CHURCH ROAD IS THE MAIN ROAD THROUGH THE OLD PART OF THE VILLAGE

***

THE ARCHES at the start of CHURCH Rd

BEFORE THE VILLAGE HALL WAS BUILT

THE ARCHES

AFTER THE VILLAGE HALL WAS BUILT

ELFORD VILLAGE HALL

Click on photo to link to the Village Hall Web Site

The Village Hall

 

These two photographs show the village hall just after it's completion it was built by public donations as there was a dispute between the church and the village about where the hall should be (see The Institute further down the page) the working mens club was built to the same basic design at around the same time (see The Beck ) a link to the village hall website can be found on the links page of this website.

ELFORD VILLAGE HALL

Click on photo to link to the Village Hall Web Site

THE VILLAGE HALL DECKED OUT FOR THE CORONATION

NOTE THE AWARD FOR BEST KEPT VILLAGE

THE FORGE

AS SEEN FROM THE SHOP

THE FORGE AND SMITHY

 

The Forge was the home of the Blacksmith to the squire the smithy was next door just off the above picture they are now two separate dwellings but I can well remember them as one unit.

THE SMITHY AS IT IS TODAY

In the past it's where the blacksmith plied his trade

This is a very old photo but as you can see not a lot has changed (more modern photo lower down page) the building to the left is the tythe barn and just in front of it is the village pump for this part of the village.

CHURCH ROAD

A VERY EARLY PICTURE

RESTORATION WORK

 

Work has taken place on the black and white house on church road all the work has been done onsite by craftsmen as you can see from the photos below all work as been done using the old methods no screws or nails but wooden pegs and dowels the timber used is oak and the window frames made onsite by hand

restoration work

restoration

Window frame being made by hand onsite

Photo showing the use of wooden pegs

instead of screws

The finished Job

If you look at one of the earlier photos of this

house you will see that the timbers are just the same

A VERY EARLY PHOTO OF THE BLACK AND WHITE HOUSE

THIS IS HOW IT LOOKED BEFORE THE EXTENTION

This photo has been coloured by hand as you can feel the paint on the original photo it shows the square and forge as they were.

CHURCH ROAD

A VERY EARLY HAND PAINTED COLOUR PHOTO

This photo is up to date and shows how it looks today the road to the left is The Gardens at the junction with Church Rd now stands a bench where the old pump was situated the trough from the old pump is now in our back garden.

CHURCH ROAD

AS IT IS TODAY

BAGOT HOUSE

FORMALLY

THE VILLAGE INSTITUTE

 

 

The institute was built by the Rev Francis Paget rector of Elford 1835 to 1882 and others as a thanks-offering when Elford avoided an epidemic.

The Rev Paget taught the children of the village there and his wife ran a dispensary for the village.

A later vicar ran a fund raising campain including a vist from Lord Kichener of Khartoum to extend the institute as a village hall this drew opposition from some who felt that it would give the church jurisdiction over the hall they won the day and the village hall was built where it stands today but the feud went on and a number of people did not enter the village hall for a few years.

BAGOT HOUSE

FORMALLY KNOWN AS THE INSTITUTE

The Old Post Office

 

This photograph shows the old post office (now known as The Wickets) it served the village for many years as a post office and second shop the mail for the area came in by train and was sorted and delivered from here.

The Old Post Office

now known as The Wickets

THE WICKETS(or the old postoffice)

The dark green in the hedge is were the gate was

TWO COTTAGES

AS THEY WHERE

SAME COTTAGES

NOW ONLY ONE

AN EARLY VIEW OF THE COTTAGE ABOVE

AVENUE HOUSE

Below is a photograph of Avenue House once the home of the squires sister you can still see the gate in the hedge that led to the avenue and hall the gate is now nailed shut and the path has been covered over

 

AVENUE HOUSE

ONCE THE HOME OF THE SQUIRES SISTER

Home Farm

 

Home farm was the main farm to the hall and as such was run to maintain the hall it is now owned by Birmingham and let out on rent.

Home Farm

1980

Pimlico

 

Pimlico is at the end of Church Road just before you enter the hall grounds it once was two cottages but now as you can see it has been turned into one but it still retains the olde worlde charms of a true village cottage.

Pimlico (oppsite the church)

at the end of Church Road

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