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Views of or around the town captured by a Kodak bellows camera of around
1928 - plus other contributing cameras, earlier and later. |
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If you have 'old' Sawbridgeworth
pictures that you would like to contribute please contact the Webmaster.
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on this page will enlarge
when clicked with your mouse |
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This
Wharf-side crane once stood on the green area almost opposite the
Orchard Maltings in Station Road. As can be seen, it was used to offload barges on the
River Stort but it is not known who for - perhaps the Maltings? A very early
picture of the crane in use and complete with, what looks like a canvas
'roof'. The 'main' maltings are in the background and Bridgefoot Farm to the
right. |
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Left -
The Wharf-side crane seen from across the river Stort, taken from the
slope on the towpath from the road bridge. This shows the Orchard
Maltings on the West side of Station Road. This malting was severely
damaged by fire in the early hours of December 10th 1921 but there
appear to be no 'photos of this. Most of the vehicles parked
are owned by enthusiastic fishermen, two of whom are on the bank. |
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Amazingly, the
crane stood for years in this almost fully workable condition, all of these
photographs being taken in around 1956. The pictures were taken on a
Sunday. |
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| Left: Another view taken from the tow path on the East of the river, opposite
the Wharf. The Bridge takes the old A414 over the river. In the distance the
R5 malting has been substantially modified. It had been developed into a
second Malt Extract Factory for the British Diamalt Company, part of the
H. A. & D. Taylor group. |
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Left: Yet another view of the
maltings leading down towards R5. This time showing three Faggot
Stacks on the 'island' used expressly for that purpose. Faggots#
were cut in the Essex woods and were burnt in the malting kilns
to roast the barley grain. The type of Faggot used influenced
the flavour of the final malt product.
# Bundles of thin saplings about 12"(30cm) Diameter x 48"(120cm)
long.
(Picture kindly supplied by Joseph Fizgerald) |
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| Memorial Hall to the Fallen of
two World Wars. Started life at Sawbridgeworth aerodrome and was
rebuilt at The Forebury. This was the official opening day. |
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The Council
Offices (now the Public Library) and the Memorial Hall
(beyond),
within a few years of the latter being built. The Memorial Hall site was school
dugouts during the 1939-45 war. |
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two barns, believed demolished early 60's, once stood on the Station Road Wharf almost opposite the South
end (Nearest) of Orchard Maltings, about where the far end two or three
cars are parked in the picture above. The Shadow cast on the road is
presumably from the Maltings. By this time the Maltings no longer
belonged to H. A. & D. Taylor but had been purchased and substantially
changed internally by Chisholm Fox and Garner Ltd., a company manufacturing sacks. |
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The George IV
Public House at the North end of Knight Street. The street lamp
dates the picture - this was still the pre-war design of which there
were about three only in the whole street. |
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Left - The Railway Inn,
Station Road sold Shell and BP Petrol - the days before the two
companies separated. Station Road in those days was the A414 main road,
St. Albans to Chelmsford! |
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Another Public
House in Station Road, The Fox. Used heavily in the days of the barges
on the river, by bargemen who stayed overnight and stabled their horses in the
buildings on the right. |
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London
Road facing South - the road sign indicates the Bell Street junction,
then a two-way road. Once again the Streetlamp in the foreground
indicates that this was early 50's. There is a passage way immediately
to the right of the Lamp Post leading through to the Cinema in Sayesbury
Avenue/Road. The Man with the bicycle is Harry Read, a Fireman, and the other
the Webmaster's Paternal Grandfather. The building in front of which
they are standing was a sort of antiques emporium and just further down
the road is the Public House called "The Prussure [sic]" to which one
entered by descending about 3 steps from pavement level. |
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Walnut Tree Corner facing South - junction of Cambridge Road and
London Road, Station Road and West Road. This picture taken long before
the alterations to cater for the increase in traffic the road now
carries, probably early 50's. Close scrutiny of the left hand side shows
the corner sweet shop operated by a Mr. Beavan. On the opposite corner
stood Quinney's [sic] Antiques and next door a chemist shop, both owned
and operated by Mr. M. W. Bush. |
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Walnut Tree Corner
- looking down Station Road. The facing buildings were Nelson J.
Lawrence Builders Yard. The sweet shop mentioned above is on the right.
'Jutting out' into Station Road is the Taylor's shop of Arthur Hill - it
became a butcher's when Arthur moved to the little shop on Knight Street
'behind' the George IV Public House. |
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Another view of
the corner, this time the Bus Shelter and West Side Stores. |
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Quinney's [sic]
Antiques in London Road. To the left was a chemist and next to that, E.
