saffron
walden
historical society

Featured image for “Radwinter’s Wartime Harvest Camp”
June 10, 2025 • posted in Articles

Radwinter’s Wartime Harvest Camp

The country was hard-pressed to feed itself during the war, looking to the farmers to plough every last acre. Come harvest time, there was a shortage of labour.
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Featured image for “Clav25 OPEN DAY”
June 8, 2025 • posted in News

Clav25 OPEN DAY

Clavering Landscape History Group – CLAV 25 Project: ‘Clavering Castle – Evaluation by Excavation 2025’ If you are interested in taking part in this archaeological dig, which will run through the month of June, please contact mrsjacquelinecooper@gmail.com for more information. Castle Open Day Saturday 21st June 10am -4pm Clavering Castle and Churchyard Marking the end of the CLAV25 dig; guided
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Featured image for “A Moment in Time: Manuden in wartime”
June 7, 2025 • posted in Articles

A Moment in Time: Manuden in wartime

The last few household possessions had been securely lifted into Mr Horley’s van and my mother had gone back to the cottage to lock the front door. She tried the handle again to make sure it was locked then put the key in an envelope, together with a note for Charlie. She walked briskly to his door and pushed it underneath. Walking back past our cottage she took one last look through the front window, hesitated a little, then turned and walked quite quickly down the path to the removal van.
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Featured image for “Restoration plans revealed for ‘iconic’ windmill”
June 3, 2025 • posted in News

Restoration plans revealed for ‘iconic’ windmill

Today the “iconic” Fulbourn windmill is set to be restored to full working order after a charity stepped in to fund its repairs.
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Featured image for “Skulduggery in the History of Strethall-A Millennium of Malfeasance in the Smallest Parish”
June 2, 2025 • posted in Articles

Skulduggery in the History of Strethall-A Millennium of Malfeasance in the Smallest Parish

© David MelfordReprinted from: Saffron Walden Historical Journal No 2 Autumn 2001 Small parishes do not necessarily have brief histories. Strethall (600 acres, 11 houses – current population 22) is arguably the smallest parish in Essex but its origin can be traced back well before Domesday when the 10 hides of land sold by King Aethelred to Aelsinus, Abbot of
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Featured image for “The Grove Tennis Club celebrates 100 years at John Dane Player Court”
May 29, 2025 • posted in News

The Grove Tennis Club celebrates 100 years at John Dane Player Court

The Grove tennis club prides itself on being a friendly club and welcomes new members of all standards.
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Featured image for “The Story of Widow Mowl: Parish politics in 18th century rural England”
May 28, 2025 • posted in Articles

The Story of Widow Mowl: Parish politics in 18th century rural England

Elizabeth Pomfrett was born in Saffron Walden in 1742. On the 2 May 1774 she married John Mowl, a higler of Thriplow in Thriplow Church.
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Featured image for “Closure of Langley Methodist Church”
May 23, 2025 • posted in Articles

Closure of Langley Methodist Church

The final service at Langley Methodist Church on Sunday 18 July 2004 marked the end of over 142 years since the chapel was opened in 1862
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Featured image for “Historians of Essex”
May 17, 2025 • posted in Articles

Historians of Essex

The now considerable corpus of Essex historical literature and historiography is an important component of county tradition and its heritage. This brief survey of the Essex historians and their books is necessarily constrained by considerations of space and content.
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