June 2010

There are several matters and events to report this month, plus an invitation from the British Schools and an appeal for help with information. I have also added an up-to-date constitution (reached from the 'Background and history' link, left) and a link to Herts Memories, where there are some interesting articles on Hitchin's history.

Plans for the Sir Henry Wood concert are proceeding well and a revised programme has now been drawn up. Full details when all has been finalised.

The Conservation Area Review

NHDC has been consulting us about this as we are supporting the creation of a new conservation area. Our suggestions for alterations to the present one include, among other things, adding properties on Wymondley Road and in The Chilterns; and Thomas Bellamy House. We have also recommended these additions to the Register of Buildings of Local Interest:

• The Lodge at Little Benslow Hills
• The Glover Centre, Burymead Road
• Workshop/Factory Unit, Dacre/Walsworth Roads
• Highover Farm, Highover Way
• St Mark’s Church, Lancaster Avenue
• Wells Garage, West Hill (regaining its original place on the 1998 List)
• Whinbush Grove, Whinbush Road
• Dowlands, Wymondley Road

The Society and Churchgate

A message from our chairman

The District Council and developers Simons are considering a major shopping and residential scheme for the Churchgate area. Hitchin has evolved as a classic market town over more than a thousand years. To those who study its past, change is a constant companion; it has kept Hitchin a living, and not fossil, community. The “New Churchgate” plan has, however, the potential to be the most significant single development ever to affect the town centre.

Our Society is very concerned that decisions being taken today are informed by knowledge of the town’s past and an awareness of the importance of that past for its future. In particular:

• Any redevelopment must safeguard Hitchin Market, part of our living history, and probably dating back over 1300 years. We cannot be a “Historic Market Town” without a Market.
• The size, shape and form of any redevelopment must be very carefully crafted. It would lie at the centre of the Town Centre Conservation Area abutting St Mary’s Church, a Listed Building of national importance with its significant graveyard, and touching a whole array of other Listed and Locally Listed buildings such as the Biggin, Churchyard, Market Place and Warner’s Almshouses.
• Whilst the scheme is only a “Vision” or concept it does indicate major building masses near the Biggin and Warner’s, fronting Market Place and along the south side of St Mary’s; the elevations seem to reduce the impact of massing by playing up the sizes of the adjacent historic buildings.
• Any redevelopment must reinforce the existing, and distinctive, mix of small, medium and larger businesses in the town centre. And it must not attract all the major multiples into one location leaving gaps in the historic core: if business migrates in this way who will care for the historic buildings affected?
• As retailing becomes more and more influenced by “shed” outlets our historic market town will only prosper if we play to its strengths of mixed economic activity in a characterful, well cared-for environment. There is no future in becoming another “Anytown” clone.

The Society's Committee has decided to participate in the Churchgate Liaison Forum (CLF) convened by the District Council in conjunction with Simons. We will sit alongside Hitchin Forum, the Hitchin Society and the Hitchin Initiative. It is important that the CLF discusses fully all facets of the possible development and how it might fit with the historic town centre. As it does so our Society will evolve its own view of the worth of any development proposals put forward.

The first substantive meeting of the CLF, including an initial opportunity for public discussion, will take place at Church House, Churchyard at 6.30pm on 28th July.

HHS

10 June 2010

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Gatward 250th Anniversary

A report from Stephen Bradford-Best

You may have read on this website or in our twice-yearly Newsletter about two pieces of cast iron with 'MAKER GATWARD HITCHIN' cast into them. The Society purchased them last year after member Ken Mansell noticed them at a car boot sale. Realising the local connection he took details from the vendor and alerted the HHS committee. Scilla Douglas and Stephen Bradford-Best went to look at them at the vendor's home in Hoddesdon and, after a bit of haggling, the items became the Society's property. But what were they and what should we do with them?

The name Gatward in Hitchin is more usually associated with the jewellers, but in the nineteenth century another branch of the Gatward family had a foundry behind their ironmonger’s shop at the end of the High Street, next to what later became the Arcade. Research carried out by several members, including Derek Wheeler MBE, revealed that the items were parts of agricultural machinery: axle brackets which would have been mounted on a wooden frame between which a roller was mounted. Drawn by a horse, the device was used to break up the soil.

