LANGHAM 

Langham Essex Village Sign

2010 ARCHIVE

Winter & Spring

A New Years Day light covering of snow at the recreation ground
A footpath shot in the southern corner of the recreation ground, the prelude to a thorough footpath survey this morning
The Airfield Memorial in hard light
Gridleys is undergoing a thorough overhaul, with the removal of its entire roof of straw
Route map for the following three photos
Boxted Church
Decending towards Black Brook and the climb through the woods towards Rivers Hall
Along Church Street to Cheshunts
The scene is set for the Valentines Dance 2010!
A good time was had by all, and the night raised just over £600
A walk in the Stour Valley along the 'Essex Way'
New hedge planting making good progress
Snowdrops emerging from the long winter - a little late!
Between 2-3 pm the telephone lines from the Horkesley exchange went dead. From talking to the workmen on site, it appears that the cable running through Hundred Lane was cut by thieves at that time. They then tried to pull the cable through, usually using a truck, but this time they were out of luck and it wouldn't budge. However a lot of damage was done, and the above photo shows a couple of technicians rejoining the parted strands, a real cat's cradle of wires. The team had been on-site from 3 am, I was told. Service was restored around 7pm. I think the firm did the best they could for us, and thanks to all concerned!
Rainbow Lodge, in Chapel Road, looking elegant in the spring sunshine
The gas marker is a source of considerable irritation to me - surely the concrete marker is sufficient?
Gridleys, seen still in its winter plumage of tarpaulins
Pushing through the autumn leaves
The magnolia is always a welcome sign of Spring bursting through
Polyanthus
Langham is soon to have another business centre completed and is now recruiting tenants. Park Farm Business Centre in Park Lane
There's something for the horses to graze on behind Park Lane/Wick Road, although the season is still in the blossom stage at St Margaret's Cross and up at the church.
St. Margaret's Cross
St. Mary's Church
Potatoes are the chosen crop in the new mega-field in the centre of the village. Here the de-stoning machinery was active for days, and five or six machines were busy harrowing, shaping, planting and fertilising the crop. What is only too lacking at the moment - is rain of course!
A really nice thatch job at Floral Dene in Park Lane
FP 35 getting itself a new boundary of Leylandii next to the industrial area

Summer

A morning's walk past Rivers Hall in Boxted saw the lake looking attractive, as was the cherry blossom
Gridleys, in Chapel Road has had its tarpaulins removed, but seems to have suffered considerable structural damage, including the far chimney breast and the gable near the road, in the process
Despite the poor appearance of the property, the loss of the roof and its timbers does allow a peep at the structure - especially the central chimney breast, which is little sort of amazing in its construction!
This is the second batch of photos, taken in better light, of the precipitate demolition of Gridleys. Apart from the shock of the sight, the rubble does indicate a building that had been patched with poor materials, certainly not in keeping with its perceived 17 Century origins and definitely not maintained to heritage standards. Nevertheless, for those of us who were fond of the old building and the view it promoted, a very sad state of affairs
Another addition to the skyline, in this case Grove Hill. The bungalow at Willow Grove has been demolished and replaced by a large barn, seen here from Perry Lane; the old building was pretty much invisible from the road or across the fields.
The debris has been removed from 'Gridleys' and the site fenced off
Potholes in High Street show up well in the aftermath yesterday's rain, and now sport orange markings
The play area in the sunshine at the Community Ground
The Suffolk Strutt had a Fly-In with markedly better weather than the last one! The order of the day was hazy sunshine and only a modest wind. In response about fifty aircraft came and went .. and their pilots stood in the sun and networked, and fed themselves!
The Stearman PT-17 was undoubtedly the star appearance of the day. It looked as if it had just come off the production line ... and describing it as 'immaculate' would have been faint praise!
The L-4 Cub, my personal favourite, came and went and I thought I noticed an additional piece of nose art this time
A morning walk in Holbrook Bay...low water at Alton Wharf, with the dinghies beached under a peerless blue sky
This walk is serviced by a convenient car park in Lower Holbrook, and takes the walker past the inlet of dinghies and along a low cliff, with views towards the royal Hospital School, the fields behind, and ....
... the expanse of the Stour Estuary, which is being eroded by wave action and depositing the occasional tree onto the shoreline
The drought of spring and early summer has led to rapidly maturing barley fields .. and deep cracks in the footpath!
A morning walk at Brantham
After parking at Brantham Church, a roadway takes the walker down to the railway line, and then in a circular route via a steep traverse of the railway line next to the factory. The resulting view, of the Stour and Manningtree beyond, is one of salt marsh and the reinforced sea walls
The tidal areas beyond the footpath, that follows the sea wall, and the low wetland behind. The route then takes you up to the railway bridge, with a view across farmland, below, before rejoining your car at the church
The proposed, site for travellers, in Severalls Lane, has long been held up by a legal dispute with a neighbouring property. Colchester Borough council is keen to start work, and it looks like a builder has fenced off the entrance to the site. However, a local famer says she holds a lease on the property and has put up this sign across the fencing.
The first week of the build at the community Centre. A toilet was delivered, as was security fencing. A start to the surveying and that was about all there was to see so far!
The main area for children's play is still accessible, although the pod is now out-of-bounds!
The road itself is the feature of this photo at Blacksmith's Corner, a veritable mish-mash of filled holes dating back some time!
The church was the appointed spot for a meeting with our local Parish Partnerships officer, so I took to opportunity to add to the portfolio on the building in the fine morning sunshine
Church Farm
The Hurlock Room
The Parish Paths Partnership (P3) is a scheme that we have belonged to in Langham for many years. Although we are really lucky in that most of our footpaths are properly cared for, there are a number of places where remedial work needs to take place ... so if there is anyone in the village who is in a position to lend a hand, in any capacity, to help with this work, please get in touch with me. My e-mail is on the front of the website. Here Jason Botelho, P3 Public Rights of Way Officer, is replacing, with only a little help from myself, a way marker at the foot of the path to Church Farm, and on the Essex Way. This footpath is very much a prestige route, heavily walked and a long-distance project for may groups. P3 projects do attract grant assistance, even in the present chilly financial climate, so the aim is to rectify a few of the rougher spots on our footpath network!

