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Walkern

Walkern photos

Displaying the first of 4 old photos of Walkern.   View all Walkern photos

4
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Walkern maps

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

Walkern area books

Displaying 1 of 8 books about Walkern and the local area.   View all books for this area

Memories of Walkern

Walkern memories
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Displaying a selection of personal memories of Walkern.
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The Walkern Weir

Last year, as part of a two month trip from New Zealand, in mid September, my wife and I made a pilgrimage to Walkern, the place of my paternal ancestors. During the war I was taken by my mother and grandfather to Clay End, near Walkern where we stayed for a few days to avoid the bombing in London. I don't remember but I was told by my mother that I fell into a weir and had to be rescued by my grandfather. We stayed the night at the White Lion hotel and asked where there was a weir. After a bit of thinking a local pointed us to one hidden in bushes near the church. A sort of path disappeared into the bushes and leaving my wife looking at the church, a grabbed a camera and pushed through the bushes to find a path. About 50 yards in I saw the water. I can't understand why, but I drew back in fear of an old concrete weir in front... Read more

Hertfordshire memories

Vine Cottage And Blacksmith Shop

William Wright lived in Vine Cottage, Aston, there was a blacksmith shop beside the house, across the road was the orchard with many fruit trees and all the animals. I used to spend time there in the summer with Aunty Edith and Uncle William, I lived in a town in Gloucestershire so it was a wonderful treat for me to stay at the farm. We had to feed the animals morning and night, I was scared of feeding the turkeys as they would rush at the food buckets and I thought they were going for my legs, we collected lots of chicken eggs, did vegetable gardening, picked fruit, cleaned up the place a bit, walked to Walkern to visit my granny Clements, walked to Shephall to visit Aunty Joyce Canfield and Susan. On Sunday I went to Sunday school at the mission at Aston End.

Heaven

This is simply my most favourite place in the whole world! No words can describe the peace and tranquility I feel when I walk along The Avenue with my family and dogs. The autumn months are my favourite! The range of colours in the trees, the conkers falling to the ground, and the sound of the branches swaying in the wind. Here I am at peace with the world. I wish it were longer, I could walk for ever!

Great School

Grammar School 1899
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I went here from '63 to '66. Superb school with great teachers. Sadly, now part of the great comprehensive education disaster.

Ancestry

Letchmore Green 1899
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My Great Grandfather, George Joseph Moules, was born at Letchmore Green in 1873.

Childhood

I remember spending the first twelve years of my life in Haltwick, we lived in Sunnny Side Cottage, my brother and I would go down past the pub to get water from the well and we would play in the woods and fields. We moved to Dane End when I was twelve, it was much the same just a nice peaceful place to grow up in. I sadly moved away and only came back to bury my father in Little Mundon Church some thirty years ago I and I haven't been back since. From the pictures I have seen it changes very little I will always rember going to the pictures in the village hall, making gokarts out of old prams and riding them down the hill from Gladstone Road, going up to the old chalk pit where they dumped lorry loads of army helmets it would keep us happy for hours, I would go to the orchard that used to belong to Billy Ives and... Read more

Childhood Memories

I remember when I was just a young teenager... you could roam around the village and just about everyone knew you.

I loved to wander down to Mill Stream Lane with my jam jar and fishing net and walk along the stream searching for stickle backs and anything else I could catch. The fields behind us would whisper in the breeze and the sunlight would filter through the trees and glisten on the water below. Life was not so demanding, not worried too much about stranger danger and you knew that you was nestled in a village that looked after its own.

I remember old "Snowy" who had worked for years in the local butchers shop.
I remember Mr Warner one of our primary school teachers...looking back he was a steady influence in our lives and rarely raised his voice to his students even when we caused him to quieten us down from chattering too loudly.
There was a post office and a general store and dear old... Read more

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