Oughtonhead Common

 

 

Dad worked here

As a lifelong Hitchin resident, I have the fondest memories of a childhood spent bordering Oughtonhead Common. Throughout my childhood the common provided a playground for the children of the Westmill Estate, back in the days when children were free to roam, largely unchaperoned by parents. Along with my brother and sister we built dams on the streams that fed the river, built camps,made rope swings over the river, climbed trees and fished for tadpoles and wildlife. Family walks taken with my father, who could always tell you the names of flowers and trees, will remain with me along with the memory of my father’s always warm hand holding mine.

As a teenager, I can remember walking with my boyfriend and hair raising rides on the back of his scooter (all without the knowledge of my parents!).

Once married I moved to the other end of town, but still on the edge of the common. The next generation had the chance to explore the Common. Under the care of my father, my children went paddling in the ‘splash’, fed the trout by the farm and trundled along on their bicycles. I have walked over the common in all seasons,and have even taken the cubs camping at night, when I discovered, to my surprise, that you can get lost in an area you thought you knew well,in the dark!

The Common has been encroached on, over the years, so that the public land has been reduced to little more than a strip bordering the river. But it remains a vital playground for the local population, for dog walkers and nature lovers alike. In an age when children apparently need activities provided, an area like the common gives children a chance to learn to look after themselves and find a little of the freedom I enjoyed as a child.