Frances Gordon (nee Parsons) shares her memories of living in one of the two cottages, known as Sportsman’s Hall. Sportsman’s Hall was situated on the corner of Cottonmill Lane and Prospect Road. Frances born 1934 was evacuated from the East End… More about ‘Sportsman’s Hall and Priory Park School- Frances Gordon’»
Margaret Brown was a child when she lived in Boleyn Drive on the Mentmore estate (built 1938-9) and knew the area well. She talks about how the shape of Cottonmill Lane changed after the war when Berners Drive and Priory Walk… More about ‘Cottonmill area – Margaret Brown’»
Margaret recalls that after building the Cottonmill Estate, St Julian’s was built. She said that there was no access to the estate other than by foot because of the cattle bridge in what is now Abbots Avenue. Over the cattle… More about ‘St Julian’s Estate – Margaret Brown’»
Once there were four shops in Cottonmill Lane built when the Mentmore estate was constructed in 1938-9, two either side. Margaret shares her memories of them. She also recalls the delivery vans that called round selling all sorts of goods… More about ‘Shops and deliveries – Margaret Brown’»
Margaret Brown continues her memories of Cottonmill Lane. She remembers the stables opposite the Nunnery ruins where horses and hounds were kept which would be where Nunnery Stables is now, She also remembers the man who looked after the horses… More about ‘Sportsmans Hall and the stables in Cottonmill Lane – Margaret Brown’»
Margaret Brown was born in 1928 and lived in Boleyn Drive on the Mentmore estate, Cottonmill Lane since she was 11. She shares her childhood recollections of wandering miles over the fields with her friends and scrumping apples. She remembers… More about ‘Childhood – Margaret Brown’»
In 1948, the council tried to get a bus service installed on the Cottonmill estate but the London Transport Executive said they were unable to do so because of the state of the roads leading to the estate. It was… More about ‘Abbots Avenue Bridge’»
Can anyone remember the coalman in Cottonmill and St Julian’s? I asked this question on Facebook and received many replies. Thanks to my many FB friends for sharing these memories. Yvette Wright: “Oh yes I do! I must have been… More about ‘Memories of the coalman’»
The shops in Vesta Avenue originally consisted of three shops: St Julian’s Stores at one end, Holdham’s Butchers in the middle and St Stephen’s Stores at the other end. In between was waste ground. These three shops were built when the… More about ‘Vesta Avenue shops’»
In December 1948, a man was found murdered just inside the allotments opposite the ruins in Cottonmill Lane. The man was Steven Varley, a 52 year old who worked as a shop steward at de Havilland’s at Hatfield. The full… More about ‘Murder in the allotments’»
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