Another Brick Pit Hole at Hemel Hempstead?

The sink hole in High Street Green, Hemel Hempstead, 2017

Oatridge Gardens, 2014

Two years ago I gave a posted "Forgotten" St Albans Brick Pit Rediscovered, followed a year later by What lies under Bernards Heath - and posted the slides of my talk "Brick Pits and other old holes" on the main web site. 

The notes for the talk also included brief details of another hole that appeared in Oatridge Gardens, Hemel Hempstead,  in 2014. which was also due to building on the site of a former brick pit which had been infilled - almost certainly with local town rubbish. See Hemel Hempstead sinkhole ‘may have been caused by building homes on former clay pit’ and Sinkhole latest: Landlord defends decision to build Hemel Hempstead homes on former clay pit. The later reference included the following

A life-long Hemel Hempstead householder has fuelled speculation that the sinkhole near his home may have been caused by building on former clay pits and chalk mines. Noel Swinford, 78, said they lined Wood Lane End between its junction with Briery Way, where he now lives, and Maylands Avenue. He said he used to play in them as a child. He said: “There must have been 50 or 60 of them holes along that road and them houses should never have been built there. “There were also big mines underneath there, where they mined the chalk. “I have lived here all my life, for 79 years nearly, and used to play in that area when I was a kid. I remember seeing trucks of chalk being taken out of the mines – that would have been in the late 1940s. “It was not an operational brickworks then – it was just used for taking out chalk.”

Another hole, 14 metres deep, appeared in nearby High Street Green in May this year and current estimated suggest that the road may be closed for about 5 months - Sinkhole in Hemel Hempstead may leave road shut for another two month. The new hole is in the road north of the Saracen's Head on the 1897 OS map, while Oatridge Gardens is in the area of the brickworks shown to the east of the Saracens Head. The depth of the hole suggest that, like some of the other collapses, the problem could be due to a very deep well or a shaft into a chalk mine.

See also The Leverstock Green Brickfields

19th Century Sport in Hertfordshire

Cricket

The British Newspaper Archive has just loaded copies of the Sporting Life from 1859 to 1909. 

So far I have only had time to do a very quick check to see what is there related to Hertfordshire and found the following entry from May 1860. If you find anything of interest let me, and other readers of this blog, know by commenting below.

What lies underneath Bernards Heath, St Albans

The area of the Fontmell Close as it was in about 1900

I gave my talk "Brick Pits and other old holes" to the St Albans & District Local History Network Annual Conference yesterday, discribing the reasons people had duh holes in Bernards Heath  and the talk is now online at "HOLES"

Some of the slides have details supplementary notes and I had planned to add more today - but have picked up a cold which has gone to my chest (I have asthma) so I decided that plenty of fresh air was better for me than spending hours at the computer. I hope to add the missing notes over the next week or so.

IMPORTANT UPDATE

Following a note from Roger I have looked at my records of William Bennett, who made bricks on the site now occupied by Fontmell Close. William also had brickworks at Harpenden and Hemel Hempstead - and there appears to have been a chalk mine on site at Harpenden and a deep well on site at Hemel Hempstead. As he had lime kilns on Bernards Heath je almost certainly had a similar chalk mine and/or deep well. Failure of the capping of a shaft into a significant chalk mine could easily explain the rather large hole in the road. I have added details to the relevant page of the online text of the talk.

On Saturday I will be talking about a hole in the road !

The St Albans & District Local History Network Annual Conference is to be held in the Verulamium Museum next Saturday (22nd October) and and for your information the programme contains the following presentations:

Kate Harwood - Historic Town GardensRosemary Ross & Alison Macfarlane - Marianne Sherman's dance manuscripts: a glimpse into gentry life in Harpenden at the time of Jane AustenChris Reynolds - Brick Pits & Other Old Holes on Bernards HeathKate Morris - St Peter’s Grange or the Grange in St Peter’sSarah Keeling - How to Care For Small ArchivesJon Mein - 'St Albans: Life on the Home Front 1914 to 1918'Hertfordshire’s Hidden Heroines

If you haven't already booked a place I gather you are too late as all places are taken - but in case you are interested I will be posting my talk on the main web site on Sunday. However if you feel the County roads are in a bad condition, and want to know why a hole in the road is of particular interest look below the fold.

"Forgotten" St Albans Brick Pit Rediscovered

Today's BBC News talks of a large hole which has appeared in Fontmell Close overnight. But what do you expect when a Council allows houses to be built on a former brickpit, clearly marked on old maps, which almost certainly contained 100 year old unconsolidated town refuse.

