Long Marston.org

Millhopper’s Pasture – A Community Initiative

Posted by lmphs - 05/02/12 at 10:02:49 pm

A group of eight concerned and interested individuals from Long Marston and Gubblecote determined in November 1997 to acquire the site known locally as ‘Millhoppers’ to preserve its current character in perpetuity. The individuals concerned were prepared to make a significant and irrevocable financial commitment, as a last resort, not only to secure the site but also to fund its ongoing management.   

This group subsequently agreed that Butterfly Conservation should become the owners of the site but maintained their momentum to complete the purchase and contribute directly to the creation of a management fund. Now that the site has been secured, the group’s role has become one of direct participation in the management decisions and actions proposed for the site by Butterfly Conservation.

The original aims of the group were to:

1. preserve and manage with expert help/advice one of the very few remaining tracts of ancient countryside for the benefit of wildlife 

2. maintain and encourage the development of natural flora and fauna

3. create a permanent amenity on behalf of the locality, seeking active community involvement in its future.

Millhoppers is a rare example of remnant ancient countryside encircled by arable land. Some of its hedges are thought to date back to Tudor times. It possesses a pond fed by the stream known as Ashen Brook and a public footpath provides access through part of the north-eastern boundary.  The site supports a wide variety of birds and mammals, both enjoying protection from the dense cover.

As the site has not been farmed within living memory, it is likely to contain a rich diversity of native plants, supporting many species of butterfly. In addition, a recent pilot survey revealed 16 old black poplars and possibly three saplings, a species rare in the rest of the county.   

Some say that the strange name of Millhoppers originates from a stream crossing to an old mill – the remains of which are no longer traceable. Others contend that it derives from mill-stones laid in times past (when the entire neighbourhood was much wetter) to enable people to cross the stream more easily.

Over the years, people of all age groups from the surrounding villages of Long Marston, Puttenham, Wilstone, and Gubblecote have visited Millhoppers as a special place in which to enjoy unspoilt countryside – a secluded oasis within a fairly intensively farmed landscape. Their continued access to the site will now be assured.    In addition, the group were delighted to have the enthusiastic endorsement of the project from the eminent naturalists Brian Sawford, and indirectly from the late and sadly missed Gordon Beningfield. 

This local initiative fell within the spirit of Agenda 21, sponsored by the Government, which encourages community involvement in locally significant environmental projects. Support from Dacorum, who generously provided 75% of the purchase price with the remainder coming from Butterfly Conservation, ultimately enabled the site to be acquired consistent with the original objectives. Hemel Hempstead Solicitors Picton Smeathmans were also much appreciated for their economic support. 

We hope that a visit to Millhoppers will be one that remains in your memory for many years to come, and that this wonderful habitat will come to welcome you as a regular visitor, and friend.

Article by the 8 interested individuals.

Three Counties Kart Club

Posted by lmphs - 03/02/12 at 09:02:44 pm

April 3rd 1961. Yuri Gagarin was selected by the Soviet space agency to make the first manned space flight, comedian Eddie Murphy was born and I Berg leads a closely contested race at a rain sodden Easter Monday kart meeting at the Long Marston track.

The Keelekart Company was founded by racing driver Michael Keele in the 1950s in Tring, with the engineering workshop being set up on the old gasworks site. Another resident of Tring at the time was ‘Mr Motor Racing’ Stirling (now Sir Stirling) Moss who invested in the company and became a partner, racing the karts in such exotic locations as the Bahamas. Through his contacts 20 Keelekarts were sold to the King of Jordan.

Meanwhile, the world-leading company was looking for somewhere more local to race and in 1959 it was announced that part of the airfield at Long Marston was to be set up as a dedicated kart track, with events being run by “The Three Counties Kart Club”. Racing started at the Long Marston kart track the following year and was an immediate success, the local papers carrying details of race results and photos of winning drivers and their trophies.

Stephens leads the Class IV field on March 12th 1961.

Michael Keele’s son Roger had joined the business and soon became a successful racer, and was the top driver at a meeting held in March 1961, when the track record stood at 34.4 seconds.

Keele, the son of Keele Kart founder Michael is pipped at the post by L Brown at a soaking Easter Monday meeting in 1961. Roger went on to a successful single-seater race career, tragically cut short by the onset of MS.

