WALKING IN ESSEX | STANSTED MOUNTFITCHET TO NEWPORT
Through the lovely countryside around (misnamed) Ugley Green and Quendon and Rickling Green, with their thatched cottages and pubs, this is a great cross-country route between two large villages connected by regular trains. It's particularly glorious in spring or autumn, passing six woods with carpets of flowers or colourful foliage in season.
Chapel of St Helen (also St Helen’s Chapel) is an ancient religious building in Wicken Bonhunt, north-west Essex. It dates from around the 11th century and is believed to be one of the oldest surviving buildings in the east of England. It has also been described as 10th century.
The Grade II listed, thatched chapel is built from flint and pebble and contains two 12th-century windows on the south and west walls. It was extensively restored in the 13th century and again in the 20th.
It is 37.5 feet (11 m) long and less than 15 feet (5 m) across at its widest point, with the nave being considerably narrower.
Surviving records of the chapel’s history list the names of three of its priests, including Miles in 1248. In 1340, there is a record that land was given to the nearby Hospital of St Mary and St Leonard in Newport to pay for a priest to hold a daily service at the chapel. The chapel was dissolved in 1543 and left vacant.
History has not always been kind to the chapel. The RCHM's 1916 survey, An Inventory of the Historical Monuments in Essex, records it as desecrated and in use as a stable, although it does describe its condition as fairly good.
Extensive restoration took place around 1918, presided over by the then owner of Bonhunt Farm, and architectural features were carefully preserved. By the 1930s, it was once again being used as a shed.
A major middle Saxon settlement found near the chapel in 1967 was excavated in the early 1970s, during construction of the M11. It showed signs of prehistoric (described as presumed late Bronze Age in a British Museum report), as well as Norman, activity and included a burial ground around Chapel of St Helen containing over 200 human remains. The Saxon settlement is considered to be associated with the chapel.
The chapel is now maintained, and is part of the Diocese of Chelmsford. An annual service is held at the chapel, led by a team of volunteers from Wicken Bonhunt. Although the chapel is only usually open for the annual service, the exterior can be seen from the roadside and a public footpath passes nearby.
Newport is mentioned in the Domesday Book, but probably originated around 900 AD as a royal township. It flourished until it's market moved to Saffron Walden in 1141, then became a mainly agricultural village, with trades including leather and woolcombing. There were two religious guilds in Newport, and a guildhall stood on the site of the present Church House. After the dissolution of the guilds in 1540 it was used as the first premises of Newport Free Grammar School until it's demolition in 1838.
Charles II came here on his way to Newmarket and his mistress Nell Gwynn may have lived at Crown House. The main road was improved as a turnpike in 1744 and the railway in 1845 brought new businesses, including a gas works and maltings. Housing expansion in the 20th century has helped Newport retain many shops, pubs, businesses and thriving village organisations.
Distance: 8.75 miles.
OS Explorer map 195 needed.
Ration Pack reviewed: US MRE MENU 23 CHICKEN PESTO PASTA.
Music:
Witham, Essex.
Witham, Newland Street.
Bond Street First Birthday Party
At Bond Street Chelmsford we celebrated our first birthday in style with a Big Birthday Bonanza featuring live music, magic, dance performances, face painting, freebies and more.
Cannon Motorcycles BMW, Cannon BMW Witham Essex
Cannon BMW have relocated to Witham in Essex to a new bespoke showroom, with over 150 motorcycles in stock. Bill & Sue are the proprietors, and have held the BMW franchise for 23 years, and are the BMW retailer of the year for 2017. The have also taken on the franchise for Zero Motorcycles, the 100% all electric motorcycle. In addition Cannon have a separate showroom for secondhand other brands of motorcycles. You can ride into their new service centre and relax in Cafe Torque for an Italian coffee and a slice of cake while you wait.
Motorcycles, BMW, Zero, Honda, Triumph, Suzuki, BSA, Royal Enfield, Protective Clothing, Accessories, Cafe Torque, Coffee, Tea, Cake.
CRHnews - Official opening of Marconi's world first wireless factory
CHELMSFORD City Council Mayor Paul Hutchinson who puts youth at the forefront of his tenure, with the theme being 'Young People – Unleash the Potential' stamped his seal of approval on the Marconi Science WorX (MSW) bid to encourage young entrepreneurs.