We asked members for ideas on where to display the brackets and several suggested mounting them on the walls of the Arcade, close to where they had been made. But an even better idea surfaced. 2010 is the 250th anniversary of Gatwards the jewellers and, as they gave the splendid clock to the town at the Millennium, they were looking for ideas for another gift to the town, possibly a bench. Someone solved both dilemmas by suggesting the brackets should form the base of a bench – ‘simples’ really.

The Gatward sisters Anna and Lisa, the current generation of the family who run the business, received this proposal with enthusiasm. They instructed local sculptors David Boyall and Paul Currell of Arcangel in Bendish, who designed the Princess Diana 10th Anniversary ‘Field of Flowers’ sculpture, to design a bench. This was to incorporate detail from a clock which records all seven generations of the Gatward family who have run the business, and to inform people that the brackets were donated by the Society.

The culmination of all the work was unveiled by David Miller, Chairman of North Herts District Council, at a ceremony held on the Market Place on Saturday 1st May. As it was May Day the event turned out to be very festive with country dancing displays and Codicote School children dancing around the May Pole. Several of our members joined in the celebrations, including Ken Mansell without whose 'eagle eye' in spotting the brackets the event may not have taken place.

You can see for yourselves the artistic and practical result, even use it to take the weight off your legs, if you visit the Market Place and look beside the 'Cabbie’s Shelter'. The Society was very pleased to help mark a notable anniversary of an old and valued local business.

The 16th UK Schools Museum Group Conference

Saturday 25th September 2010 (10 am – 4.30 pm) at The British Schools Museum, Hitchin

Members of Hitchin Historical Society are invited on this special occasion to join with the UK School Museums Group, at their 16th Conference, in celebrating the continuity of education at The British Schools, Hitchin, from 1810 – 2010. The Conference will take place in the original Lancasterian Monitorial Schoolroom of 1837, which is believed to be the only surviving schoolroom of its type in the world.

The programme will focus on the life and work of Lancaster: Eileen Wallace – ‘Educating the Lower Orders – Some 19C attitudes and solutions’; Terry Ransome -‘Joseph Lancaster – so much done, so much more to do’; Yvonne Limbrick – ‘Lancaster’s teaching methods in a monitorial schoolroom’: Yvonne Furniss – demonstration of monitorial lesson; an additional speaker on the British and Foreign Schools Society (mentioned above) is pending confirmation. In addition there will be time to tour the historical site, where there is always something new to discover.

We look forward to welcoming you to the British Schools Museum for this unique event.

Booking, in advance only, by 27th August: £25 pp includes full day conference activities, morning coffee, two course buffet lunch and afternoon tea. Contact 01582 882179 or email yfurniss@tesco.net for programme and booking form.

Don’t miss out! Be sure to book early!

Yvonne Furniss, UKSMG Committee Member and Teacher at the British Schools Museum

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Church Farm Industrial School in Barnet, Hertfordshire

Gillian Gear of Barnet Local History Society is asking for help from our members.

At the turn of the 19th-20th century three Hitchin boys attended Church Farm Industrial Boarding School in Barnet. The school was origiinally opened in 1860 for destitute boys from London who were taught lessons as well as a trade such as shoe mending, tailoring and farm work. Interestingly, in 1901 the Hitchin Board of Guardians paid sums of money to the school which suggest even more boys from Hitchin must have attended, and Gillian is keen to find out who these other boys were. These are the three she knows about:

William Harradine, aged 13 in 1901. He was born in Hitchin and in 1891 lived with his family at 5 Piersons Yard. His father was Alfred Harradine, a carpenter aged 40, his mother was Louisa 30, and his two sisters were Florie 7 and Emily 2. There was also a Herbert Harradine who was a boarder, aged 13, a scholar in Dacre Road.