Another notable competitor at the Long Marston kart track was a certain Roy ‘The Weasel’ James. James had dreams of being a Grand Prix driver and progressed from karts to Formula 2 where he became one of the formula’s ‘coming men’. In August 1963, though, James hit the headlines not for his racing exploits, but as one of the perpetrators of ‘The Great Train Robbery’ using his racing skills as the gang’s getaway driver. The train was, of course, held up at Bridego Bridge near Mentmore, just a mile or two from the Long Marston kart track so perhaps James was using the karting as a cover for “casing the joint”!

The race meetings were held on Sundays and, as a result of the noise, complaints were made about the disturbance. Berkhamsted RDC granted permission for the kart track to continue operating for another year in October 1961, but even then court proceedings were pending under the Noise Abatement Act. In fact, meetings continued until 1964, when racing ended, but for a few years Long Marston had its own rival to Silverstone!

The crowds were out for the 1962 Whit Monday race meeting at Long Marson kart track.

Article by Martin Winship.

All photos courtesy of Karting Magazine.  Captions by Chris Mann.

For more information on Karting:

http://www.mykartingworld.net/

Recording on Millhoppers.

Posted by lmphs - 03/02/12 at 09:02:12 pm

When we first acquired the reserve, our main aim was to conserve the wild life that we already knew was there, with a particular emphasis on butterflies. But managing for butterflies also benefits so much other wildlife, so recording birds, plants, trees, dragonflies and any other aspects of wildlife; I try to do on a more relaxed basis.

Recording of butterflies I do on a weekly basis from the beginning of April to the end of September each year and I now have records going back to 1998.  (This I can only do when the temperature is above 13C and between 11am and 4pm) a universal recording template to which all recorders adhere.  

Over this period there has been a management plan in place which we have tried to maintain, sometimes with difficulty because of lack of manpower. That management plan included grazing, which initially was provided by cattle and in the last three years, by sheep. But much cutting has been done by the use of a huge cutter driven by hand and involving removal of cut material. That is very hard work indeed!

The reserve provides excellent habitat for grassland butterflies, including meadow browns, marbled whites, large, small and Essex skippers and a large population of the beautiful ringlet. These seem to do well whatever the weather in the winter, but the impact of long periods of heavy rain in the spring and summer can be felt with the success, or lack of, butterflies like the common blue and the Vanessa’s (e.g. the peacock, the red admiral and the tortoiseshell)

2010 showed a huge increase in the common blue where hitherto numbers had been relatively low. The winter of 2010/2011 was particularly severe and may well have had an impact on the common blue in 2011, although a rather poor summer could also have played a part in a lower count for that year.

We also see certain migrants, like the painted lady, which visits us from the continent when warm and strong winds bring thousands to England.  In all I have recorded 21 species of butterflies in both 2010 and 2011.

There are many moths to be recorded, which sadly we have had no opportunity to record in the last 6 years or so, but the day time flying moths such as the carpets, the cinnabar and the 5/6/spot burnets are commonly recorded. Dragon flies, such as the white legged damsel and the hawkers are common.

Black caps, sparrow hawks and many other birds nest on Millhoppers and many plant species, such as the marsh marigold and some orchids add to the diversity on our reserve. And we must not forget that we have 16 Black Poplars, which need careful management.

I am sure that I miss a great deal but would be delighted for any sightings that anybody has to be added to the ever growing list.

Article by Margaret Noakes.  January 2012.

The Parish Room, Puttenham.

Posted by lmphs - 03/02/12 at 09:02:06 pm

The Parish Room, which dates back to late Victorian times, was not originally located at Puttenham but near Tring Station, on the Pendley Estate owned by Joseph Williams of Pendley Manor, where it was reputedly used as a luggage room. It is believed that the building was supplied as a pre-fabricated ‘flat pack’ probably sourced from the catalogue of a Victorian equivalent of Wickes!

Mr. Williams was a great benefactor of Puttenham and in 1917 he made the village a gift of the building, together with a parcel of land with an area of approximately 10 poles (about 300 square yards). A formal Indenture gifting the ‘Mission Hall’ and land to the parish of Puttenham, was made on 27^th November 1917, making the Parish Vicar and the two Churchwardens (and their successors) Trustees of the building and the land.

It was arranged that two Puttenham farmers, Thomas Chapman of Grange Farm and Mr. Deverell of Potash Farm, should take a horse-drawn dung cart into Tring and collect the building. Having been erected on its new site the hall played a considerable part in village life providing, amongst other things, a home for the village men’s club and local dances (with tales of the floor having to be watered to keep down the dust). In 1931 the first Puttenham Jumble Sale took place in the hall. This was organised by the then Churchwarden, Miss Edith Chapman and raised an impressive £3.13s.9d! In the summer of 1935, the hall was used for a grand party to celebrate the golden wedding of Mr & Mrs Henry Turner of The Old Rectory who at that time were prominent Puttenham residents and land owners.

