lorry arriving on Wednesday afternoons to visit various houses around the village to empty the contents of the toilets. I recall the smell, especially in the summer!
Kevan Peters
Colemans Road
When I was small my mother used to help out in the farm run by Mr Coleson, which was behind the photographer. His son Tommy still lives there I think.
I remember collecting eggs and Mr Coleson drinking milk that was still warm from the cows he had.
The house at the bottom is now called the Old Queen's Head after its original use as a pub. I remember part of it being used for the doctors surgery, the doctor being either a Mr Probyn or a Dr Crill.
The Pond on The Common
This pond used to be known as The Silver Cup Pond but I do not know where the name originated. Here was where children would sail toy boats or paddle. I have not yet come across a current photo or reference to this pond so I am wondering if it has survived health and safety strangulation. Would love to hear more about it.
