April Update

This deed is unusual as it shows a plan of the property

This deed is unusual as it shows a plan of the property

So far we have looked at 15 properties in the village. Georgie Brakenbury is drawing how she thinks the houses developed and some architectural details.

James Brakenbury has prepared a map of the location houses.

I am making a table of previous owners and tenants where possible….this means spending hours in the archives in Hertford searching through manor court rolls. None of the houses ever had addresses which makes life difficult.

We are also scanning old photos of the properties and the people who lived in them.

Fran Manning is scanning in photos of the furniture that we know was in some houses in the 1600s.

We are also hoping to include archaeological information found on the sites.

At the moment we are just collecting data and talking to our web designer.

Before we put any info on the web we will show you our report for you to ok it.

Part of the project will be the knit the village exhibition at the chapel on Fri/Sat/Sun 28/29/30 June when the knitted houses and some of our findings will displayed.

We hope to have a launch of the website and celebration in early November to which you are all invited. This first part of the project has to finish in November to satisfy the terms of the grant but we hope to carry on next year. The grant is purely for paying a professional to set up the website and teaching us how to use it. Then its up to us!

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Photos of Pirton people

Orchard Cottage 1880

Photographs of people who lived in Pirton

We are collecting photographs of people who lived in some of Pirton’s old houses. Can you help?
We would like to borrow a photo for a couple of days so we can scan them in . Any date up to 1950.
These are the houses we are interested in;
The Fox, Live and let live, Burge End Farm, Three Gables 12-14 Bury End, 7-13 Bury End, 4-6 Bury End, Walnut Tree Farm, Elm tree Farm, 7 Walnut Tree Rd, 4 Walnut Tree Rd, 21 Royal Oak lane, Ivy Cottage, 2 Crabtree Lane,Red Lion,29 High St, 7 High St, 17 High St, Lavender Cottage ,28 Shillington Rd, 3-5 Shillington Rd, The Cottage, 16 Great Green, 12,14,16 Great Green, The row of cottages next to the Cat &Fiddle.
Please contact Helen Hofton.

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Measuring Three Gables

Three Gables on Great Green is reputed to be the oldest house in the village. We have found evidence of medieval timberwork like this roof in the crosswing.

3 gables

We think that part of Three Gables has been demolished and that it looked similar to this one, except that it was thatched and also had a crosswing on the right hand side of the picture.

avoncroft

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Learning how to date a building.

Keith Fitzpatrick Matthews Archaeology Field Officer from NHDC has lent us 2 books on english carpentry by the expert Cecil Hewett. The different joints used in the old buildings can help with identification of when it was built. What a steep learning curve….bridled scarf joints—clasped purlins… what next.

keith

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Oral history Cambridge

Oral history day at cambridge.
We are recording people who used to live in the timber framed buildings

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