During the Second World War, the Parish Hall became the temporary local school after the Long Marston School was bombed. The hall continued to house the school until 1952 when new school premises were built in Long Marston, at which time the Parish Hall closed. It remained unoccupied until 1967 when much work was done to renovate the hall and bring it back into use. This work included the clearing of a fox’s earth and the hacking down of a wilderness of overgrown weeds. The structure of the Parish Hall had suffered during its period of inactivity and Acrow props had to be installed to make it safe.

Electricity was also laid on and the first Puttenham Harvest Supper held there. The old hall had an atmosphere all of its own despite (or possibly because of) the lack of sanitation and running water. Harvest supper guests squeezed in, elbow to elbow, and ‘a good time was had by all’. The Jumble Sales and Harvest Suppers continued until 1991, when the new Cecilia Hall, sited close to the Church, was opened. By this time the Parish Room was in a somewhat dilapidated state and, following a survey carried out on the instructions of the Puttenham Trust, further renovation work was carried out in 2003 by a team of local volunteers which included David Kelland, Dave Jenkinson, Oliver Matthews and Ken Crawford. The walls and floor were in a bad way and much of the woodwork needed replacing, whilst the building was also sprayed against woodworm.

The Old Parish Room continues as a valuable and picturesque parish amenity, its continued existence a testament to the quality of Victorian materials and design, and the continuing dedication of local volunteers over the last ninety-five years.

Article by Ken Crawford.

Old Church Cottage, Chapel Lane

Posted by lmphs - 07/12/11 at 09:12:35 pm

Originally two cottages: a Thatched cottage, likely to have been built in the 16th/17th Century, and a slate roofed cottage of early Victorian origin, Old Church Cottage sits adjacent to the Mediaeval Tower of the old Chapel of Ease of Long Marston, and its’ Church Yard. The earliest deeds in the present owner’s possession date back to 1759, when the Thatched cottage was in the ownership of the Manor of Tring. Earlier records indicate the humble workman’s cottage as likely to have been owned by the Lord of the Manor, Samuel Bromley of Long Marston. Lord Rothschild, in 1894, as Lord of the Manor of Great Tring, with the Members, sold the cottage to a Mr E.F. Gregory. From thence onwards the cottage has changed hands several times, with, in more recent years, owners having a bias towards literary association. Mary Grieve, editor of Woman Magazine lived here and years later, another owner being the night editor of The Independent. The present owners herald from the medical world; a retired General Practitioner and Health Visitor from Harrow.

Article by John Noakes.

Fields

Posted by lmphs - 16/11/11 at 09:11:38 pm

The term “field” was first used to distinguish areas cleared of trees from the tracts of forest found by the earliest settlers in Britain.

The great fields were divided into smaller areas, known as furlongs or shots and these were subdivided into strips or plots held by individual tenants.

Each furlong also had its own name.

Field names usually consist of two recognizable separate words.

e.g.  North Field, Mill Close

Sometimes the two words are combined e.g. Millfield.

Field names have never been constant they have changed or evolved throughout history. The Field Milloppers was at the time of the enclosure act called Mill Hoppers.

This is because names are more frequently used in speech than in writing and compared with records containing major place-names; there are fewer documents to provide sources for the field names.  Changes have also been caused by many boundary changes and rearrangements, first caused by the enclosure of open-fields and more recently, in many parts of the country by the removal of hedges.

The reason for a name was to provide a common identification for the villagers or landowner.

Field names grew out of the use of the land, name of ownership, position, adjacent feature, shape, size or distance of field. The following are examples taken from the LMPAGD Map, including their field number:-

Use of land: Ploughed Field [198], Orchard Field [88]

Name of ownership: Old Tom’s Meadow [140], Hobb’s Piece [171]

Position: Home Close [199], Near Hill [38]

Adjacent feature: Mill Field [194], Windmill [26]

Shape: Narrows [33], Long Lea [64, 65, 66]

Size: Little Tiscott [7],

Distance: First Lays [22], Second Lays [13]

Explanation of Some Other Names

Brade (Upper Brade [145]) – The field is large and wide (from old English  bradu, ‘breadth’).

The Butts [124] – generally, land that was formerly the irregularly shaped end pieces of the common piece, but may have been land used for archery or as a shooting-range.

