November Day Walk: Great and Little Hormead
We met on a sunny Remembrance Sunday in Great Hormead, with its 14th century church, and soon discovered the charms of this and Little Hormead, to the south with its smaller but older Norman church. Our path through the fields and lanes was circular as we crossed the road where we had left our cars having previously stopped for two minutes silence at 11am.
We then followed Black Ditch stream northwards and caught sight of the timber-framed and rendered Hormead Hall with its octagonal brick chimneys. This was soon followed by the Brick House built in the 16th century, so named because of the then unusual material used for its construction. The group proceeded past Anstey Bury Farm through arable land to a suitable high point where we stopped for our picnic lunch.
Later we augmented this with a stop for refreshments outside the Chequers in Anstey and thence for a look at the motte and bailey behind St George's Church. The Hertfordshire Way led us back to Great Hormead to remove several inches of the countryside from our walking boots! Many thanks to Richard and Penny for researching and leading us on this delightful walk. Chris
We then followed Black Ditch stream northwards and caught sight of the timber-framed and rendered Hormead Hall with its octagonal brick chimneys. This was soon followed by the Brick House built in the 16th century, so named because of the then unusual material used for its construction. The group proceeded past Anstey Bury Farm through arable land to a suitable high point where we stopped for our picnic lunch.
Later we augmented this with a stop for refreshments outside the Chequers in Anstey and thence for a look at the motte and bailey behind St George's Church. The Hertfordshire Way led us back to Great Hormead to remove several inches of the countryside from our walking boots! Many thanks to Richard and Penny for researching and leading us on this delightful walk. Chris