Emery & Son, Electrical Contractor's Shop. |
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Epping to Bishop's Stortford. The 396 Bus Route was a frequent
service in the 50's, about every twenty minutes - half hour. This was indispersed with
the Green Line Coach Service that ran between Aldgate (London) and
Bishop's Stortford, every hour. Many times there was no room to get on,
the alternative being the Green Line - not so many stops but more
costly! |
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The A414 road looking West, (left), as already mentioned above, ran
right through the town. From the West it joined the A11 as a very narrow
and winding road, particularly past the entrance to Rivers Nursery just
by the tall Redwood tree in the photograph. The picture shows work
started on widening. |
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The photograph (left) was taken facing East, with cars on
the A11 going towards the town. The new wider road and improved
junction now complete |
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This picture was taken towards the end of August 1945 and was
a children's party held in Springhall Road, for the children of that
road and
Vantorts Road, to celebrate the 'final' end to the 1939-1945 war -
Victory over Japan - V.J. Day. The Webmaster is in this picture aged 10 and many
other faces could be named. |
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The picture left and that below it, and below below
right,
are taken from a publication "The Story of Sawbridgeworth" which appears
to have been published around 1964. The Market House is on the left and
the cottages on the right were adapted to shops in the late 1950's. |
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Left, Bell Street again but now in around 1950. The Cottages mentioned
against the picture left are still there and of course the road was
still two way traffic. The picture was probably taken on a Sunday
because of the lack of shoppers and traffic. The shops to the left were
a hair dresser's (Miss Joyce M. H. Neal) and The Star Supply Stores. The Bell Public
House is beyond the cottages. |
| Above - Bell Street 1834 |
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The
picture left of Bell Street was probably either the end of the 1940's or
early 1950s! The malting on the left was now used only as a store but
the sack hoist would have still been operative at this time. |
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Another shot of Bell Street probably around 1965 where the Cottages
mentioned elsewhere have now been converted into shops. Run by Chris
Elliott, Chris Elliot's was a Television and Radio shop the proprietor
having previously been the TV engineer at White's Garage in London Road. |
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Left
- The Square in about 1900.
In
this picture the Market house is on the left opposite the horse drawn
cart and immediately on the right what became Forrest Stores and in the
early 1960's Fine Fare supermarket. The shop on the right of The Square
became Charles Riches Ironmongers. On the left of The Square is the Bell
& Feathers Hotel. After the 2nd world war it became a furniture shop
operated by Charles Riches.
Left - The Bell and Feathers -
Picture courtesy of Richard Dyer (*). |
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Left - Corner of Bell Street and London Road 1887 or 1897
celebrating Queen Victoria's Golden or Silver Jubilee. Surprisingly showing a telegraph pole on the right which
would seem unusual for that period! The Store on the left predates what
later became Gages Department Store in the 1930's and much modernised in
the late 1950's or early 1960's. The Public House on the corner was later replaced by a
new building - used largely by Harris's Bakery (See
the 1905 photo).
Picture courtesy of Richard Dyer. |
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Right - The London Road Bell Street junction before the
changes to Gages, probably late 50's. This was the main A11 - London to
Cambridge road. What a difference in traffic to later years!
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Above right - Apparently King Edward VII travelling
through in 1903 - probably on the way to Newmarket Races? Picture courtesy of Richard Dyer. |
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Left - Bonks Hill in winter c.1905 (The main road through
Sawbridgeworth!) Picture courtesy of Richard Dyer. |
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Above: Knight Street c.1905 Picture courtesy of Richard Dyer. |
(*) Richard Dyer's father ran a butcher's
shop (the photographer's side of the tree) in Knight Street prior to WW2. |
Above Left -
Knight Street ,Barclays Bank on the right with the Bell & Feathers in
the distance.
Picture courtesy of Richard Dyer. |
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Station Road c.1910 - in the distance the George IV
public house.
Picture courtesy of Richard Dyer. |
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The Square again, probably in the late 1950's early
1960's. A better view of the Market House - the Feathers Hotel now in
use as a quite large furniture shop operated by Charles Riches Ltd who
had the Iron Mongers shop opposite and a china shop in Knight Street. |
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Here, around early - mid 1960's is the junction of
London Road and Bell Street again facing North towards Bishop's
Stortford with the new Gages Store on the left and Thorogoods
tobacconists and sweet shop far left. Harris bakers shop is on the
corner of Bell Street and the sign of the Lion Hotel can just be seen.
The sub Post Office run by Mr & Mrs. Richard (R.A. Dicky) Burton is behind the man standing on the
pavement. |
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More views of the
River Stort in the late 1950's |
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Also see:
Miscellanea |
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River at Sheering Mill looking North East towards the lock. Walter Lawrence
in the background. |
The Sluice opposite the maltings (R5) one of the popular
swimming places for locals. |
The waterfall at the Moors - another popular bathing/ swimming
venue. |
The Moors as left but looking back towards Sawbridgeworth |
The Mill (Sheering Mill - Date unknown)
Picture courtesy of Richard Dyer. |
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