Godspeed [182] – A return to good fortune is declared, or hoped for.

Grass Close – pasture or meadow land

Gravel [204] – land from which gravel was dug or with gravel soil

Ham (Brockett’s Ham [51]) – enclosure, land beside a river

Hob Field (Hobbling Furlong [95] Hassocky [6]) – land covered in tussocky grass (from old English hobbe)

Home Close [199] – land near centre of farm.

The Hook [34] – a spur of land, a spit of land in a river bend or a hook-spaded field

Hop Gardens [41] – land on which hops were grown (this plant was introduced in the 16th century)

Horsefield [10] – land on which horses were kept or pastured

Hovel Piece [69] – land containing a shed for implements or a framework on which a stack is built

Klondyke [208] – transferred name alluding to distant land.  Gold was discovered on the Klondike in 1896

The Knoll – land with hillocks

Leys [22] – meadows land

Mead [71] - Grassy land, meadow.

Pightle [197] – A small field or enclosure; a close or croft.

Features

Earthworks

At Barscroft, extensive earthwork remains of medieval agriculture and settlement, which collectively form the best example of a well-preserved landscape in Hertfordshire and are one of the best examples in the region. The remains of the deserted settlement of Tiscott comprise a series of well-defined enclosures which are marked by ditches or in some cases by larger sunken route ways or ‘hollow ways’.  These almost certainly mark the boundaries of the properties of ‘tofts’ which made up the rural hamlet of Tiscott.  Tiscott is a manor recorded in Doomsday Book, which suggests it dates back at least to the late Anglo-Saxon period.  The earthwork remains however, probably date between the 11th and the 13th centuries, although there are references to homesteads at Tiscott as late as the 18th century and the last building was pulled down at the beginning of the 20th century.

There is also reference to a chapel at Tiscott, which was pulled down in 1661.  The importance of the remains at Tiscott is reflected in their designation as Scheduled Ancient Monument. Other examples are at Ardwick [23] and Puttenham [155]

Ridge and Furrow (Strip farming)

Is the result of medieval strip farming where the ridge has been caused by the ploughing process and the furrow is where people would have walked. Examples can be seen at Upper Brade [145], Horse Field [10], Home Ground [20]

Black Poplar

This is nationally now a rare tree, the greatest concentration being in this area where the trees are a visual feature in our landscape.  Most of the poplars have been pollarded and were planted from cuttings or stakes many years ago. Most are found along the brooks and ditches.

Alternative leaves are longer than they are broad, with translucent margins and small regular teeth.  The stalk is flattened.  Leaves turn banana yellow in autumn.  Crimson male and green female catkins ripen on separate trees in March.  Female catkins release fluffy seeds in June. Bark is grey-brown, fissured, sometimes burred. The spreading crown forms a large dome. It reaches 100ft (30m).

Hedging

It is generally thought that the age of a hedge can be told from the plants growing in it.  For every 100 years of life, a hedge will gain one species of tree, shrub or woody climber.  Of course it should be remembered that a new hedge may be planted with more than one species.

Hedgerows are part of our British landscape.  They are an important wildlife habitat, providing food and shelter. A well managed hedge is essential to retain cattle or sheep.  Hedge laying is one of the techniques used to achieve this. 

Public Footpaths

In England and Wales a public footpath is a path on which the public have a legally protected right to travel on foot.  These routes can be hundreds of years old.

Styles

Brooks

Lanes

Land Belonging To Bucks

Posted by lmphs - 16/11/11 at 09:11:44 pm

As late as 1888 parts of Long Marston and Puttenham belonged to Bucks. The respective areas are shown on the LMPAGD map. Fields  116,  121, 53, 50, 49, 48, 47, 46, 43, 42, 41, 41a, 30 and 29m belonged to Drayton Beauchamp and fields 137,  147, 148, 149, 150 and ground (Loxley Farm) to north east of field 145 belonged to Marsworth.

These areas became part of Hertfordshire as a result of the Local Government Bill of 1888. This far-reaching Bill was introduced by the Conservatives to reformed Local Government. The aim of the bill was decentralisation of government, greater representation and to infuse a spirit of municipal life into rural populations. Each county was to be divided into electoral districts and voters would elect members of the council. Where towns or urban districts are situated in two or more counties these were to be included in the county in which the majority of the population is found. Not surprisingly there were worries that the new system would be more expensive and no more effective than the old which had been administered by country gentleman.

