The Group will be showcasing its work, activities and archive material at a Free Exhibition over the weekend of Saturday 13th and Sunday 14th July. This will be taking place in the Upstairs Room at the Three Horseshoes from midday to 3.00 p.m. and 7.00 to 10.00 p.m. each day (basically during the pub’s open hours).
Materials relating to the following subjects will be on display:
Alf Wright’s Archive Alf has a great collection of photographs, old postcards, newspaper cuttings, and much more, which he has organised into folders covering some of the local villages: Broxted, Great Easton, Little Easton, Duton Hill and Tilty. There are also several which are thematically compiled – including Famous Residents of the Five Parishes, Mills of the Five Parishes, and the Countess of Warwick’s Cottage Garden Show.
Maternity & Children’s Homes A maternity home, in the house now called ‘Old House’, was opened at Great Easton in 1896 and closed at the end of 1924. Although exact dates are less certain, there was also a Children’s Home, listed in the 1914 Kelly’s Directory, at ‘The Garth’ in Great Easton.
“Read All About IT” A recent presentation featured some of the stories published in the papers (from1767 through to the 1940s) about local places and people. Subjects included theft, fraud, royal visits, murder, mayhem, and socialism. Copies and transcripts of are on display
Test-Pit digging 2014 and 2015 The first dig, in a garden at Tilty, was mainly to learn ‘hands on’ about archaeological processes. The aim of the second dig, in another garden, was to try to find traces of the Abbey’s outer gatehouse, and a cobbled area was discovered close to the existing road. Somd finds from both these digs are on display. There are also finds from excavations carried out in 1942, some of which can be seen in Tilty Church.
Tilty Abbey was founded in 1153 and was one of three medieval Cistercian houses in Essex. It prospered greatly during the 13th and 14th centuries, but was disbanded in 1536 during Henry VIII’s Dissolution of the Monasteries. Little of the Abbey now remains, although what was the Gate Chapel became the parish church and is still in use today. An extensive survey was carried out at the site of during 2010. Conservation and restoration work on the remaining sections of the walls was completed in 2014, and four interpretation boards positioned around the site.
The Revd. Edward G. Maxted The ‘red vicar’ of Tilty, from 1908 to 1918. The Revd. Maxted held open-air meetings to advocate the cause of Socialism, activities supported by the Countess of Warwick, who was responsible for his appointment.
The Revd. Hugh Cuthbertson was vicar of Tilty during WWII. He was a well known figure, involved in left-wing politics, who held one of the first aviation licences before he turned to the church. Rev. Cuthbertson raised money for church repairs by sharing his knowledge about growing and curing tobacco; which led to his nickname “The Baccy Parson”. He was the subject of a BBC1 ‘One Show’ film broadcast in April 2014.
WWI. Research into local war memorials contributed to the RUH book on the subject, published in 1914 to mark the centenary of the start of the First World War. Further work was completed in 1918, on the men named on local war memorials, for events commemorating the centenary of the end of the war.
WWII The Group secured Heritage Lottery funding in 2012 to investigate the impact of WWII in the area. The aim was to communicate and commemorate the wartime experiences of people in a small rural community. Local residents were interviewed, there were talks and presentations, and a ‘Pillbox Walk’ to look at the surprisingly large number of pillboxes in the area. The project culminated in an exhibition at The Barn Theatre, Little Easton, which included a staged re-enactment of a 1940 Christmas Day Broadcast.
Last updated: 1st July 2019
