Archive for 25 July 2007
Churchyard Demarcation Posts
The Churchyard that surrounds St Mary’s Church is demarcated by these posts. Whether these are used elsewhere in Britain or just here in Hitchin, I’m not sure! There are two at the beginning of the South West corner of St Mary’s where one cuts through from Market Place past Halseys and The Triangle Café to Churchyard, two are at the South East corner by the market on Churchyard Walk South, two are at the North East corner at the end of Churchyard Walk North (Below) and the final two are at the North West corner of Churchyard Walk North by the ‘Hippy/New Age’ shop Stripe (Above) going through to Moss’s Corner.
Tilehouse Street Glazed Tiles
Number 78 Tileshouse Street is now bbr Architects, but was previously a Butcher’s premises. This early 20th century building became a Butcher’s in approximately 1905. In 1926 to 1940, it was owned and run by J W Cooper and Sons. From approximattely 1948 to 1956, it was then owned and run by B. Ford and E. Stone. It then ceased trading as a butcher’s in 1960. These beautiful Edwardian glazed tiles still exist in 2 unequal panels, as does the carriageway to the right of the windows. (Information found in Hitchin Museum archives)
Hitchin’s Highway Boundary Bricks
This brick indicates the boundary between a private property and the main road (Highway). These were set in to the pavement to show where a person’s property boundary was and what they were responible for and what the Hertfordshire County Highways were responsible for too. Not many of these exist anymore and therefore must be preserved for posterity just to show what they looked like and how they operated. This particular example set in the pavement on Queen Street, is outside a building used by the Hertfordshire Theatre Schools as a repository.