Churches

Posted by lmphs - 16/11/11 at 09:11:01 pm

Tiscot

Tiscot had a chapel which was pulled down in1661. Until 1748 the hamlets of Tiscot, Betlow and Aldwick were in the parish of Marsworth.

Long Marston  

The original church of Long Marston was to the west of the village, at the end of chapel lane and was pulled down except for its embattled tower, in 1883. The church probably dates back to the twelfth century but when it was pulled down the oldest remaining part was from the 14th, century consisting of a Nave, Chancel, south porch and west Tower. When originally built the church had a high pitched roof but this was changed during repairs in the 16th century to a flat pitched one when also the final stage of the tower was built. Architects recommended in 1881 that the site should be abandoned as the church was in a dangerous state due to use of unseasoned oak in the roof and saturation of the foundations by water from  lack of gutters and the mote on the northern side.

The present church was built on the north side of the village at a cost of £4000, on land given by the then lord of the manor, Lord Rothschild. The new building was built of stone in a Gothic style, using parts of the old church, including in the north aisle, fifteenth-century piscina and two fourteenth-century windows. The clustered columns, high moulded bases and organ came from Tring Church. The columns at Tring church were replaced by the Victorians as they considered that they were not strong enough.

 The new church was consecrated in 1883 but was left unfinished until 1888 due to lack of funds. A church tower on the west side of the church was planed but not built.

 In 1898 Lord Rothschild gave to the parish the new cemetery.

 In 1906 the church became dangerous due to foundations and the roof giving way, and was closed for two years for repairs.

The Long Marston Rectory  

Before 1871 the living was a perpetual curacy annexed to Tring, but in 1871 2½ acres was given by the Dean and Chapter of Christ Church Oxford for a new rectory. Work commenced in 1882 and it was finished in 1883 at a cost of £2400. It consisted of 5 bedrooms, drawing room, dining room Study, Kitchen, scullery up and down stairs WC and Bathroom. Outside there were stables and a garage. A May pole was erected in the grounds at some time, as its presence was reported in a Bucks Herald of 1888. The Rectory was sold in 1971 and demolished to build the 17 houses of Church View. A new Rectory was built at the Wilstone end of Watery Lane. 

 Puttenham Church (St. Mary)

The church is to the north of the road and dates from at least 1300. The present building is in early Tudor style and consists of a nave, chancel, porch and north and south aisles. The aisles were built on to the earlier stone structure towards the end of the 14th century and the present porch was built in 1889. The chancel was re built in 1851 and is externally faced with flint. The upper tower and porch were re built, the south aisle roof renewed and a new floor laid down in the chancel in 1889. In 1911 the tower and parts of the church were shored up due to settlement and cracks. Between 1952 and 1963 the church was badly neglected. In 1962 lead from the north aisle roof was stolen. The south aisle suffered the same fate in 1972 and the north aisle again in 1979 when the thieves were interrupted and abandoned the lead and their stolen loary.

 The Puttenham Rectory

The old rectory was built in XXXX and still stands as a private house. It was enlarged in 1894 and at that time the grounds extended to 194 acres.

 The Long Marston Parish was formed in 1867 from parts of the ecclesiastical parishes of Tring Herts and Drayton Beauchamp and Marsworth Bucks. Wilstone was added to form civil parish of Tring Rural in 1894.

The parishes of Long Marston and Puttenham were united in 1911.

Tea at the Tower That Was

Posted by lmphs - 16/11/11 at 07:11:23 pm

Last month I wrote about how a small group of us locally raised funds to restore the Old Church Tower in Chapel Lane Long Marston.

One of the fund raising activities was Tea at the Tower. This proved to be one of the most successful and popular events of the summer and it continued to be held annually long after funds were raised sufficient to secure the safety of the Tower.

The event took place in the gardens of Old Church Cottage and Old Church Farm. It extended along the road between the two houses and also the churchyard within which the tower stood.

Games and activities for children were set up at Old Church Farm. A helpful potter gave hands on demonstrations making all sorts of vases and pots. Children were encouraged to try their hand at it and were able to take away their personal creations. Other craft attractions included spinning and basket making.

Alongside the road, beekeepers put up a large bee tent and gave demonstrations on how the hive functioned all dressed up in their white protection gear looking like space men. Naturally there was honey for tea.

Butterfly Conservation always attended promoting their activities with lots of information on how to attract butterflies to gardens and highlighting our local butterfly reserve at Millhoppers.

An important feature of our local landscape is the Black Poplar Tree. We have in this area one of the largest concentrations of this rare tree and they are under threat. A lot of information was available on work carried out to safeguard these trees and copies of the local Black Poplar Walk were distributed.

