In the last of this series on Nora Cannell’s ‘Memories of a Haslingfield Childhood’, we look at a few of the places that meant so much to her. A full text of the Memories is available on the web site.
The river, as approached from Porker’s Lane, used to have two bridges. Only the second, Burnt Mill Bridge, which was named after a tragic accident, remains. Nora remembers seeing swans’ nests along the banks, which were favourite places for the village youths to swim and for picnics.
Of the six original pubs in the village, only the Little Rose remains. At the junction of Fountain Lane and the High Street, on the site of the village shop, stood the Bushel and Strike. At the foot of Barrington Hill, now a private residence, stood the Marquis of Gransby, and next to the chapel was the Waggon and Horses. The Kimber’s house, opposite what was Grove Farm, used to house the Carpenter’s Arms. [The Jolly Brewers, in Barton Road, has also been demolished]. Some of the pubs were used as a collection point for allotment and cottage rents.