Dreaming spires, raw concrete remnants from the Cold War, picturesque old pubs. The parish of Hatfield Peverel in Essex is steeped in history which has left a rich legacy of historic buildings and places.
During the last year it has been my privilege to volunteer as part of the History Working Group for Hatfield Peverel Parish Council. The group was formed to help identify and research old buildings and features in the parish which do not currently have any statutory protection – they do not have a Grade I, Grade II or Grade II* listing. The aim is to include a number of these historic features on an ‘emerging’ local heritage list, with the possibility of some of them becoming ‘non-designated heritage assets’ in the future. The parish already has 52 listed features, an indicator of the richness of its built and landscape heritage, but there is strong community feeling that there are many more places and spaces that deserve protection for the future. More information about non-designated heritage assets can be found here: Locally Listed Heritage Assets – Historic England
Early on in the project I enjoyed helping out at engagement events and with the public consultation. It has been a great opportunity to refresh and revisit my design skills working on the public posters and displays. In 2022 I have taken the lead on putting together a public exhibition to showcase the research of the other group members for the benefit of all local residents. My thanks to all the volunteers who were very understanding about the need for me to keep all the material to strict word limits – it is tough to see so much hard work having to be boiled down to exhibition length, I have been through that experience many times! A special mention to Helen Peter for her hard work doing all the printing and mounting, and putting together the Methodist Chapel display.
The exhibition is free and open in Hatfield Peverel library until 28 May. It will also be going on tour to the village primary school and to the ‘Party in the Park’ event on 4 June 2022.
There are so many interesting features included in the exhibition. Among my personal highlights are the Trinity Memorial Gateway and the milestones. The Memorial Gateway was built on the village’s Recreation Ground in 1949 to thank the villagers for looking after the pupils and teachers of Trinity County Grammar School evacuated here from Wood Green during WWII. The two milestones mark the route of the original Roman road, later a turnpike route, from Colchester to London. Although small features easily overlooked, the milestones are a testament to the village’s position on a key transport route which brought so much trade over the years – and also accounts for the very high number of pubs in the village for a relatively small settlement!
I would like to thank the village’s Heritage Warden Margaret Freeman and the history group for including me in your project this year and putting your trust in me for all things display and graphic design related! It has been very rewarding to help with this project for the local community and I have made so many new local friends along the way.
Jennifer Rowland 