Camp 186 – The Lost Town at Berechurch

Following their final summer visit, to Frinton on Sea’s “Cottage, Garden and Railway Museum” adjacent to the railway crossing gates as you enter Frinton:

Once occupied by the keepers of Frinton’s iconic railway gates, today Frinton’s Crossing Cottage houses an impressive selection of artefacts and archive material that tell the story of the local area in surprising detail. Situated in a well-maintained cottage garden, the grounds also include a wildlife area and information board. In 2009, the railway signal box was moved into the Garden and became another exhibit housing a snapshot of railway technology in a bygone age.

Continue reading “Camp 186 – The Lost Town at Berechurch”

January 21, 2017January 22, 2017

Grey Friars – A History Group Talk

Grey Friars – A History Group Talk

The first meeting of the New Year took place in the Orpen Hall on January 10th. The guest speaker was Alan Skinner, former Principal of Grey Friars Adult Education College.

History of Grey Friars

Alan’s talk was about the history of Grey Friars, or more precisely the area where it is located in the northeast corner of the old Roman town. It is difficult to ascertain exactly what was there during the Roman and Norman periods but between the 13th and the 16th century the site was occupied by Franciscan Monks, the Grey Friars, until the dissolution of the monasteries in 1538.

Poor Repair

The buildings remained in a poor state of repair. They were much damaged one hundred years later in the Civil War and Royalist prisoners of war were detained there after the siege. In Georgian times the area became very desirable and several large houses were built close by – Hollytrees, East Hill House, The Minories. The building which is now the centre part of Grey Friars was built around 1750.

The building changed hands several times and in 1829 the area where Roman and Castle Roads are now was leased to the Colchester Botanical Society to make into a Botanical Garden. This initially proved popular with the rich and fashionable although by the 1850s the garden had fallen from favour and was sold off for housing and would eventually become Castle Road and Roman Road.

Much Extended

The Grey Friars house, much extended, continued as a private residence until 1903 when it was purchased by a group of French Nuns. They converted it into a boarding school for gentlemen’s daughters. The Nuns sold Grey Friars to Essex County Council in 1920 when it was used to house part of the County High School for Girls. They stayed there until the 1950s when they moved to their current premises in Norman Way. Grey Friars was then used at different times as temporary accommodation for Monkwick and Phillip Morant Schools, and the Technical College, now Colchester Institute. In 1965 the building became an Adult Education College until being sold in 2008 for conversion into a luxury hotel, which opened in 2014.

Alan Skinner’s talk was very well received and many of the members of the audience had their own fond memories of Grey Friars.

Can You Help Trace William & Sarah Pettican’s Graves?

From time to time the Secretary receives enquiries from people studying their family history. A recent enquiry from Kiern Pettican, who lives in Kent, is seeking to trace the graves of her great-great-grandparents William Pettican 1848-1912 and Sarah Rebecca Pettican 1853-1921. They married in the old church in 1869 and were living in Old Church Lane in 1881. Searches of the churchyards have been unsuccessful. She would also be interested in copies of any photographs of Old Church Lane from the period.

If any reader can help please get in touch with Gill Poole 01206 240512.

Forthcoming Events

February 8th “Silver End the Crittall Village” a talk by Natalie Banks.
March 8th AGM plus a talk and video “Life in the 1950s” by Peter Jones
April 13th “44 Years of Elected Office” a talk by Sir Bob Russell

Meetings start at 7.30. Members £1 – Visitors welcome £3. Find out more here.

June 23, 2016June 30, 2016

St Mary’s Old Church – History & Concert

The Friends of St Mary’s have two upcoming events that might prove of interest, one a visit from an expert on church history and the other an afternoon concert:

Tour of Historic Churches

On Wednesday, 29 June, respected historian John Vigar will be including St Mary’s Old Church on his Tour of Historic Churches. The coach tour will arrive to look around and at about 2.30pm John will give Continue reading “St Mary’s Old Church – History & Concert”

January 29, 2016January 30, 2016

History Walk at Boxsted

Enjoy a Free heritage walk around Boxted airfield on Sunday 20th March, 2016. The walk is being organised by Martin Cuthbert, Community Archaeologist exploring the legacy of the US 8th Army Air Force during their time here in WW2, a project . This forms part of a 3-year Heritage Lottery Funded project whose main aims are:

Research and interpretation of the built and social legacy of the American Eighth Air Force in the East, through community archaeology, oral history, film and photography, and re-examination of museum collections.
Celebration of this material through local and regional events, exhibitions, , touring theatre and other showcase opportunities.
Sustaining the project beyond its active stage through website, digital flythrough, learning resources, social media and museum development.