Fifteen years ago I gave a talk on the History of Bernards Heath, St Albans (copy online), with particular reference to the brick works. When I gave the talk I was approached by someone who lived in the newly built Fontmell Close because their house was beginning to show signs of subsidence, because water off the roof was washing a hole under the corner of the house.

The brick pits are shown in the following map.

"5" is the location of Fontmell Close. The booklet records "Possibly William Bennett between about 1833-1865, later almost certainly Miskin’s until about 1893. Disused by 1897 Ordnance Survey"

The quarried area is clearly shown on the 1897 OS map - but it was later filled in. This was probably done by my Grandfather, Harry Finch Reynolds who, in addition to being the Town Vet, was a "Job Master" and who, for a few years before the first world war had the contract for the rubbish collection for all of St Albans - and the rubbish was used to fill the open brick pits on Bernards Heath. The rubbish would have been taken there by horse and cart and almost certainly would not have been significantly compacted. It was probably covered with earth to allow the ground to be used for farming.

It is interesting that in the early 20th century Bernards Heath had a bad smell. The suet factory boiled bones, the effluent from the cows at Heath farm ended up in "the Black Pond" (a disused brick pit), initially there was the smell of burning bricks - only to be replaced but the smell of decaying town garbage.

Who Killed a Cat called Fluffy at St Albans in 1906?

Oh Fluffy was a favourite

He had a winsome smile

And with his naughty little ways

He did our hearts beguile

One day as he was strolling

On the lawn gold with the sun

A horrid man came creeping up

And with him his pet gun

Poor Puss he little guessed the harm

He heard his master’s foot

He did not know he had a gun

Nor dreamed that he would shoot

And buried now is Fluffy dear

We still bewail his lot

And never shall forget the day

When Fluffy dear was shot

The above poem was written by the 13 year old Ursula Bloom, who went on to get in the Guinness Book of Records for writing some 500 books.  CLICK HERE to find out who killed Fluffy - and their poetic explanation.

Pictures of Heath Farm, Bernards Heath, St Albans

In June I visited Jim, who lives in one of the modern houses that were built on the site of Heath Farm, which was the Reynolds Family home for about 60 years from 1871. He had some very interesting photographs which he has allowed me to copy, and I had planned to spend the summer writing up the history of the farm from some extensive notes I prepared in the 1990s. However other matters mean that I am going to have less time to spend on family history over the next few months - so I have put the pictures, with brief comments on line. If anyone can add to the history of the farm and the dairy, particularly after 1926, I would be very interested to hear from you. The new pictures are on the following pages.

Heath Farm in 1911 - This page shows views of the Aldenham Harriers meet at the farm, and Jim had two pictures, almost certainly taken on the same occasion which show one of the barns, and the row of lime trees, far more clearly.

Heath Farm circa 1960 - A series of photographs taken not long before the farm house and remaining buildings were demolished.

Heath Farm Dairy - An interior photograph of the dairy, delivery carts and van, and milk churns, etc.

A 1904 De Dion Bouton in Hertfordshire

Last Saturday I visited Jim Mullary, who lives in a house built on the site of Heath Farm, Bernards Heath, St Albans, to see his collection of photographs (which mainly came from one of my cousins, Beryl Grove, and from Ron Walsh, a former employee of Heath Farm Dairy). A number of pictures will appear on this site in future, but this is the first.

This picture show a 1904 De Dion Bouton 6HP Two Seater, (Identified by the Surrey Vintage Vehicle Society) and the registration number shows it was registered in Hertfordshire in the later part of 1904. The driver looks like Arthur John Reynolds, my great uncle, and son of Jacob Reynolds of Heath Farm. Arthur farmed Cheapside Farm, Sandridge, which adjoined Heath Farm.

The Second Battle of St Albans - 2014 style

In camp before the fighting

This afternoon the 2nd Battle of St Albans was re-enacted on Bernards Heath, which is where most of the fighting took place in 1461.  The re-enactment was by the Medieval Siege Society and the day was organised by Sandridge900 - as Bernards Heath was part of the parish of Sandridge until about 100 years ago. My wife and I really enjoyed the event which is of special interest as the part of Bernards Heath used was surrounded by my great grandfather Jacob Reynolds' farm before St Albans houses sprawled all over it.  An earlier re-enactment, in 1907, was not held on the Heath.

I was interested to see that my booklet,  A Short History of Bernards Heath, had been reprinted by the Friends of Bernards Heath and was selling like hot cakes.

Read on for photographs of the fighting...

Behind the Scenes Activity (Early May 2014)

In addition to the changes announced in the Newsletter there is always a lot going on behind the scenes. The following refer to the first two weeks in May.

