I live in an ancient place.
I have recently written two articles about the village I live in.
I received some very positive feedback on both articles, with several people asking me for some more history of the village. So I have written a very brief, or potted, history of Little Amwell.
Little Amwell is part of a larger area known as Herford Heath and is situated about 15 miles north of the outskirts of London.
In years gone by heathland in England was very desolate and relatively remote from towns and village. People travelling across them often fell victim to highwaymen and other criminals.
It has been reported that Little Amwell was home to many of these criminals.
I grew up in London’s east end and was no stranger to petty and sometimes not so petty criminals.
No wonder I feel at home here.
There has been evidence of human settlements here before Julius Caesar invaded in 55 BC, and in 1956, when some building work was being carried out, some early iron-age pottery was discovered in a grave.
The village green.
Of course, like any other English village, there is the village green. Up until the Second World War, the green had a pond, and records show it once had a ducking stool.
I believe ducking stools were for punishing nagging wives. You will be pleased to know this habit was discontinued a couple of hundred years ago.
The village pub.
The Goat is our village pub.
It stands just off the village green.
Early maps of the area show a small cluster of houses surrounding the Goat. There is a written record of it being used to billet troops in 1756. This would make it at least close to 300 years old.
However, older inhabitants of the village claim it goes back to 15th century.
(The grey object in the foreground is an old village drinking fountain. It had not been used for years , so the local council decided to block all its historical features with concrete. Municipal vandalism.)
The village church.
Little Amwell’s village church is The Holy Trinity Church.
I have been told that British people think 100 miles is a long way, and Americans think a hundred years is a long time.
Trinity church was built in 1863. So, to us it is a modern building, to Americans it is an ancient one.
One object the village still has is one that has become almost obsolete in the rest of the country.
Little Amwell still has a red telephone box.
It no longer has a telephone in it.
It has a defibrillator.
(All pictures are mine.)
Thanks for reading.
More stories about my village.