Layer Marney
Layer Marney maps (2 available)
Map of Essex
Beautifully hand-drawn and coloured, dating from around 1840
Personalised maps
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Layer Marney books (13 available)
Layer Marney memories
Read and share memories of Layer Marney and Essex inspired by Frith photos
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You can also read memories of nearby places in Essex below.
Essex memories
Homes Boy
I entered White's Children's Home and Mission (known as CH&M) in June of 1945 having come from Surbiton, Surrey. I was 9 years old. The home was situated in Church Rd opposite "The Pond", it is now a CO-OP supermarket. There was a large Georgian house named "The Grove" and a Hall with other buildings, we had a large field to play in, there was also a farm there. There were about 56 children there then, boys and girls. We went to Tiptree Heath School, and the Congregrational Church in (I think) Chapel Rd, now the Reformed Church. We used to be marched two-by-two to school and church. The home was founded in 1899 by Mr Herbert White at South Woodford. ...read more here
A memory of Tiptree contributed by First name Last name
October Gale
High winds and loud crashing in the middle of the night.
Not long after my divorce, moving back to live with my mother and father.
We were woken by crashing of bricks from the gable end of the house. Both mine and my father's cars had been crushed by the bricks. Looking across to Bradwell from the bedroom window, I could see flashes of blue light from the high voltage power cables, as the wind made them clash together.
A very unforgettable night.
A memory of Great Wigborough contributed by Alan Theobald
Evacuation
I along with my sister and mother were evacuated from Ilford to the station master's house at Tolleshant D'arcy. The railway line had three trains in each direction each day and my sister and myself were allowed to open and close the manual level crossing ( we were 6 and 4 at the time!!). The station had a ticket office ( an old carrige on bricks), a black weighing machine, a waiting room and a coal yard.
I attended the local school and sometimes the local milkman would take me in his pony and trap as the station was some way from the village. We were only in Tolleshant D'arcy for some 6 weeks in the early part of the war, ...read more here
A memory of Tolleshunt D'arcy contributed by Graham Gare
Freddie Holmes' garage
I attended the primary school, just down the Maldon Road from the garage in the photo, which was run by Mr Holmes. The sweet-shop behind the pumps was popular with us kids! Headmaster of the primary school was Mr Herbert Lewis, a Welshman known to us as "Pop". He maintained discipline - and our attention! - with a bundle of rulers held together with elastic-bands; when applied to the backside they made you sit up in both ways! But he was a good teacher, joined in with our games and was liked and respected. His wife, Hilda, a formidable lady from Yorkshire, was his deputy.
Then, Arthur Green ran the village post-office from the front room of his house on Staplers ...read more here
A memory of Great Totham contributed by Peter Saunders
Extracts From Layer Marney & Essex books
Prior to 1935, all that would have been seen from in front of
the church would have been the top of the church spire. In the
foreground would have been a collection of dilapidated shops, and
a large wooden maltings out of shot to the right. In 1935 the
buildings, including the maltings, were demolished as part of a
road improvement scheme.
An extract from from"Braintree Town and City Memories".
One of the features of the gardens is the way in which the visitor is met with different views and layouts, from open spaces to densely planted areas, or along wide pathways with narrow winding pathways off to the sides.
An extract from from"Braintree Town and City Memories".
Continuing the development of houses along the main Dunmow to Colchester Road, these
fine houses, dating from the turn of the 20th century, were also built for the growing middle
class. They were known locally as ‘The Villas’. Mr Leonard Alden, who ran a tailor and
outfitter’s business, had one of these houses.
An extract from from"Braintree Town and City Memories".
This road runs between Coggeshall Road and Bradford Street; it replaced the old road,
which ran 30 or 40 metres back from the left-hand side of this picture, when Sydney
Courtauld built Bocking Place in 1885. Houses started to be built on the right-hand side of
the road from the turn of the 20th century, and provided housing for the up-and-coming
professional and business people.
An extract from from"Braintree Town and City Memories".
The large weather-boarded buildings on the
left are the silk mills of Warner & Sons, who
had taken over the business of Walters & Co
in 1894. Daniel Walters came to the town
in 1822, and these mills were built in 1856.
Behind these is another range of buildings
constructed in 1869. Both firms produced
silk products for the royal family, and Warners
have woven velvet for every coronation since
that of Edward VII.
An extract from from"Braintree Town and City Memories".