Widdington Village A little treasure in North Essex Widdington village is a small picturesque village situated two miles South east
of Newport and around five miles south of Saffron Walden. Widdington is a delightful village. There But Not There  They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old: Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn; At the going down of the sun, and in the morning, We will remember them.  Memonies of 1914-1918 I hadn't long been at this village school when the 1914-18 war broke out.... With the threat of invasion, arrow were painted on buildings to indicate where to go if it happened. One direction was towards Henham. The children had to play their part. I remember tearing paper into strips to be used as stuffing for pillows and the like, for army use, and the teacher was busy knitting khaki socks. In summer we went blackberry picking with teacher. We didn't mind because we were paid so much a pound for the berries. Sometimes we went home quite rich. Occasionally the soldiers, when on manoeuvres came to the village, some on horseback. They sat on the green for a while for refreshments.cc Jugs milk or sugar, so it wasn't very nice. vres, came to the village, some on horseback. They sat on the green for a while for refreshments. Jugs of coffee were made for them. Any left over was given to us, but without milk or sugar, so it wasn’t very nice. Every day at 12 noon the church bells were rung to remember the forces fighting for our country. We lost several of our men. The loss of manpower meant women going to work in fields. Some children went stone picking. In those days we didn't have air raid wardens, shelters or gas masks, but we did have the blackout. We knew there was a raid when the planes went roaring over and we could hear guns in the distance. Two German Zeppelins were brought down not all that far from here. For some reason balloons were floating about the sky at times. One came down at the back of the Church. During this time there was a very bad flu epidemic and many died, sometime more then one person in a family. One day I was in the post office at lunchtime when the phone rang. It was to say the war was over. Amistice had been signed. No school for us that afternoon. Fr. Francis, June 1990 New housing estates. Will village life be lost in Widdington by the threat of the new housing estates. Develops have now put forward proposals which would see the village expand further by listing new sites as suitable for new housing estates in the Village. However, residents fear any more development could squeeze services to the very limit. Car traffic has increased tenfold over ten years with the proposal of more housing adding to the misery. Raw sewage leaks from inspection cover in stormy weather into gardens as the old pipe work can’t cope. Lower green is often flooded as the old storm drains are blocked and nothing can be done as these no money. Just next door in Henham, Fairfield Application for 350 houses on land to the North West Of Henham Road. We need affordable housing in the village not million pound plus homes.  The annexed account entitled: The Village of Widdington, Essex Was written in 1939, as an appendix to a History of the Hollis, Ainslic, Bullock, Smith, Griffiths, Murkin, and Perry Familes, and it may be well to preface the account by recording briefly how the four last mentioned families came to be associated with, or interested in, Widdington. Please click on the picture 
Parish Council Meeting September, 2018 We are collecting photographs and information relating We welcome any personal photographs or information
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 Widdington Village Essex
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Widdington Village Essex