past and present arranged in approximate chronological order |
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Ever since the population of the village was no
more than a few dozen people at the time of the Domesday
book, there would have been a public meeting places near the centre of
the village. From what is known from ancient maps, the
layout of the village centre, and the buildings that existed in the past, we
can have a good idea where these places for meetings and celebrations were
located. |
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Outdoor Locations |
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At the time of the Domesday book in 1085, when there were probably no more than a dozen cottages and no public buildings, it is likely that the village square would have been the sole meeting place. A Village Crier would have used a hand bell to summon the residents and then make proclamations on behalf of the Lord of the Manor. This scene has been re-enacted at recent jubilee celebrations in The Square when a modern day village crier has read a proclamation of allegiance to |
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the
Queen. Newspaper reports from the 1800s and the early 1900s tell us that many
other outdoor locations as well as The Square were used as venues for village
celebrations, for example...
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1887 - Jubilee dinner for 250
in Follyfaults barns
1888 - Band of Hope, tea at
Bounds Farm
1888 - Horticultural society
event in Rectory Garden
1890 - Childrens tea in the
meadow at Follyfaults
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1911 - Coronation party in Hall
farm meadow & school
1919 - Returning WW1 troops in
the rectory grounds
1934 - Village fete in the
rectory grounds
1936 - Coronation party in Church Farm meadow
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From
the 1940s onwards, the Playing Field at the end of Fish St. was used for
fetes and other activities, as well as sports events. In recent years many
social events have been held on the front lawn of the Church.
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The Church |
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The original Church of St
Peters was probably the first public building in the village and would
have been a simple stone and thatch structure with no tower. As well as being
used for religious ceremonies early churches were also used as public meeting
places. The nave and chancel were separated by a rood screen and this
remained in the church until the 1930s. For secular meetings and events the
doors in the screen were closed and the sacred items protected. The fixed
pews we see today were introduced in the 1850s. St Peters is still used today
for concerts. |
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Village
Barns |
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The ancient
barns, including the Tithe Barn
next to the Church, provided an ideal indoor meeting place during the middle
ages. The primary purpose of the tithe barn was to provide storage for arable
crops given by landowners and farmers in payment of taxes to the Church.
However most of the produce would have been presented at harvest time and at
other times of the year this barn and others in and around the village would
have been available for other uses including public meetings and village
events. |
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There are newspaper reports from the 1800s and
1900s of village events being held in some of these barns. Parts of the 1911
coronation celebrations were held in the Hall Farm barn with 240 people sitting down to dinner. For
many years, and as recently as the millennium, Cobbs Farm barn was used for
the annual harvest festival supper. |
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Chequers Inn |
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The Chequers Inn
is the oldest buildings in the centre of village, and building was a yeomans
house used as a court room by both the Lord of the Manor and by circuit
judges before it became a public house. The Manorial Court was presided over
by the Lord of the Manor with the assistance of his steward, who would have
approved property transfers in the village. As recently as 1890s the Chequers
was used for inquests. It would undoubtedly have been used for many public
and private meetings and is still used today for the Friendly Brothers meetings. |
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Village School |
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Despite its original tiny
size the Village School was extensively used as a
meeting room during the period when that the Revd
Gardner was the rector and during the Great War
there were many meetings and concerts
held in The School Rooms. |
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Parish Room The Parish
Room was built by the Revd Gardner in 1906 on
land that he owned next to the Parsonage in Head Street. Originally it was
just one room, with second room being added later. The Rector originally
intended as a reading room for residents, and it was known as the Church Room
and then as the Parish Hall. Many meetings and social events were held there
and several village societies and clubs used it
as their base, including Scouts, Cubs, Conservative Association, and many
more. It was demolished in the 1980. |
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British Legion Hall |
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The British
Legion Hall was located half way down in Fish Street between the 1940s
and 1967. Funds raised in the village for residents serving in World War II
were used to purchase it after the troops returned at the end of the war. The
purchase was supported by Jack Cohen
founder of TESCO who lived at Lt London Farm. The land which was donated by
local farmer, Mr Sweetland and was previously an orchard. The new hall was
given to the Royal British Legion to manage. |
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In the ten years immediately after the war, the
Goldhanger branch of the Legion had many enthusiastic supporters. Monthly
Catholic services also took place there and it was used by the sailing club
and the youth club. However, at that time there was also the village hall,
parish rooms. In 1967 it was sold with the land to a Hazeleigh based
builders. The construction of the building meant it could easily taken apart
and moved and it became the Purleigh cricket pavilion, where it remains
today. |
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Village Hall The Village Hall in Head
Street was opened in 1937 and there was a local newspaper report of the opening
ceremony at the time.. The land was donated by a local farmer and a
remarkable number of groups within the village and several national
organisations worked together to fund and construct the building, which is
not too different to what we see today. The founding organisations were... |
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Parish
Council Parochial
Church Council Members
of the Free Churches Women's
Institute Men's
Club District
Nursing Association Drama
Society |
Sports
Club Local
branch of the Brotherhood Mothers'
Union Friendly
Society School
Managers Boy
Scouts Girl
Guides |
Local
branch of the County Library Local
Infant Welfare Committee Womens
Sunshine Band Essex
Rural Communities Council The
Carnegie Trust |
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Today the Village Hall
remains at the centre of village social events and a base for many Societies and Clubs, and has a dedicated website. |
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Community Room |
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A Community Room was built
onto the north side of St Peters Church in 2010. It
provides a small meeting room accommodating about 20 people. It has a
kitchenette, together with disabled access to the Church and toilet
facilities and is available for secular purposes. |
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