Martin says:

Join us as we lead a walk through the historic airfield at Boxted, home to the 354th & 56th Fighter Groups and the 386th Bomb Group of the 8th USAAF during World War Two.

If you’re interested in landscape history, airfield archaeology, or just fancy the chance to have a walk in the unique landscape of this World War Two airfield, this walk is for you.

This Walk Through History starts at 10am on Sunday 20th March. Parking is at Boxted Airfield Museum, Langham Lane, Langham, Essex, CO4 5NW, where refreshments can be taken following the walk.

Admission to the Museum itself is by a £3 donation, accompanied children are free. The walk, which is about 3.8 miles long is over easy terrain and is free of charge. You are advised to wear outdoor shoes and clothing appropriate to the weather.

This is one of a series of walks organised by Martin’s project, find out more at www.8theast.org.

September 8, 2015September 8, 2015

People, Priests & Problems

Jon Lander, who was a resident of West Bergholt for many years has written a book about the history of St. Mary’s Old Church, titled ‘The People, Priests and Problems of a Country Parish’. The Friends have recently had this published in a booklet form. It is illustrated with colour photographs and is an interesting read, especially for anyone who lives or has lived in West Bergholt.

On Sunday 20th September from 2.30 – 4pm, Jon Lander will be at the old church to meet people and discuss his work. Peter Noakes who provided the photos for Jon’s book will also be there. Peter is putting on a slideshow of photos that he has taken of the interior and exterior of the Old Church. We are offering visitors tea, cold drinks and homemade cake. We hope you will come and join us.

The friends are selling the 20 page booklet for £2.50. All profits from the sale of this booklet will be used by the Friends to care for the Old Church.

August 26, 2015

Sports, Heritage & Apples

Sports, Heritage & Apples are the subject of recent leisure-time news from Colchester Borough Council:

Summer Sports Festival at Highwoods

Taking place on Sunday 30th August at Leisure World, there is an opportunity for all the family to join in with a range of FREE sports activities including:

Football – with Colchester United Football in the Community,
Parkour – with Team Traceur,
Volleyball – with Volleyball England,
Netball – with KATS Netball Club, and
Tennis – free hire of tennis courts at Leisure World Highwoods.

Heritage

Heritage Open Days

This year’s Heritage Open Days takes place across the weekend of Saturday 12 and Sunday 13 September 2015. You can discover Colchester’s heritage in a weekend of FREE activities and entry to more than 20 historic properties:

firstsite,
Roman Circus,
St. Helen’s Chapel,
St. Peter’s Church,
Quaker Meeting House (St. Mary’s House),
Mersea Barrow,
Roman Theatre,
Castle Museum,
Town Hall,
Sparlings Solicitors,
Audley Chapel,
St Martin’s Church,
St John’s Abbey Gatehouse,
Trinity Street,
Bourne Mill,
Super Home,
St. James the less & St. Helen’s Church,
Holy Trinity Church,
Peake’s House,
Colchester Cemetery,
War Memorial,
St. Mary at the Walls Church (Arts Centre), and
Colne Light Ship.

More details and opening times are available at http://www.cimuseums.org.uk/article/16584/Heritage-Open-Days-2015.

{Colchester Presents} Celebrate Heritage

On Saturday 12th September, between 9am and 5pm, the clock will be turned back as you stroll through the High Street and Upper Castle Park.

Enjoy a stroll down the High Street (closed to traffic) and take time to admire the wonderful architecture of the many fascinating buildings which adorn the High Street, from the Town Hall to to the Red Lion Hotel. Watch out for historical characters that you pass along your way, you may bump into Marcus Favonius!

