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.

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.

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.

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!

Article by Martin Winship.

For more information on Karting:

http://www.mykartingworld.net/

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.

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.

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Long Marston Pantomime – Cinderella

See the write up from the Leighton Buzzard Observer. Published on Friday 3rd February 2012.

Wickedly funny Cinders is home-grown

Article by John Noakes.

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