Move Along To The Car Park And Stand In Front Of The Old Vicarage
The Old Vicarage is a typical Victorian-looking house.
Even though the church was built in 1838, Chipperfield still came under the authority of Kings Langley Church until 1864. St Paul’s was called a daughter church and it had a curate, not a vicar. First of all, they couldn’t afford to pay a vicar and secondly they couldn’t find anywhere to build a vicarage.
Rev. Henry Dennis lived at Braziers, Tower Hill, until they bought the site where you see the Vicarage. In 1848, 10 years after the church was built, the old flint house on the left side was made into a Parsonage. The brick part on the right was built in 1874 as an extension to accommodate the fourth minister, Rev. Sharpin, who had 8 children.
Saddlebow next door used to be the Vicarage coach-house and stables with rooms over the top for the coachman.
Move along towards the War Memorial and stop in front of Heath End, built in 1930
How different this was in Victorian times.
There used to be 3 little cottages here, for the first 6 years of Victoria’s reign, which were sold by auction at the Two Brewers in 1843. They were converted into one house and became known as the Traveller’s Friend with a sign outside and also on the roof.
As was the custom at that time, the wife sold home brewed beer and the husband helped but had another job as well.
The public house closed sometime after 1914 but it was certainly a popular place during most of Victoria’s reign.
The cottages were demolished and Heath End was built in 1930.
Gorse Cottage
Next door to Heath End is Gorse Cottage. In Queen Victoria’s reign it was on the left hand side of the yard in front of the Traveller’s Friend, as you can see in the previous photograph. It was built around 1690 so was already 150 years old when Victoria became Queen. It is a good, well-preserved example of a 2 up and 2 down 17th century house. It had no running water or bathroom, until it was extended and modernised 40 years after Victoria had died. Compare it with the right side of the old Vicarage.
The Haven
Next we come to The Haven which was originally a small 2 up and 2 down cottage built in the 1850’s, and became the Blacksmith’s.
The blacksmith lived here for much of Queen Victoria’s reign.
A blacksmith was an essential member of the community.
Farmers had several horses, the richer people had carriages drawn by horses, and some people rode horses. All horses had to be shod.
Metal items such as ploughs and hinges could be repaired by the blacksmith. Maybe he made the church door hinges
The house was sold and extended after the death of Victoria.