Post Cards

New or improved images

unless otherwise stated a high resolution image is provided

• St Leonards, Bengeo: New coloured Picture of church - (separate page set up for church)
• Tallow Works Fire, Bernards Heath:  Greatly improved image added and linked to publisher
• Street View, Buckland: New picture including school children
• River Colne: Coloured picture of Five Arches Railway Bridge replaces monochrome version
• James Dickson, St Albans:  2014 photograph of his memorial vault in St Peter's Churchyard
• Hill End Hospital, St Albans: 1905 picture of Nurses taken by Montiville Evans from St Albans museum collection.
• Grimston Grave, Tewin: Another image (no larger image available) of the collection of different views of this interesting grave.

Places

Minor Place Page updates

• Bayford House, Bayford: additional information on occupiers.
• Bedwell Park, Essendon: additional information on occupiers.
• Rye House, Hoddesdon: Link to history of the Rye House Tavern
• Hill End Hospital, St Albans: New dating information on post card

New Publisher Link Pages:

• John Bishop of Royston (Father & Son) John senior's father was an artist in a travelling theatre)
• Knight Brothers
• Mitchell & Watkins
• Montiville Evans of St Albans - including extensive biography

Help Desk

Minor Queries and other emails

• Advised Carol about the start of civil registration and suggested she would find details of the 1837 birth/baptism on familysearch.org.
• Advised Julie about a possible home for some old school magazines and a family bible
• The census (especially if mis-transcribed) can cause problems and I suggested reasons why Kathy was confused.
• Ev, a distant cousin, contacted me about an exchange of information about common ancestors. Unfortunately I did the research over 30 years ago on a computer which no longer exists. Part of the information is somewhere in boxes of computer listings buried in boxes at the back of the garage. ... ...
• I don't have time to give a full answer to every enquiry and where appropriate I give preference to people who live a long way from Hertfordshire. As Lesley lived only a few miles from an excellent Hertfordshire Library with more relevant resources than I have, I suggested that a visit to the library would be more appropriate.
• Contacted Dianne about the exhibition 'Bushey during the Great War' in August [Full details will be posted later]
• Ian has provided a new link to the online account The Railway comes to Tring

A number of the above involve new or updated links to/from related pages. In addition there are some other "draft updates" already online which will be notified later this month.

Jacob Reynolds & Family, Heath Farm, Sandridge, 1892

Jacob Reynolds & Family at Heath Farm, Bernards Heath in 1892

Sandridge

In connection with Sandridge900 I have just posted this picture and views of Heath Farm - which was in Sandridge at this date, but later became St Albans on my web site. The web page includes a short biography of all the people shown - and their main links with Sandridge/St Albans as adults - together with pictures of Heath Farm. (Jacob Reynolds was my Great Grandfather and Harry Reynolds (back row right) was my Grandfather. 

I would be very interested to hear memories of the Farm when it was still operating as a diary - and would be delighted (and very surprised) if anyone knows the name of the dog.

A useful trip to St Albans

St Albans

Last Saturday I went to St Albans to visit some of the special events for residents which, I now learn are held every year on the final weekend in January, before going to the monthly meeting of the Herts Family History Society.

My first stop was to the North Transept of the Abbey where there was an exhibition of pictures of St Albans about 100 years ago put on by the SAHAAS. It included copies of many pictures by the local artist Holmes Winter, and I plan to do a page on his work later in the year. During the visit I had a talk with a number of members and Jon told me they have now located a map confirming the location of the Chalk Hill and Gorhambury Rifle Ranges.

I then went for a quick cup of hot chocolate in the Abbey Refectory (well worth a stop-over if you are visiting the Abbey).

As you enter the Refectory a doorway takes you upstairs to the Abbey Library where there was an exhibition celebrating the life of Matthew Paris. Matthew was a Benedictine monk who lived in St Albans Abbey - and was a very significant historian, although as he died in 1259 his works have little immediate relevance to most people researching their family history.

I then detoured to a bookshop in St Peters Street (with a small cafe!) where I spent a Christmas book token on a copy of Hertford - A landscape history. It looks like an important document for understanding the development of the county over the centuries - but is more for the local historian than than genealogist. It has been added to my "To review" list

Marlborough Street Methodist Church was next on my list. It was built in 1898 - almost certainly using Jacob Reynolds bricks from Bernards Heath. It has cast iron pillars supporting the gallery and a magnificent organ which was being played while  I was there. I took a number of pictures and have created a page for them and added a short historical text from their exhibition.

