WATTON at STONE
Timeline
By Terry Askew
(With acknowledgement and thanks to Watton at Stone Parish council)
1895: First meeting of Parish Council on 4th January. Name formalised by ‘The Parish of Watton at Stone (naming) Order 1895’
1914: Village Hall built – renamed War Memorial Hall after the 1939-45 war.
1923: Gales uproot elm trees along Church Walk.
1924: Watton Railway Station opened.
1933: Childrens’ playing field opened behind Police Cottages (now Lammas Road).
1935: Parish Council took over responsibility for the War Memorial.
1939: Watton Station closed.
1945: German rocket damaged houses on 13th January.
1945: New houses built at Beane Road.
1948: New houses built at Glebe Close and Rectory lane.
1950: Ministry of Education takeover of the Thompson and Crossland Foundation Trust.
1952: Bus shelter erected.
1955: Childrens’ play area moved to the Meadow.
1955/6: Hockerill houses built.
1960: Lammas Road and part of the High Street built.
1961: Parish Council purchased Rectory Meadow with donations from Horticultural Society and HCC.
1963: Glebe Court opened.
1964: First phase of Great Innings built.
1965: Oil depot opened near Watton Station. Westminster bank closed and demolished.
1966: New school completed. Rivershill built. Work on pavilion completed.
1967: Watton Mill burnt down.Play school opened.
1968: Planning application for housing development on the allotments – refused permission. Flooding along River Beane.
1969: Garages built between rectory Lane and Glebe Cclose. Watton at Stone Sports & Social Club formed.
1970; Hazeldell built. New Rectory built.
1977: Work started on extension to great innings. Queen’s Silver Jubilee celebrations.
1978: Watton at Stone telephone numbers changed to 5 digits.
1980: Pelican crossing installed in the High Street.
1982: Train services from Watton at Stone re-started. War Memorial moved from centre of road junction to verge.
1984: House built on old school site – Old School Orchard. Multi purpose play area built. Village bypass opened 10th December.
1986: Motts Close built.
1987: The Beanside built on site of the old Beaneside garage. Hurricane caused minor damage. Community Association Silver Jubilee 5th July.
1988: Holden du Clos fish factory closed. 50th Horticultural Society annual show.
1989: High Street telephone box made listed building.
1990. Bull public house damaged by fire.Doctors’ Surgery moved from Great innings to Watton Place.
1991: Parish Council took out lease on Cottage site, Watton Green. Centenary of Methodist Church.
1993: War memorial renovated and moved to present site in Church Meadow. Aylotts Court built. White House Close built. Oil storage depot closed. Bull public house re-opened following restoration.
1994: Parish Council centenary. A ‘Peep into the Past’ video produced. Newman’s Court housing development on former Holden du Cros site.
1995: Moorymead Close built on site of oil depot.
1996: Community Hall built.
1998: Old bakery in the High Street enlarged to create 3 flats and an enlarged shopping area.
1999: Final phase of Great Innings development started Millenium Tapestry unveiled.
2000: Time capsule buried in church.
2001: Long Meadow built on site of Watton Service Station. Memorial and Meditation Garden created at Methodist Church.
2006: Playschool moved to Watton School site.
2007: Old Play School hut demolished.
2008: Beane Valley Childrens’ Centre opened in Watton School.
2010: Waggon & Horses public house closed.
2012: Gatekeper Meadow housing development started. Waggon & Horses converted to private dwelling. Jubilee Wood planted.
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Anymore information about the rocket in 1945? There appears to be some craters in the Lammas land and was wondering if this was bomb related.
The image of Watton at Stone station was taken on 15 June 1957. The people seen wandering around the site had arrived on the train standing in the distance. It was The Railway Enthusiasts Club “Saracens Head Railtour” which ran from London Fenchurch Street to Woolwich Wood Street – Cheshunt – South Tottenham – Palace Gates – Hertford and back to London Kings Cross. Hauling the train was No. 69594, an N2 class locomotive, which was designed by Nigel Gresley, who once resided in the village.