Perhaps the most eye catching stall was the fruit and vegetable display and sale. We were very fortunate to get a substantial discount from a local Pick Your Own farm as they were very sympathetic towards what we were trying to achieve. Tea at the Tower was held on a Saturday and on the day before a team of pickers set off early to dig potatoes, carrots and pick peas, broad beans, onions and many other vegetables.

On the Saturday, the day of the event, another picking party set off to gather many types of soft fruit. This party had to set off even earlier in order to get the fruit as fresh as possible. On return all the fruit and vegetables had to weighed, packed and priced. The prices were adjusted to local supermarket prices in order to make a reasonable profit. Under the gazebos the stall looked like a mini Covent Garden and it was always a sell out.

The most important feature of course was Tea; in fact tea, scones and cakes with fruit drinks for the children. All this was provided by local residents and many hours were spent making 

scones to be stored in home freezers up and down Chapel Lane. Tables were set up in the churchyard and garden of Old Church Cottage and of course we always had good weather.

This all took a lot of organising and hard work but it was a lot of fun. It produced a great sense of camaraderie and what is more it was highly popular and raised a lot of money. So popular did the event become that it continued for a number of years following completion of the Tower restoration. As the money was no longer required to fund the restoration we had to find other projects that could benefit from this largesse. It was decided to split the money three ways. A third was donated to Long Marston Church, another supported the Village News, then its early days and the final third was retained to manage the trees in the churchyard and to carry out any further maintenance on the Tower.

All such events require an enthusiastic and active team. Unfortunately many of the organising team were clocking up years and running out of energy. Furthermore there were no takers to replace us so the event fell off the village calendar. This is very sad as it was a well attended event, a highlight of the summer and it raised money for good causes.

Could it be resurrected? Are there any takers? It’s hard work but a lot of fun.

Article by John Noakes.

The Old Church Tower and its Surrounding Churchyard

Posted by lmphs - 16/11/11 at 07:11:24 pm

It is now ten years since a group of us came together in an attempt to restore the Old Church Tower at Long Marston. A  Grade 11* listed building, situated in its small churchyard with a few gravestones, it is surrounded by sombre old yews and dominated by a gigantic lime tree. On one side is the remains of a moat whish once surrounded the long lost Manor of Long Marston and adjacent is a 16^th century thatched cottage.

The history of the church tower and its lost church is worthy of a whole article in itself but as this is the tenth anniversary of the restoration, newcomers to the villages may like to know how we approached the task and in a later article, some background about the lost church itself.

Up until 2001 the old tower was disintegrating; pieces of masonry were falling down, the glass in the windows was smashed. The small churchyard was being used as a dumping ground for people’s rubbish. The structure was infested with ivy and the roof leaked as some of the lead had been stripped. The building had been taken over by jackdaws and feral pigeons. It was a sad sight, abandoned, neglected and unloved! Equally important, it was dangerous. Some action was needed urgently.

A small group of locals came together to form a task force to seek advice, help and funding. The Parochial Church Council had no funds for such a large task but the Diocese of St Albans needed to be approached in order for us to take on this project. This they agreed. Several grant giving organisations were then approached but whilst sympathetic, the message from them all was the same- we had to demonstrate that we could raise funds ourselves, so called pump priming funds, before they would consider any requests.

Through a series of events including dinners, concerts and notably Tea at the Tower we raised sufficient funds to go back to the organisations to review their attitude to our request. Incidentally Tea at the Tower became such a popular event that it continued annually long after the Tower had been restored; some of us would dearly like to resurrect this. Any offers; most of us getting old we need younger input?

 Dacorum, Hertfordshire Landfill Partnership and English Heritage all then agreed to help us.  We were able to engage an architect to carry out a feasibility study and then organise the work to be done.

The work included building a new parapet with water chutes and a new lead roof. An internal ladder had to be constructed to get access to the roof and old belfry. Festoons of ivy had to be removed from the walls and lintels replaced and the windows meshed over to prevent birds getting access. Before any of this could be done years of pigeon poo had to be dug out and removed. This was almost four foot deep and was considered toxic and had to be carried out by a team wearing protective clothing.

With a final six coats of limewash the work was completed all for a sum of £47,000! If we had known this figure at the outset I doubt if any of us would have contemplated the idea of taking on this project. However although a lot of hard work it generated a lot of fun and great camaraderie. The final result is that the Old Tower is secure for centuries to come.

Article by John Noakes.

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