Hollybush Lane

A Memory of Welwyn Garden City.

When I was a child in the early 1950s Hollybush Lane, from Woodhall Lane to Great Ley, was quite literally a lane. On one side the council had built houses, but on the other were the farm cottages that were built around the turn of the century or earlier and were a part of the Hatfield estate. I recall that the cottages still had a water pump outside every three or four of them and at the end of the rows were larger two-storey semis, I presume to be occupied by the farm overseers.
Further along was St Mary Magadelen's church (which still stands) and this was a benefice of the Salisbury family. The 2nd WGC Scout and Cub group of which I was a member held its church parades in St Mary's and I remember my pride as a Cub being allowed one Sunday to carry the group's flag up to the altar.
The Scout hut was just off Hollybush Lane in Homestead Lane opposite the A1 dairies. The dairy in the 1950s had stables where the horses that pulled the milk carts were kept. My favourite horse was a large brown mare called Sheila who knew her round so well that the milkman would leave her to walk up the streets on her own whilst he took the bottles to the door step.

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