Captured by the Camera

In the past I added posts under the heading "Rural Relaxation" with pictures of the countryside near my home in Tring. I also did the same on my other blog - "Trapped by the Box." Now that I am a member of the Tring Camera Club, and taking photographs for the Tring 700 Archive, I have changed the arrangement. To avoid duplication pictures will only be posted on the "Trapped" blog - which will also include information on the background to the picture and details of any pictures I have posted on the Tring 700 Archive or on Geograph. This will be updated once a week and a small version of the latest picture will be displayed on this blog in the right hand column.

The first "Captured by the Camera" shows the tower of St Peter & St Paul's Church, Tring, reflected in the bonnet and windscreen of a car parked nearby.  Links are also given to 10 pictures relating to Easter 2015 which have been added to the Tring 700 Archive. Next week's picture will be a wild life picture which I am submitting to the Camera Club's competition on Thursday. 

Flamstead War Memorial (what is happening about your local memorial?)

Flamstead

A couple of years ago I decided I would try and photograph as many Hertfordshire war memorial as possible in time for the coming anniversary of the outbreak of the First World War. It soon became clear that (1) this was being overambitious and (2) most towns and villages seem to have had the same idea and are documenting their own. However a year ago I visited the parish of Flamstead and took a number of pictures of the Parish Church and the war memorial which I posted on Geograph.

Flamstead War Memorial

Geograph allows high-resolution pictures - which means you can zoom in on the inscription, and Colleen emailed This is a great pic of the war memorial.  My friend's great uncle, George William Flitton is commemorated on here.  I'm tracing her family tree and only recently discovered George William.  I can't wait to tell her about another relative.  Keep up the good work with the super photos.

This not only reminded me I have a backlog of photographs of Hertfordshire to post on Geograph, but caused me to check to see what was happening online. 

The Flamstead Parish Council have a page on the war memorial with a full list of names, and they adding further information (last update in August)

They are also working with the Ver Valley Remembrance Group, which includes Redbourn (war memorial page), Markyate, Childwickbury Estate and (just over the ciunty boundary) Luton Hoo estate.

If you know of a Remembrance Group working in any other Hertfordshire towns or villages let me know by posting details as a comment below.

Rural Relaxations: Have you seen a Rolling English Drunkard ????

Wych Elm Lane, Woolmer Green

Click on picture to find larger images on Geograph

I was visiting Woolmer Green recently and on passing under the railway line I could see Wych Elm Lane climbing the hill.  I was immediately reminded of G. K. Chesterton's poem:

Before the Roman came to Rye or out to Severn strode,

The rolling English drunkard made the rolling English road.

A reeling road, a rolling road, that rambles round the shire,

And after him the parson ran, the sexton and the squire;

A merry road, a mazy road, and such as we did tread

The night we went to Birmingham by way of Beachy Head.

On Mardley Heath

At the same time I visited the nearby Mardley Heath Nature Reserve - and took a lot of pictures of what is a combination of ancient woodland (with plenty of bluebells) and a sand/gravel pit which has been recovered by nature. [Pictures]

The Gardens at Ashridge House

 As part of my plans to have a short break over the Jubilee period I went with the Tring U3A Gardening Group to see the historic gardens at Ashridge House which are currently being restored. 

Some Views of the Gardens at Ashridge House  taken by Chris Reynolds on Geograph
ArmorialGarden	Rhododendrons	Italianate Garden
Terrace Garden	Wellingtonia Avenue	The Lawns

I have now posted over 30 pictures of these historically important gardens on Geograph, some taken this year and some taken on a visit at the end of May three years ago. I have also added three pictures of the excavations which are uncovering the remains of the medieval church that stood on the site.

The Aylesbury Arm of the Grand Union Canal

The Grand Junction Canal, and its branches to Wendover and Aylesbury, played a significant role in the development of the towns and villages through which it ran. In addition much of the relevant industrial archaeology is still visible. However early post cards and other pictures are hard to come by it is impossible to illustrate many of the historically interesting features with 100+ year old pictures.

On the other hand in recent years I have spent much time relaxing by walking the canal  (initially with Franci). recording the surviving features photographically. Selected pictures have already been posted on Geograph to form a connected record with many more waiting to be posted. Some of these pictures will be available as high resolution images, and will link to other views of the same feature, often with added historical notes.

Bridge 3 at Wilstone

I have decided the best way forward is to continue to post modern photographs on Geograph but include feature lists for various lengths of the canal on this web site - starting with the locks and bridges. Once I have covered the basic framework I can then link old pictures to the relevant key features, and include special pages on specific aspects of the history of the canal system and the associated reservoirs.

You may start the exploration of the canal system on Geograph here.

Lock 15 at Aylesbury

The following feature lists have so far been added to this site in outline form

The Aylesbury Arm

A Detour into Buckinghamshire

One of the frustrations of this web site has been that I live in Tring - which is the western part of Hertfordshire which is surrounded on three sides by Buckinghamshire. I enjoy walking the countryside, taking photographs of features of historical interest and well as the wild life and farming activities. With the Vale of Aylesbury to my north, and the Chiltern Hills to the east and west there is much to keep me occupied - but most of it is in Buckinghamshire.

William Brown's Account Book

The point is that the county boundaries of Hertfordshire are in most places highly arbitrary - and mainly derive from the boundaries of Anglo-Saxon estates over 1000 years ago. While administrative history may limit itself to such boundaries they are for most purposes arbitrary lines which in some place are not even marked by as much as a hedgerow. Treating the county boundary as a rigid "no-cross" line causes significant difficulties if you are discussing local history.

One example relates to Tring as a market Town - when many of the people who used the market to buy and sell would have crossed the county boundary to do so. William Brown was an auctioneer in Tring in the 19th century and, when I have time, I am presenting details of his Customer Account Book which again deals with customers on either side of the boundary.

The Lock at Startops End

Another example relates to the Canal, its branches, and its reservoirs, where any account of its history automatically involves both Herts and Bucks - particularly the Bucks village of Marsworth.

To make it easier to cover issues which cross the county boundary it has been decided to introduce pages for Buckinghamshire parishes which are associated with the canal, plus some adjacent parishes in the Vale of Aylesbury. Each page will consisted of one or two old post cards images and links to my modern photographs, which will be held as high resolution images on Geograph. There will also be links to cross-boarder topics on the Hertfordshire web site and external links to other relevant web sites. There will be no attempt to duplicate the excellent information on Buckinghamshire GENUKI.

To get this rolling the Buckinghamshire page has been updated, together with demonstration pages for Marsworth (which includes a significant section of the Grand Union Canal) and Aston Clinton (which includes short sections of the Aylesbury and Wendover Arms of the Canal, and the site of a former Rothschilds House.) This will be considered a low priority project with perhaps one or two place pages added each month.