To the Ar
and Back

an historical stroll
around Headley and Arford . . .

by Joyce Stevens,
president of
The Headley Society

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also available on Kindle

Associated title A Parcel of Gold for Edith

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Introduction . . .

There have been so many changes in Headley and Arford since the Second World War that it seemed a good idea to record them while there are still people living who remember what used to be.
We hope that this co-operative project by members of the Headley Society will give pleasure and be of interest to many people, both old and new residents and their visitors.
The natural building materials of the district were timber, Bargate stone, bricks and clay tiles, so it is interesting to notice where a house has a slate roof, (e.g. The Old Rectory and Arford House).
This may be a help in dating it too, when railways and canals were used to transport such a heavy material coming from a considerable distance.
Look out also for examples of galleting in the mortar of the oldest houses. Pieces of ironstone were pressed into the soft mortar, some say just as decoration or to strengthen the structure, but others say that it was to ward off the devil. Gilbert White of Selborne mentions visitors to his village who asked why the houses were fastened together with "ten-penny nails".
Notice too where there is evidence of a window being bricked up (e.g. The White House and Wakeford's). This was done to avoid paying the window tax, imposed in 1696 to raise money for a new coinage to replace the old unmilled silver coins, which during the course of many years had been clipped so often that they were only half their original weight.
Parson Woodforde, who himself had to brick up 3 windows in 1784 called the tax "an impost laid upon the very light of heaven" and it was also described as "that old enemy of health and light". It was repealed in 1851, so again we have help in dating a house.
There are examples of "Dentil Eaves" on several houses. These are rows of bricks laid diagonally, either just below the roof overhang or between two storeys, and looking rather like teeth. Some local builders called them "soldiers".
With this information to help you, we invite you to "take a walk round the block" with eyes wide open, and in the space of 1 mile you will find evidence of 7 centuries of life in our village.

Joyce Stevens, Chairman, The Headley Society

List of Contents

(Illustrations shown in red)

Introduction
All Saints' Church
The Lych Gate
The War Memorial
The Old Rectory
The Old Rectory in the 1880s
The Tithe Barn
The Rectory Field
The Church Centre
The Young Chestnut Tree
All Saints' Rectory
Ludshott Court
Farthing Fields Footpath
Belmont House
The Old Post Office
The Brae Footpath
The German Gun
The German Gun
The Carnival Hut
Chapel Howe
View down Longcross Hill in the 1890s
Longcross Farm
Longcross House
Longcross House in the 1970s
Wooden Buildings
The Corner House
The Old Stores
Lickfold's House
Lickfold's Garage
Lickfold's Garage in the 1920s
The Fish Shop
The Crown, and Crown Cottage
Overton Cottage
Overton Cottage in 1970
The Ar Stream
The Old Bakehouse
Map in centrefold
View of Arford in the late 1930s
Kirklands
Arford House
Arford Lodge
Cypress Tree
The Village Hall
The Village Green
The Bargate Stone
The Holme School and House
Yeoman's Place
Crabtree House
View of Headley High Street circa 1900
Wakeford's
The Holly Bush
The Chestnut Tree
Shops
The White House
The White House in the 1930s
Suters
Suters as it was in 1522
Apple Tree Cottage
The Gateway Buttery
North end of Suters today, showing original construction
This site maintained by John Owen Smith