Local History Recorders Report: 2012

The Takeley Local History Society continues to have a successful year following the move to the new school at Priors Green. The subscription remains at £5 as it has done for the last 14 years.

Two new books were published last year. They were:

Sitting on a Fence by Ernie Field

Characters and Events by several authors.

Overall a total of £715 was made from the sale of books. New books that we hope will be published by the November Village Bazaar are on A Layman's Guide to the Church by Trevor Allen, and Takeley Recollections of Hatfield Forest put together by John Monk. A fourth, Characters and Events is also planned, concentrating on notable Takeley people from previous centuries, and two other projects on Bambers Green and Takeley Quarter Sessions Record are being researched.

An abbreviated version of Takeley wills is now available on the TLHS web site. This continues to attract many queries, especially for genealogy information. We have also had a contact from a French author who is researching the history of the Priory of St Valery in Picardy. St Valery was given the manor of what is now Warish Hall by William the Conqueror.

Where possible we continue to support the general Recorder work and queries.

Talks for the year were:

7 February 2012
The History of Thatch' by Paul Lewis.
1 May 2012  
 'Why Collect Medals' by John Sly.
4 August 2012
Visit to Fred King’s private Collection of organs, Engines and Farm Implements at Thaxted.
18 September 2012 
 'Aspects of Elsenham History' by Gordon Barker.
20 November and A.G.M.
'The History of the Fuller Maitland Family' by Roger Barrett.
5 February 2013
 The History of Lodge Coaches' by Richard Lodge

The village continues to support a wide range of activities. New houses continue to be built, and this has revealed Bronze Age occupation at Priors Green. It is becoming increasingly clear that from the earliest times people have occupied Takeley sites. The primary school has now been moved to Priors Green and the former Roseacre site will hopefully reveal more archaeology when it is developed.

Another successful development has been the Thursday and Friday café at the old Station House. This is proving to be popular with both the village and with walkers along the Flitch way.

A sad note on which to end is the destructive fire at the Listed Building of Atridiges at Brewers End. This remains at present 'under wraps'. However on the other side of the road the expansion of the former Vicarage shows what can be achieved by an enlightened matching of architecture and bricks. Hopefully Atridges will eventually be returned to its former state before too long.

Nia Watkiss May 2013
Takeley Local History Recorder