Mayor Hutchinson, 65, a Conservative Councillor for North Springfield, officially opened the MSW exhibition to honour the men women who worked at the world's first wireless factory.
However, apart from officially opening the exhibition, neither Cllr Hutchinson, or any of his colleagues or opposition councillors have apparently done absolutely nothing, apart from lip service, to promote Hall Street's future role in the Council Chamber.
Although MSW is staging an exhibition, its aim has never been to open a Marconi Museum, but to promote the setting up of STEM (Science Technology Engineering Maths) Clubs in the Birthplace of Radio to encourage young people to become future Marconi's and even rocket scientists!
This unique Marconi Exhibition is taking place at the original Marconi Wireless and Telegraphy works in Hall Street Chelmsford, the world's first wireless factory which Marconi established in 1898.
A full-scale replica of the Titanic's wireless room takes pride of place at Hall Street whose factory workers saved the lives of Titanic/Lusitania survivors and countless thousands.
The world's first Wireless and Telegraphy factory at Marconi's Hall Street works, hailed as the ‘birthplace of radio', is featuring a unique exhibition which highlights the part played by these unsung heroes.
There are photographs of women, redundant silk weavers, whose nimble fingers spun the copper wires and the tough guys who sweated in the noisy machine shop.
Without the SOS equipment they made, 1.500 from the Titanic and Lusitania disasters would have perished, not to mention countless other shipwrecked souls who survived other sinkings.
Although MSW is staging an exhibition, its aim has never been to open a Marconi Museum, but to promote the setting up of STEM (Science Technology Engineering Maths) Clubs in the Birthplace of Radio to encourage young people to become future Marconi's and even rocket scientists!
To celebrate the history and legacy of Marconi and the Marconi Company in Chelmsford, this commemorative event is hosted between Marc h and May 2016 in the Grade II listed building prior to its conversion into residential and commercial units.
This Exhibition has been organised by the Marconi Heritage Group in affiliation with the Chelmsford Civic Society, at the request of the developers MAC Design and Build Ltd to allow the public access to the significant industrial heritage of the building.
Archival material from a variety of sources will be showcased, in many cases for the first time. Contributors include The International Marconi Museum in Bologna, The Museum of the History of Science, Oxford, the Essex Record Office, Chelmsford Museums and several private collections.
Local families with their own small collections of Marconi-related memorabilia have also contributed.
This is a major opportunity to share the Marconi legacy, and showcase the evidence for the claim of Chelmsford City's entry signs: Birthplace of Radio.
Chelmsford Science and Engineering Society is proud to support Marconi Science WorX (MSW) and Chelmsford Civic Society in collaboration with BBC Essex which exists thanks to the great man's pioneering work at Hall Street.
Although they are staging the exhibition, MSW's main aim is not to open another Marconi Museum but promote after-school STEM clubs to encourage young people maybe to become rocket scientists or the next Marconi.
A series of talks have also been organised (pre-booking is required).
Please see their events pages for individual talks and activities (more to come!):
Fri 14/Saty 15 May: Come and make a radio! Years 6-9 (10-14) Three sessions on each day at 10 am 12 noon and 2 pm £5 each, to book a place see below. Build your own wireless in the world's first wireless factory.
Fri 13 May: 7.15pm The exciting story of offshore radio and Radio Caroline the true story of the boat that rocked with Cap'n Ray Clark.
Fri 20 May: 7.15pm A brief history of Ada Lovelace, her work with Charles Babbage and her influence in the creation of world's first computer and how she affected the world we know today and inspired women in all fields of technology.
May 22 Marconi Guided Walk from Hall Street to New Street 3 pm via the City with guide Alan recounting history from 1850 to 1950.
To book tickets please visit chelmsfordcivicsociety.eventbrite.com
If you would like any more information or you would like to volunteer for this project, please visit
facebook.com/marconiscienceworx or email info@chelmsfordcivicsociety.co.uk
Open invitation to Marconi veterans: If you would like the opportunity to share your Marconi memories please make contact with CRHnews via email: papa.razzi@blueyonder.co.uk
Walking in Hylands Park Chelmsford on the 27th May 2014
Hylands park Chelmsford 27th May 2014