The consultation period for the proposed quarry in Stanstead Abbotts has been extended by one month to 31st October. The Parish Council is organising a public meeting to enable villagers to hear more about what is being proposed, what the Council’s concerns are and to give some guidance about providing an effective response.
We are hoping to get our local MP along to the meeting. Once we have her availability, we will publicise the date. In any case, it will be 2 or 3 weeks’ time.
Cllr Julia Witting Stanstead Abbotts Parish Council
I was delighted to have a chat with workers from Suffolk Brick & Stone Cleaning Company Limited who were doing such a fantastic job of cleaning the war memorial at Great Amwell.
Image courtesy of Rev’d Sarah Forrest
Great Amwell Parish Council arranged for the war memorial to be cleaned and it is looking brilliant. Thank you to the council and the workers for doing such a great job.
As many of you will be aware, Hertfordshire County Council is reviewing its Minerals and Waste Local Plan documents.
The Minerals and Waste Local Plan 2040, which is currently at consultation stage, proposes a ‘mineral allocation site’ (quarry) in the Stanstead Abbotts area. As the impact of this new plan will be significant, we encourage all residents to take a careful look at the plan and make sure you have your say before the end of the consultation period.
THE CONSULTATION STAGE END DATE HAS BEEN DELAYED TO 31st OCTOBER 2022. IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY DONE SO, PLEASE DO ENSURE THAT YOUR OPINION IS HEARD.
It is with great sadness that we received the news that Her Majesty the Queen died at Balmoral Castle on the afternoon of 8th September 2022. Our deepest sympathies go out to her family.
Her Majesty the Queen devoted her life to this nation and was a symbol of unity and strength for us all. For many of us Her Majesty the Queen was the only monarch we have known and her experience and wisdom will be sorely missed in the years ahead.
Many of you will want to share your own messages and a book of condolence will be available in the Ashlea Room at Stanstead Abbotts Parish Hall from Friday afternoon (opening times will be confirmed shortly).
The Lord Lieutenant of Hertfordshire has an online book of condolence available online here and East Herts District Council will have a book of condolence available from Friday afternoon at the council offices in Hertford and Bishops Stortford .
I hope that we can all find comfort in the memory of this great woman who united a nation as our Queen for more than 70 years.
A book of condolence is available for the residents of Stanstead Abbotts and Stanstead St Margaret’s in the Ashlea Room in Stanstead Abbotts Parish Hall. You can visit at the following times:
Over the next few days, our churches will be open for quiet prayer and reflection as we mourn the death of our late Queen Elizabeth II.
St John the Baptist, Great Amwell: Saturday 10th, 10am to 4pm Sunday 11th, 10am to 4pm
St Mary the Virgin, St Margarets: Saturday 10th, 10–11.30am and 2–4pm Sunday 11th, 10–11.30am.
St Andrew’s, Stanstead Abbotts: Saturday 10th, 10am to 4pm Sunday 11th, 10am to 4pm
**UPDATE**
St Andrew’s Church will be OPEN as a place of quiet reflection from 10am to 4pm on Friday 16th, Saturday 17th and Sunday 18th September. A book of condolences is available to sign.
Services remembering our late Queen Elizabeth II are happening on Sunday 18th: 9am at St John the Baptist, Great Amwell 10.30am at St Andrew’s, Stanstead Abbotts 10.30am at St Mary’s Church, St Margarets 6pm at St James’s Church, Stanstead Abbotts
The five-day Webster’s site Community Archaeological Dig at Netherfield Lane in June this year has prompted more research by the Heritage Group. They went to view a 2020 AD recreation of a building/shelter from evidence similar to that found close to the site in Roydon Road. It’s of the Mesolithic Age (12,000–6,000 years ago) at Butser Ancient Farm, Hants.
Photo credit: Alison Etherington
This photo is probably as close as we can get to recreating the Mesolithic Site at Roydon Road. Flint tools were discovered by groundworkers in 1971 when excavating before building a garden swimming pool. Local Archaeologists were called in to discover approximately 1500 flint tools dating to approx 6–10,000 years ago, made by our early ancestors. Their findings also revealed evidence that a shelter built so long ago was against the roots of a large fallen tree. The report is on SALHS website entitled ‘10,000 year old Mesolithic site found at Stanstead Abbotts’, media page 3. Full report can be viewed on the Historic Environment Records at Hertfordshire Archives and Local history.
A full report of the finds from Webster’s Site excavations discovered by more than 50 local villagers (finds including 12,000-year-old flints, Roman pottery from a villa, medieval coins & pottery, Tudor pipe stems and other items of interest to our village history) will be completed soon and be available to all.
These and other finds are adding to recent research in building up a picture of our village beginnings – certainly from 2–3,000 BC and even (surprising news!) of the village in the personal ownership, in 690 AD, of one King Sweafred… of ESSEX! If you are interested in further research in our past, whether from early to medieval history, the group would like to hear from you. Contact historicff@gmail.com .
Dick Dixon, Local History Society Archives & Heritage Group member
The September issue of The Three Villages Magazine has published and is available to purchase for £1 across the three villages. Be sure to pick up your copy!
You can find it at a number of locations including: St John the Baptist, Great Amwell St Mary the Virgin, St Margarets St Andrew’s, Stanstead Abbots The Village Pharmacy The Red Lion The Maltings Coffee House Stanstead Abbotts & St Margarets Village Club
We hope that you enjoy this latest issue. If you are struggling to get a hold of a copy, please do be in touch and we will see how we can help.
Thank you for your continued support, The Three Villages Team
Issue 3 is currently at the printers, which means that in a few weeks it will be available to purchase for £1 at various locations across the three villages.
This issue includes our regular features along with the next instalment of Our Historic Churches series, a report from the recent archaeological dig at Netherfield Lane, articles from the Essex & Herts Air Ambulance Trust, The Wombles of Ware Abouts and some really interesting interviews.
If you have any questions about how to get hold of a copy, do please be in touch using the CONTACT US page, or directly by emailing threevillagesmagazine@gmail.com .
The Three Villages 