I then traveled to Woolmer Green to hear Jon Mein give a talk on the work being done by the First World War Team of the SAHAAS in recording the Military Tribunals during the First World War. Unfortunately the original Tribunal Record have not survived - but those of Middlesex have - showing how much information has been lost. He mentioned Arthur Tyler, who had been a milkman working for my great grandfather at the Heath  Farm Dairy, and who gave his life fighting.

September Progress Report

All in all a satisfactory month, with over 7,500 page views of the Newsletter (the best month yet) while the main web site had nearly 22,000 visitors. While there were only 20 new posts on the Newsletter several of the updates involved a lot of work. The level of background emails was lower than last month, and I have decided not to produce a summary this month.. 

The project to digitise unique documents I hold (and which I will be passing to suitable repositories) continues. Work on the William Brown ledger has resulted in an extensive review of information on the Tring Grove Estate. While going through the family papers I have posted pictures of First World War remounts relates to my grandfather's work as a vet.

In October I plan to produce more "Tales from an Estate Agent's Account Book."  I will also start going though my extensive notes, originally collected for a major book on Bernards Heath, to ferret out material relevant to Sandridge 900, to be held next year. (September's work on Hawkswick is related as the house is over the parish border with Sandridge and was covered by some of my old notes).

On the administration front I have rewritten the Ask Chris page, to simplify the handling of emails from people who expect free help (and probably have no intention of making a donation) and who can't be bothered to find out what service is on offer before posting their query.

One of the problems with this web site its that it has grown like topsy over the years. The original plan was to have one page for every town or village in the county. When I got too much information for one page I started to divide up the pages, with an individual menu, and for some of the large towns this work has been "in progress" for several years. I have decided that for places which still have a single page I will take a modified approach - as can be seen with Widford. The left hand menu remains the default "places" menu, and links are moved to the right hand side of the village page. This is far quicker and simpler for me as it doesn't mean changing any existing inter-page links, while if I create a dedicated left hand menu I sometimes have to change twenty or more links.

Finally a WARNING. When using the British Newspaper Archive, FindMyPast lists the start and end years for a newspaper - but doesn't warn when there are missing years in the sequence. During the month I discovered that the 1852 copies of the Bucks Herald (which is very good for the Tring area of Hertfordshire) are missing. This type of problem is not uncommon  - you do a search and get no results - and the package you are using doesn't warn you that the null result is because the relevant documents are not in the data base!

A Brick made by Miskins of St Albans circa 1895

St Albans Brickmakers

Bernards Heath

This brick, supplied by Roger, came from a house being modernised in Roseberry Terrace, Upper Culver Road, Bernards Heath, which is dated as 1899. The house is not far from the brickworks which were used by Miskins to make and it is known that Miskins built other houses in Upper Culver Road and on nearby Sandridge Road, in 1905 or shortly after. It seems very likely that the "M" stands for Miskin - but can anyone confirm it. The fabric is similar to other bricks made on Bernards Heath, such as those with the "JR" for Jacob Reynolds.

See Christopher Miskin page (further updates planned)

A Wig Making Factory in St Albans in the 1930s

Help & Advice

Bernards Heath

Brenda wanted to know about the Wig Making factory where her mother worked in the late 1930s. I said the firm must have been H & P Nagele, 49 to 53 Heath Road, Bernards Heath, St Albans. They are listed as "Wig Makers" (the only ones in Hertfordshire) at this address in 1933 and 1937, but not 1929. I have no information for the war period but after the war (in 1949) the occupier of 49 Heath Road was Heath Road Garage, run by Kenneth Staines and H. R. Woollett. I have posted some information on a Hermann Nagele who was probably involved. Can anyone provide more information on the St Albans Factory?

Heath Farm Sandridge, the Aldenham Harriers, and hunting in general.

Huntsman of the Aldenham Harriers,  Harry Finch Reynolds, at Heath Farm

Sandridge

Hunting

In looking though some old family pictures  I found two cards, each with 6 photographs, showing the meet of the Aldenham Harriers at the Heath Farm, Bernards Heath, in March 1911. The hunt was reported in the Herts Advertiser, and the account reprinted in the book Hare and Hounds - which tell the history of the Aldenham Harriers. However the book has few pictures of this hunt as early as this - and it shows someone who is almost certainly the Master of the Hounds at the time, Mr Birkbeck Ravenscroft, and the Huntsman, my grandfather Harry Finch Reynolds. Several other people are identified, or possibly identifiable. I have therefore added some of the pictures to the Hare and Hounds page.

