January 2025

5 Buckden Roundabout January 2025 Thatch Buckden wartime childhood memories Buckden residents, including many Monday Club members, share insights into their wartime childhood experiences. These are fasci- nating stories and are recounted in a new A5 booklet (53 pages). Available for £3 from Monday Club or Jane Scott 01480 811468 archaeologists as the ‘ jewel in the crown ’. Each layer of histor- ic thatch is valuable and every effort is made to safeguard it or, if its removal is justified, to record it. Historically, survival of a traditional thatched roof also illustrates other aspects of life in the past, reflecting the building ’ s status and the attitudes and values that society has attributed to thatch. It also represents the continuity of one of the most iconic of English building crafts. In the case of straw - thatched roofs, periodic renewal of the weathering coat by adding a new layer of long straw or combed wheat reed onto the surface is a method that has stood the test of time for many centuries, to the point where it has become part of the historical value of the roof in terms of both the continuity of practice and the archaeological record. In historical times, when thatching was the common roofing material, fire was always the greatest risk to thatched cottages and Silver Street had its fair share of thatch fires. In March 1909 three houses burned down from fires that started in the thatch of one. Fortunately the quick response by William Stoneham and the Buckden engine, who were on scene within five minutes followed shortly by engines from St Neots and Huntingdon (summoned by telephone), managed to prevent any further damage. They would have been aided by the vil- lage fire hooks, which can still be seen in the Old Forge, now Annafield Estate Agent. Most of Buckden ’ s oldest houses were originally thatched. However, with at least six major fires in the village over the last three centuries many properties were destroyed, and as a pre- caution many others were re - roofed in tile. Look for the tell - tale steeply pitched roof of our older houses, this indicates that the house was originally thatched as thatch required a much steeper pitch than tile or slate to shed rain water. Good examples can be seen in Lucks Lane (which also still has two thatched cottages), Church Street e.g. Bridge House, the High Street and the Old Tap Inn in George Lane. - Richard Storey Chairman Buckden Local History Society With thanks to Liz Olding, Tony Dolton, Jonathan Shrapnell and Barry Jobling. References: https://www.tonydoltonthatcher.co.uk/ https://historicengland.org.uk/advice/technical - advice/ buildings/thatching - advice/ Buckden A Huntingdonshire Village pp 28 - 29 (Continued from page 4) Village firehooks in what is now Annafield Estate Agents in the High Street An Introduction to Mythology The course goes back to the very basics of mythology that we may (or may not) have learnt as small children, tying the lot into a coherent story. We will look in particular at those names and tales that tend to be referenced in our everyday life, literature, art and music - sayings, names of planets, constellations, months and days of the week. Most of the time will be spent on Classical Greece (and the Roman equivalents) but we will also cover the ba- sics of Norse mythology and touch on a few aspects of Celtic that have come down to everyday references. Tutor: Jane Williams Dates: 10 sessions, 14 th January 2025 to 25 th March 2025 (half term February 18th). These sessions will commence at 10.00am and finish at noon. To book and details ring Bridget Hale on 01480 216391.