The Friends of the Copped Hall Trust will guide us around the Hall. The history and architectural story of the house and site will be described. The tour will include the recently acquired walled garden. A charge of £3, a donation to the Trust, will be made for both members and non-members. Light refreshments will be served in the restored Raquets Court. Please note …… getting to Copped Hall …. The only entrance to the Hall is through the lodge gates off the Upshire road, which runs from Epping High Road. The lodge gates are about 500 yards from Epping High Road. Since the gates are about a mile from the Hall, they will only be opened around 2.30pm. Please time your arrival to coincide!
“When crimes are committed, it is not unusual to suspect men of bad character who may reside in the immediate vicinity of the place where such are perpetrated” Chelmsford Chronicle, 24th April 1829
The walk will include Norton Hall Farm and Forest Hall as well as the two churches at High Ongar and Norton Mandeville, returning to High Ongar. Norton Hall Farm is about one mile from High Ongar. Should you wish to walk further, then the Love Lane Sports Ground in Ongar is an alternative start at 9.40 am; from Love Lane the Three Forests Way can be followed to High Ongar. However, High Ongar remains the ‘official’ meeting place.
Georgina Green has already entertained us with an illustrated talk on Dick Turpin nearly three years ago. “Georgie” is an industrious and respected local historian. She has been secretary to the Friends of Epping Forest and secretary to Woodford Historical Society. Georgina is the author of a history of Epping Forest and more recently has worked tirelessly in the cause of Valentines Mansion. The English Gentleman and his Country House is a general consideration prompted by this latter interest.
Your Committee wish to repeat the experience of the Annual General Meeting in 2002 and ask members to participate. The Annual General Meeting will be followed by an evening of your interests in family history. We want to encourage you to contribute some reminiscence of a family member. It is not necessary to speak about a celebrity, we will be interested to hear about local tradesman, farmers, farm workers, servicemen, policemen, those who might have wartime experiences . . .etcetera. Whomsoever you can contribute should have one, possibly small claim in order to be mentioned. The intention is to write a few words on all who are deserving of a place in our AGM. The contributions will be published in an edition of this newsletter THE SUCCESS OF THIS MEETING DEPENDS ON YOU! PLEASE JOIN IN AND CONTRIBUTE . . . but you will still be welcome at the AGM, even if you do not have that recollection of your past.
We have booked an evening visit to Ingatestone Hall, the Elizabethan home of the Petre family since the 1540s. The house is one of the outstanding three or four houses in Essex. The time of our visit will allow us to have our own guided-tour. Our number will have to be limited to twenty-five. The cost of the visit will be about £3.00. Support for the visit will be requested later in the year.
Edwyn Gilmour has enjoyed a long and close association with Ongar. This illustrated talk will present a nostalgic look at Ongar. We start at Epping Station, take the train to Ongar, and then proceed on a historical tour of the town. Our progress finishes at Ongar station. Join in the walk without leaving your seat!
Corrie Newall spent ten years in private practice in Devon working with listed buildings. She is now an adviser for historic buildings in Essex. Her talk will describe the role of conservation officers in the listing and planning process, and provide a taste of the quality of the Listed Buildings in the Epping and Ongar area. The talk will appeal specially to anyone interested in historic buildings and traditional building techniques
Dr Peter Lawrence has lectured widely on historical subjects. Peter has a special interest in South-West Essex and many of his talks relate to this area.
The Tithe Awards of 1836-52 provide a detailed survey of the ownership and occupancy of the land and buildings of all parishes in England and Wales. The associated maps are often the first large scale maps of many areas to have survived. The walk will look at the parishes of Stanford Rivers and Greensted through eyes of 1841 using this survey as a backdrop.
A guided tour of Aythorpe Roding post mill has been arranged with Essex County Council. It is hoped that, wind permitting, the mill will operate. There is plenty of space for parking, a short walk from the mill. There will be a charge for the visit of £2 per head. We have been asked to arrive ten minutes early. Please meet at 2.20pm.
Humphrey Repton was the landscape architect who succeeded Capability Brown. Repton worked on some of the leading country houses of his day, including our own Hill Hall, which he visited and illustrated in 1792. The talk will focus in detail on the country park landscape of Repton’s day - and how much of it survives - but will also look back to Sir Thomas Smyth’s Elizabethan garden, and forward to the Victorian and Edwardian landscapes. The garden had its second heyday in the 1920s, when Lady Hudson and the architect Philip Tilden created a series of ‘secret gardens’, three of which survive.
Edmund Curties has lectured both widely and enthusiastically on the pursuit of family history. Come and learn about the sources for family history; the pitfalls, disappointments and the breakthroughs. If you are about to take your first steps in researching your family, or if you have reached to a block some generations back, then this talk is for you. Prepare to be entertained!
Prepare to be entertained! Please bring to the Meeting any recollections or observations you may have on local examples of old or existing defences. Fred Nash has been involved in the investigation and recording of World War II defences associated with the major land defensive lines in Essex — the Eastern Command Line, the GHQ Line, the Outer London Defence Ring — as well as coastal defences. Fred is the acknowledged expert in the field. Fred is a member of the Heritage Information & Records Group. The Group is part of the Heritage Conservation Branch, Essex County Council Planning Department.