George Abbiss, aged 11 in 1891. He was born in Hitchin and was the son of Jessie Abiss, a labourer, and his wife Anne, a washerwoman, of Old Park Road, 10 Taylors Cottages, Hitchin.

Charles Gascoyne was aged 10 in 1901 and was born in Hitchin.

Do you know of any other boys who may have attended this school in Barnet? Or anything more about the three boys above? If so, Gillian would very much like to hear from you. You can pass her a message via our Chariman, David Howlett, whose email address is on our Contact us page (see column on the left). I’m sure this is a plea we can help with!

Southill Park

We were fortunate to have a lovely sunny day for our visit to the Whitbread family home, Southill Park, on Thursday 6th May 2010. Our guides were the current occupant of the house, Charles Whitbread, who grew up in the house, and the archivist James Collett-White.

The house was built by an unknown architect for Viscount Torrington, of the ill-fated Byng family, in the mid-eighteenth century and purchased by the brewer, Samuel Whitbread, in 1795, the year before his death. The house was remodelled for his son, also Samuel, by the architect Henry Holland, and included fashionable redecoration and a new service wing using Totternhoe limestone.

On one side of the house there is a park landscaped by 'Capability' Brown and on the other an immaculately kept formal garden with mature trees and a cricket field beyond. In the house, treasures include portraits by Gainsborough of family members and employees, and a collection of period furniture and porcelain in rooms little changed in more than 200 years. We concluded our visit with tea and home-made biscuits in the elegant dining room.

Forty Hall and the Royal Gunpowder Mills

We were able to spread out in a vehicle larger than the one booked for our second coach excursion this year, on Wednesday 19th May, but it did make access to our first stop, Forty Hall in Enfield, a bit tight.

Once parked, we explored the beautiful park before entering the house for our guided tour. The Grade 1 listed house was built between 1629 and 1632 for Sir Nicholas Rainton, who became Lord Mayor of London. After his death a succession of tenants occupied the house until it was purchased by the Bowles, later Parker-Bowles, family. The house and extensive park were purchased by Enfield Council in 1951 and the house is currently used as a museum. A major refurbishment is due to start later in the year.

After lunch sitting in the sunshine in the courtyard restaurant, we made the short journey to the Royal Gunpowder Mills in Waltham Abbey. There we had an introductory talk before being taken around the vast site on the Land Train guided by former employee, Dr David Simms. We saw industrial remains associated with gunpowder production as well as wildlife, including herons.

We then watched a film show telling the history of gunpowder since it was discovered by the Chinese, after which we were free to explore the various exhibitions. These included a recreation of a gunpowder mill; the story of gunpowder manufacture and its uses; a display of small arms; an explanation of life during World War II; and a building devoted to rockets. Tea and biscuits concluded our visit before we set off back to Hitchin in our comfortable coach - a full and interesting day.

Maydencroft Manor

Our last report this month. On Tuesday 25th May, on a sunny but chilly evening, a group of members visited Maydencroft Manor near Gosmore as guests of Mr & Mrs Robert Williams. We started our tour in the barn believed to have been where John Bunyan preached - hence its name 'Bunyan's Barn'. The restoration was painstaking and the results impressive. It continues to be home to a colony of bats.

We then toured the extensive grounds maintained by our hosts which include paddocks, ancient trees, a moat, a rose garden and even a cricket pitch where matches are regularly played. Turning to the house, Mr Williams pointed out how it had developed and altered over the centuries to provide a magnificent home. An earlier occupant was King Henry VIII who used it as a hunting lodge, and its origins can be traced back to the 14th century.

Finally we toured the ground floor of the house and saw Mr William's (yes, Mr William's) beautiful embroidery, concluding our visit with coffee and home-made lemon drizzle cake made for us by Mrs William's 101 year old mother. A memorable visit.

Next Society meeting

Our meetings have ended for the summer. Our next meeting is on Thursday 23rd September when Richard Whitmore will be talking to us about Hertfordshire Privvies, a nostalgic trip down the garden path. The talk starts, as usual, at 8pm at Church House and is followed by refreshments.

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This page updated 13th June 2010