Autumn

The opening shots of the construction programme to extend the Community Centre - with the laying of an access roadway across the field
The weather had been much too dry to suit the crop of potatoes in the huge fields inside the village square, resulting in heavy irrigation and waterlogged furrows. This has made using the footpath completely impossible for several months!
The foundations to the extension were laid quickly, once the shop had been hoisted through 90 degrees and away from the construction site!
A very unusual sort of aircraft to visit the Strutt was a Wasp helicopter, ex-RN
A move had been made to form a local 'list' of properties that are not nationally listed, but could well have been included. Notable in the village is the Victorian post box at St Margaret's Cross, as well as St Margaret's cottage beyond
Workmen have cut back the line-of-sight highway requirements of the proposed Travellers Site. This comes up for planning consent next month, and its agreement seems to be a forgone conclusion
A few short days of growth and this fungi, on the front lawn, was in fine shape to be photographed!
Wednesday evening and a 'phone call tells me the bonfire is burning, left. the next day, right, presents a forlorn sight but, as the press took up the story, the whole sorry event was turned around and the evening gained a great deal of publicity ... and justifiable public support. The real Bonfire Night was thus a great success!
SONY DSC
Construction is now at the stage that, with the roof on, work can now transfer indoors.
The community Shop, that has served us so well ... in its final resting place and looking good in the autumn colours
The potatoes have been harvested, with great difficulty in the rains (with tractors rescuing each other!) and the vast field is revealed as bare ... and completely impassible as a footpath
The new business park in Park Lane is showing signs of economic life
A splash of red at the entrance to the village!
Subtle autumn shades soften the path to the A12
Birchwood Road
Wick Road
Horne Street Field in subdued light
As the Remembrance Sunday service began, so did the rain. Mrs. Brenda Scott laid the wreath at War Memorial; as her brother is one of the names on the tablets
By the time for the service at the Airfield Memorial the rain was steady and cold!
Tricia Ernst the Youth Worker, right, laid the wreath at this memorial for the Parish. She is American and it was felt most fitting that she could play a part in honouring the many American dead who served on, and flew from, the airfield in Langham
Langmoor Lodge
Langham Barns Business Park
Maltings Farm
Ripened grapes at The Granary in Moor Road
The village sign in its autumnal setting
Thatched Cottage and Langham Cottage in High Street
From Park Lane looking over the land behind Wick Road

Langham Snow 18-20 December

A look around in the fresh snow at the junction of Moor Road and Chapel Road
A peek into Chaplin's Farm
Snow covered vines
The Granary
Langham Lane from its junction with Park Lane
Bramble Cottage
Cherry Tree Cottage
Floral Dene
Monochrome of airfield silos
Footpath towards School Road
The airfield memorial
The snow-plastered sign for Applebys
The new Park Lane Business Centre
Park Lane looking towards Langham Lane
Photogenic footpaths signs...
Langham Oak Cottage
Langham Oak Cottage
Park Lane
A burst water main on Park Lane!
The junction of Park Lane and Wick Road displays an interesting traffic pattern, on a Sunday, without commercial or commuter movements
The village sign and the greensward look suitably cold!
Longbarn
A subdued A12
Postbox in Wick Road
Barnacles
Some views of Wick Road around its junction with Birchwood Road...
The footpath sign in Wick Road
St Margaret's Cross
St Margaret's Cross
The Primary School
The industrial area (Whitnells/PowerPlus)
Community Shop
The play area in the Community Field
View towards Blacksmith's Corner
Bakers in School Road
The Shepherd and Dog
The bus stop
Corner of Moor Road
Signpost, notice board and seat opposite the pub
The Thatched Cottage
Entrance to Whiteside Close
High Street
Wenlock Cottage in Chapel Road
Derryl Thatch
Chapel Road/Moor Road junction
High Street
Lyme Cottage
The airfield memorial
The concrete bases for the old runway lights
Cherry Tree Cottage
Moor Cottage/Bramble Cottage
View towards South View and Corner House
Link to Langham Community Shop website, North EssexLink to Langham Community Centre website, North EssexLangham's monthly Community Coffee Morning in the Community Centre, North EssexLangham Film Nights - Community Cinema in North EssexLangham's annual 10k Race and 2k Fun Run, North Essex
Langham is a village and civil parish in the north east of Essex, England approximately 5 miles north of Colchester - close to junction 28 on the A12.