Soak up the sounds of the historic music, dance and drama and enjoy some story telling and the iconic British Punch and Judy Show. Colchester has it’s very own Mr Punch living at Hollytrees Museum, take a visit and see this very special puppet, dating from 1945.

Take a wander through Colchester’s Charter market, dating back to 1189 and you will find stalls selling everything from artisan bread to clothes. There will be plenty of food stalls to fill your appetite.

Step back in time to the award-winning Castle Park which will be hosting historic market stalls, traditional side shows, puppet theatre,talks and demonstrations, all within the backdrop of Colchester Castle which will be open for free.

Apple Day at the BIG Garden, High Woods Country Park

Taking place on Saturday 26th September you can drop in at any time between 12pm & 3pm (donation requested). Come and celebrate the local apple harvest! Enjoy tasting some heritage fruit varieties and try your hand at crushing and pressing local apples to make delicious juice. Family games, crafts and apple cakes and bakes to sample.

Details of these and many more activities are on the Colchester website.

July 2, 2015

What’s On Summer 2015

Colchester Borough Council report on a number of activities throughout the upcoming Summer holidays ranging from comedy, activity workshops, events at country parks, doggy activities and more. They advise you check their websites (links below) to find out more:

Activities at Leisure World Colchester include animation workshops, swimming, arts, crafts, dance, tennis and much more! There’s also water fun for all the family – fly down flumes, travel along a crazy river of waves, plunge down drops in the crazy outside rapids, dodge the water cannons and more in the leisure pool! As they say:

We’ll take care of the kids!

Colchester Museums have lots of fantastic events the summer, including Go Live! Week, mediaeval medicine, Roman Food, Archery and much more. Don’t forget you can visit one of our three museums where history comes alive through displays, technology and hands on activities. Their site has a handy calendar so you can see what is on any day of the holidays.

Colchester’s Country Parks offer a host of activities and events for you and your family to enjoy at from learning about foraging and making your own den or dream-catcher to wildlife and health walks. Why not make the most of warmer weather by coming along to one of our wonderful parks to enjoy all the great outdoors has to offer!

Jimmy Carr – Funny Business at Charter Hall

On Friday 31 July Charter Hall, Colchester’s premier events venue, is excited to welcome back Jimmy Carr with his live show ‘Funny Business’. Tickets are £25, book now at www.charter-hall.co.uk.

Street Life! presented by School of Street (SOS) are performing on Sunday 5 July and tickets are now on sale for Robot Wars: The 2015 Live Show on Saturday 19 & Sunday 20 September.

Bark in the Park

Come and have fun with your pet pooch on Sunday 9 August, from 10am in Colchester’s Castle Park. K9 Aqua Sports UK, three show rings, dog agility and doggie trade stands. £5 adults, kids and dogs FREE.

Enter your dog into one of our shows, for FREE, Best Young Handler, Smiliest Dog, Handsomest Dog, Prettiest Bitch, Calmest Tail and Best Trick.

Book your dog into a show & book tickets.

Looking for something a little different?

Colchester’s Visitor Information Centre has a fantastic range of guided tours so you can find out more about Colchester’s fascinating history.
Listen to the lives and times of characters from Colchester’s past as they take you through the dread, drama and dismay of Colchester’s important history. Theme tours are great fun for all age groups! Visit their website for themes, dates and booking information.

May 28, 2015February 23, 2019

Colchester News, Market, Park & Ride

Colchester News – Market, Park & Ride

Latest news updates received from Colchester Borough Council…

Colchester Market has a stylish new home

Colchester Market has moved to its new home on Colchester High Street. The new site has bigger, sophisticated, branded stalls providing a mix of exciting new products alongside regular favourite traders. Find out how you could become a trader to trial your small business idea here>>.

Park and Ride service now open

Essex County Council have launched the new Colchester Park and Ride facility. With a car park situated north of the A12, just off junction 28, it links to Colchester Railway Station and Colchester Town centre.

