Explore on foot - -

- - wonder at will

Guide by D Hurrell & G Cook
Photo from Mrs Hazel Wanstall

The Olympics of 2012 introduced a global audience to the often hidden delights of Hadleigh in Essex, such as the superb Hadleigh Country Park where the Mountain Biking was held.

Whether you have lived in the locality for years and enjoyed parts of the Park and Farm or are a welcome guest,  this guiding map offers fresh dimensions for new visits.   Developed to display the results of an elegant interplay of artwork and historic research, the Illustrated History Guide and Map shows handy distance scales, where to walk, things to be seen and time-capsule views of what was once here.

One small award element of the Heritage Lottery Fund’s innovative 2012 All Our Stories programme enabled the Hadleigh & Thundersley Community Archive to publish this guide as a companion to the definitive book by Gordon Parkhill and Graham Cook;  “Hadleigh Salvation Army Farm – A Vision Reborn.”

The cover picture from the first step back in time, to about 1935, shows Frederick Wanstall, Hadleigh Farm’s last shepherd, exploiting the lush grass which is now so good for picnics and family days out.  Inside the guide there is a summary of the Salvation Army’s inspirational work at Hadleigh Farm to counter deprivation in London at the end of the 19th century.  In just a few years, they had built, transformed and developed  . . . . but why not buy the guide map, walk the trails and see what happened for yourself?

{ Editorial note:  the guide map is an A2 broadsheet, printed both sides in glorious colour and folded to A5.    Now sold out, it was priced at £1:50 each at the Salvation Army Tea Rooms, Hadleigh Library  and The Book Inn and Leigh Heritage centre (Leigh-on-Sea.)  }

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  • Liked the church fete archive stand. The day before saw a kestrel perched on the left tower of your picture when walking around the castle ruins. It stayed still for over 20 mins.

     

    By steve morris (29/06/2014)

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