On Thursday, 23rd May, the High Country History Group will visit North Weald Airfield Museum. We will meet at 2.00 pm at the Museum at Astra House in North Weald. The visit will conclude around 4.00 pm with tea in the Officer’s Mess on the airfield. Unfortunately, the party will be limited to about 25 places. Therefore, we have to request that you book and pre-pay a visit fee of £3-00. Tea is included.
On Thursday, 27th June, an evening visit has been arranged to “Mashams”, a fourteenth-century timer-framed hall house. A Charitable Trust currently owns the house. We will meet at 7.30 pm at “Mashams”. Light refreshments will be served during the visit. The house is approximately 600 yards west of High Laver Church, at the corner with Faggotters Lane.
Probably at some time in the 12th century, Essex was designated a Royal Forest. Some of this original, large forest can still be seen; Epping Forest and Wintry Wood, Hainault Forest, and the lesser known Writtle Forest survive as examples of wooded areas. Uniquely, Hatfield Forest remains as an outstanding example of park-woodland scenery, characteristic of the Royal Forest. Ongar is central to this historic forest. Indeed, within the High Country, Ongar Park Wood contains important features, which are still visible today. So what was the Royal Forest? What was its purpose? Who owned the Royal Forest? How was the Royal Forest administered? Why did the Royal Forest arouse such acrimony between King and subject? Penalties for infringing forest laws were severe, but were they carried out? How and how often did the king, or the queen, hunt in the forest? All will be revealed in the Chairman’s talk.
Following the business of the Annual General Meeting, the WWII theme will be continued through the showing of a selection of propaganda films. Walt Disney produced the filmed 60 years after the event, the films are seen to be hilarious! Cheese and wine will accompany the evening. The evening will be free to members.
Early in the 1939-45 war, many untrained workers were drafted into taking up urgent and dangerous work. This is the illustrated story of how some paid the ultimate price for their inexperience. The story also tells how following the publication of their story the unmarked graves of six men were remembered 58 years later
An archivist from the Essex Record Office will show the Group round the search room and . Some original documents, pertaining to this area of Essex will be put on show. The visit will finish at 8.30 pm to enable documents to be put away. The party will be limited to 24. There will be a small charge to cover a donation to the Essex Record Office.
Ongar Park Wood conceals banks from the Ongar Deer Park and a Roman trackway and green lane. Peter Moring, who owns part of the remaining wood will guide us. The evening walk will end at the Mole Trap for a convivial drink! and in the rest of the year
Join in a leisurely, late summer stroll around Greensted. Meeting at Greensted Church, we intend to find out more about the people and the dwellings of people who lived in Greensted.
Stan Newens represented both Epping and Harlow constituencies as an MP for a total of 15 years. Stan has a long-standing interest in local history and has written a history of North Weald. The Dorchester Labourers, or Tolpuddle Martyrs, lived in Greensted following their return from exile in Australia. Stan will talk the about their period in Greensted and the aftermath.
The East Anglian Film Archive has collected a library of films spanning the period 1896 to the present day. The Archive will show us some early films. It is expected that the films that we select will have a strong local interest. Please note that the attendance fee for each talk will be £1 for members and £2 for visitors. Charges for visits will be published.
As part of the national Heritage Open Day arranged by the Civic Society, Pleshey Castle will be open for free guided tours on the above date. Nick Wickenden, Museums Manager for Chelmsford Borough Council, will be leading tours which start at the castle. It is intended that the High Country History Group will follow a visit to the castle with an optional walk around Pleshey. “Pleshey Castle is probably Essex’s best example of an earth-built Norman motte and bailey castle. The whole village still lies within its Norman defences which sweep round in a great circle, and the castle is very picturesque, with lovely views of the surrounding countryside from the top of the earthwork. In its heyday, in the 14th century, when the castle was owned by the Duke of Gloucester, Edward III’s seventh son, Pleshey was one of the most important estates in England. We are very grateful to its private owners for joining in this national scheme, aimed at increasing access to hidden treasures.” Nick Wickenden
Myra Wilkins has lectured extensively on heraldry. Myra will focus her talk onto local heraldic designs, particularly the Tany family of Stapleford Tawney and the Petres of Stanford Rivers.
Peter Adams is one of the four verderers of Epping Forest. You may remember that Peter guided one of the trailers around the Royal Gunpowder Mills during our visit of last year.
Writtle possesses a fine village green and a historic church. Many interesting houses surround the green. We will have a guided walk around the village to include the site of King John’s Hunting Lodge and moat. The walk will be followed by an opportunity to see the Writtle Archives. A small, dedicated team of volunteers have been developing these archives for the last thirteen years. The archives are normally open on a Thursday afternoon.
Illustrated tour of a large selection of local buildings having historic features or connections. The buildings were mainly drawn from the High Country area. Several recurring themes accompanied Anne on her tour.