Ayot St Lawrence
Ayot St Lawrence photos (8 available)
Ayot St Lawrence maps (2 available)
Map of Hertfordshire
Beautifully hand-drawn and coloured, dating from around 1840
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Ayot St Lawrence books (9 available)
- 3 photos on Ayot St Lawrence appear in 1 Frith books - View photos of Ayot St Lawrence
- Read extracts and see photos from these books on Ayot St Lawrence and Hertfordshire
Ayot St Lawrence memories
Read and share memories of Ayot St Lawrence and Hertfordshire inspired by Frith photos
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.
Contributed by Glenda Hawley
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.
A memory of Ayot St Lawrence contributed by Glenda Hawley
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!
A memory of Wheathampstead contributed by Belinda Devine
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.
Extracts From Ayot St Lawrence & Hertfordshire books
The remains of the old church lie to the west of the village. It was built in the 12th century with later additions and renovations, including the tower of around 1500. The church fell into disuse when the new church was built in 1799. When he built Ayot House, Sir Leonard Lyde found that the old church had blocked his view, and began to demolish it without permission from the bishop. He was forced to cease the desecration as soon as news reached the bishop, but the work had proceeded too far, and the ruins stand today as a reminder of his folly.
An extract from from"Hertfordshire Living Memories".
The post office at Ayot was used by George Bernard Shaw in a rather lesser known play, ‘A Village Wooing’. The postmistress, Miss Jisbella Lyth, was a personal friend, and considered it an honour to deal with his voluminous mail. The village had been owned by the fathers of the Cathedral of Westminster, but it was passed to the descendants of the Norman de Mandeville family in 1120.
An extract from from"Hertfordshire Living Memories".
The home of George Bernard Shaw has remained unchanged since his death: his hat still hangs in the hall, whilst his typewriter stands on his study desk where he wrote ‘Pygmalion’, ‘Back to Methuselah’ and ‘Saint Joan’. It is said that he chose the village as his home when he noticed a tombstone in the churchyard which reads: ‘Mary Ann South, born 1825, died 1895. Her time was short’ - if 70 years was short, he was sure that this was the place for him. Indeed, GBS lived for 94 years, and died in the garden of the New Rectory after falling from a ladder whilst pruning his fruit trees. The house and its contents, including the photographs of prominent Socialist leaders (on the mantelpiece, left), were bequeathed to the National Trust; they, and the annual Midsummer Art Festival, attract many visitors every year.
An extract from from"Hertfordshire Living Memories".
In 1901, Hermitage Road was a pleasant, open avenue. The building on the left in view
46642, left, is the Hermitage, home of Frederick Seebohm; very little of it still remains.
Windmill Hill is just visible in the background.
An extract from from"Hitchin Town and City Memories".
A view of St Marys church in 1931, with the War Memorial in the foreground. In 1752, the Rewd William Cole wrote that the tower was `one of the most clumsy and heavy ones I ever saw`. Perhaps `solid` is a kinder description.
An extract from from"Hitchin Town and City Memories".