Best Time At Great Hyde Hall

I would have loved to see this house before it was made into apartments. According to family records, it belonged to my ancestors centuries ago. At least it is still standing! My daughter and sister will try to find it next year on their trip to England.

I'm half guessing the writers of the comment on 25.2.2016 may have already found Hyde Hall. If you haven't, it's dead easy to find from Liverpool St. Station - one of London's largest stations. You need the Cambridge line and an 'all stations' train which will stop at Sawbridgeworth, in Hertfordshire - they leave from platforms 1-5. As you come out of Sawbridgeworth Station look to your left, you will see large impressive black wrought iron gates flanked by two white gate houses. That is the entrance to Hyde Hall. it would be a good idea to let them know you are coming as you won't get through the gates if you don't. The house was owned by the Earls of Rodeen and Hyde and by the Joslyn family - the names of the school's houses as well, for obvious reasons. My house room, Rodeen, was situated on the ground floor at the front of the building, the last two windows on the right hand of the picture on this page,next door was the head's study and next to that is the front door. The front of the place is exactly as it was and now has a Preservation Order on it, so that it is now swanky apartments hasn't altered its appearance or its front drive one jot, except I think they've removed the foliage from the building. While you are there, have a walk up Knight Street, opposite the station, and then down Bell Street where you will see architecture representing five centuries and Sawbridgeworth. That is the part that is least changed from when I was a child. It was a village then, now it's a small town but still retains its village feel and village community spirit.