Fares

Adult daily: £3 (Monday to Saturday)
Adult weekly: £15
Adult monthly: £55
Children (aged between 5 and 15 years inclusive) – daily £1, weekly £5, monthly £20.
Children under 5 years old travel for free at all times

Concessions

Concessionary pass holders travel free after 9am Monday-Friday and all day Saturdays.

Find out more here>>

Have your say on The Wonderhouse

The Wonderhouse is an exciting new concept, which will transform Colchester’s heritage offer and provide an innovative attraction for local residents and visitors. We would like to hear your views on it.

The distinctive history and heritage of Colchester, Britain’s oldest recorded town, is reflected by the rich range of objects collected by Colchester Museums for over 150 years.

The three museums; Colchester Castle, Hollytrees Museum and the Natural History Museum; highlight selected objects from the collection, which showcase the town’s key stories and unique character.

However, it’s impossible to display everything. A wealth of collections are also stored by the museums service. These objects include items from Colchester’s more recent history, archives, photographs and oral history- all awaiting discovery by the public. A new collections centre, ‘The Wonderhouse’, will provide the key to unlocking their potential.

Councillor Tim Young, Portfolio Holder for Licensing, Community Safety and Culture comments: “The Wonderhouse is an exciting project that will add to Colchester’s already rich heritage offer. It will be a real draw for residents and tourists alike.

Colchester is extremely lucky to have a wealth of internationally significant objects. The Wonderhouse will give people the opportunity to discover and appreciate them for the first time.

This project will also unveil a vital piece of the town’s previously hidden Roman Wall. It will create a launch pad to explore Colchester’s many historic sites. I’d invite residents and visitors to complete the survey and let us know their views on this project.

Find out more here>>

May 18, 2015May 18, 2015

Heritage Watch Launched

Influential figures in Essex’s heritage industry came together on 23rd of April at Stow Maries First World War Aerodrome to launch a new police initiative aimed at protecting the past. Heritage Watch is an Essex Police led partnership between agencies that are committed to protecting our heritage, as well as members of the public who want to help preserve our heritage.

The watch scheme looks to maintain and preserve important places of interest, encouraging vigilance and reporting of suspicious activity around sites. This is to prevent any theft or crime that may damage assets beyond recovery, which may lead to the loss of a piece of history for this and future generations.

Heritage Watch locations would include ancient earth works and archeological sites, listed buildings, museums, galleries, religious buildings, historic visitor attractions and others.

Dominic Petre of the Historic Houses Association said he was ‘very pleased’ about the initiative, adding:

When heritage is lost, it is lost forever.

Crimes against heritage are not just crimes against the owner. They are crimes against future generations and culture in general.

Chief Superintendent Carl O’Malley said:

In Essex we have some really significant sites, from the Roman remains in Colchester to Audley End House in Saffron Walden.

The key element for any watch scheme is to involve a broad range of different partners and bring them together. Through expert advice and assistance, we can all help one another. It is about communication, sharing, understanding and reporting.

For further information contact your local Essex Watch Liaison Officer using the Police 101 non–emergency telephone number.

October 18, 2014October 18, 2014

History Group Autumn Update

St. John's church,Mount Bures — Picture from Wikipedia – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Bures

Summer into Autumn for History Group

The village History Group has an active calendar of events throughout the year as instanced by this recent update.

In June the group visited Mount Bures where they were shown round the church and ‘up the Mount’.

July’s trip was to Boxted. First visiting the Church then a walking tour around the old village. Most of the houses have false fronts but behind are ancient rooms and layouts. Some of the properties still show signs of trades that took part in past village life.

In August the group visited Bradwell juxta Coggeshall Church and September saw the return to the Orpen Hall with a talk by Roger Green on ‘Green Men’.

The group meets every second Wednesday, except December, in the Orpen Hall starting at 7.30pm. Do come along and give them a try! Members of the group have been instrumental in compiling lots of the local history on this website.

The History Group’s small WW1 exhibition at St. Mary’s Old Chuch has been a success. It will now be on display for the next few months – so get along there and see it!

For more information about the group contact Bernard Colbron on 240297.