Village Society

The Society aims to stimulate interest in and maintain the historic character of the village and to develop and improve its amenities and environment.   A feeling of community is fostered by arranging informative open meetings, normally on the third Tuesday of each month at 8.00 p.m. in the Village Centre, on a wide range of subjects of local and general interest.  In addition there are purely social get-togethers such as theatre trips and wine tasting evenings.  The Society  takes part in the biennial Village Festival and is responsible for maintaining a comprehensive Village Archive, the contents of which are exhibited from time to time and put on display at the Old Bake House on Well House Meadow once a month in the summer.  Many extracts from the archives, including old photographs, can be found at ‘Haslingfield/History’ on the web site.

Contacts

Jill Keane, Secretary   jill.keane@gmail.com
Jennifer Staples, Outings    staples543@btinternet.com
John Beresford, Archivist    jf.beresford@ntlworld.com

 The Bakehouse

In 2006 Howard Stringer organised a rescue project to relocate two historic building from the site of Quarry Farm (which had been demolished in the 1960’s) to a permanent home on the Well House Meadow.  The Bakehouse and Privy were originally farm outbuildings dating from the early 19th century.  They were taken down and re-erected using the original materials as far as possible, including clay and straw ‘bats’ made by volunteers using a wet process that provided much amusement for the onlookers.  Volunteers carefully recorded the structure of the buildings during dismantling, to enable accurate re-assembly, and kept a photographic record of the project for the Village Archive.

The building is now used as a heritage resource centre equipped with permanent display boards covering the history associated with the buildings and  contemporary village life, all researched by local volunteers.  Extracts from the Village Archive are on display once a month during the summer and the old Well House, from which the meadow gets its name, is opened at the same time.

The bakehouse  contains a bread oven, a fire place and a clothes washing boiler, all wood fired.  A group of enthusiasts has mastered the art of firing the oven without smoking everyone out of the building, and bread making is organised on festive occasions.