The Aldenham Harriers assemble at Heath Farm

Bernards Heath

The meet was at Heath Farm, Bernards Heath, which was farmed by my Great Grandfather, Jacob Reynolds, with the hunt assembling on the Home Meadow. There are a number of surviving pictures of Heath Farm house, but few of the extensive buildings.  Several of the pictures record the buildings, and the row of lime trees said to have been planted by Jacob Reynolds, in the background to the hunt activities. I have therefore created a page Heath Farm in 1911 to record the appearance of the farm from the Sandridge Road side.

The Entrance to the Farm Yard at Heath Farm

At the same time as inputting these photographs I took the opportunity to set up a page to cover hunting activities on this web site. An introductory text will follow but the relevant pages already online are:

The History of Hunting in Hertfordshire (Articles in the Hertfordshire Countryside)

Hertfordshire Hunting Notes (Newspaper account of hunt with Hertfordshire Hounds in 1885)

The Bever Pack of Harriers in 1890 (Newspaper account, master Jacob Reynolds of Heath Farm)

The Old Berkley Hunt at Shendish in 1890 (short newspaper cutting)

Aldenham Harriers (The book Hare & Hounds plus many pictures of 1911 meet)

The Puckeridge Foxhounds (Article in Hertfordshire Countryside)

Lays of the  Hertfordshire Hunt (Book of poetry by George Robins, 1912)

The Hertfordshire Hunt (Booklet by William Scarth-Dixon, 1933)

The Staghounds at Cuckman's in 1889 (Newspaper article)

Hunting Hares (Roman pottery)

St Albans Athletic Sports, 1893 - rescuing an old picture

The Original - click for partial restoration

St Albans

Some years ago I posted the extensive list of names mention in the newspaper account of the Whit Monday Sports at St Albans, 1893. My interest was that the sports were the last to be held on the Home Meadow of Heath Farm, Bernards Heath, where my great grandfather, Jacob Reynolds, was the farmer.

As a result I was kindly provided with a very faded picture which not only showed the committee  but listed their names (G. C. Barnes, A. F. Blanks, Jonah Constable, A. H. Debenham, E. P. Debenham, F. W. Freshwater, R. Freshwater, Tom Griffiths, T. Marks, F. Matthews, C. W. Miskin, L. J. Myers, F. E. Reynolds, J. Reynolds, Jacob Reynolds, J. W. Sharpe, Horace Slade).  I have been able to improve it to the point where about half the faces are recognisable - but a complete reconstruction where everyone is recognisable is probably impractical. 

World War One pictures of Troops on Bernards Heath, St Albans

Just a brief note to say I have added four pictures, originally published in the Watford Illustrated in September 1914, of troops of what must have been the 2nd London Division (Territorial Force) in the Sandridge Road area of Bernards Heath.

Have you got a real brick wall that is falling down?

Some of you will know, from exploring my web site, that I have done a lot of research into St Albans brickmakers - and I am always interested to hear about buildings which are built with bricks from Jacob Reynolds' brick works on Bernards Heath which can be identified by the letters "J R" on the frog.

Other bricks had different markings. 100 years ago this year J Fenwick Owen took over the brickworks at Digswell Hill, Ayot Green.  These bricks were marked with the word "AYOT" and I have just had a request to find one that is clearly marked. So do you have a brick wall made of AYOT bricks which is falling down as I know someone who wants one. Alternatively do you know of a dealer in second hand bricks (often used when building work is done in heritage areas where the new brickwork need to look old)?

Jacob Reynolds Bricks, from Bernards Heath, St Albans

Jacob Reynolds brick
from Glenferrie Road, St Albans

Jacob Reynolds brick
from Avenue Road, St Albans

Roger Miles has recently acquired two more, whole 'J R' bricks. These are from alterations to a house on the corner of Avenue Road and Hillside Road. These two bricks are slightly larger (9"x 4-1/2"x 2-3/4") than one collected in Glenferrie Road, Fleetville (9"x 4-1/4"x 2-1/2") and the lettering in them differs between themselves and the first. 

Jacob Reynolds brick
from Avenue Road, St Albans

Roger is suggesting to the Friends of Bernards Heath that there should be some form of commemoration of Jacob Reynolds' operations on the Heath. His proposal is for a panel of paving bricks, immediately in front of either one of the bench seats or one of the information boards. The J R lettering would be in a contrasting shade of red. .He is planning to visit the Bovingdon Brick Company for their advice. He doubts whether bricks of Heath clay would be hard enough for paviors so I expect 'foreignors' will have to be used, but with luck they will still be 'Arforsheer bricks.

Tell me if you have any information on any other bricks or brickmakers of St Albans