Blossom Hill

DUDDS WOOD

The development of 25 residential properties at Blossom Hill, 0.8 hectare, in 2015 is upon the site of Dudds Wood aka Dudnoe Field. Below are a few references to Dudds Wood I have found in the Essex Record Office.

Horham Hall, a member of the Historic Houses Association, together with its 4 acres of gardens is open to the public by arrangement. Court records recall that Queen Elizabeth I visited Horham Hall with her court in 1571 for 9 days and 1578 for 6 days. During her stay, she went hunting in Henham woods. Her bedroom is on view. As Queen Elizabeth I rode across the fields and woods to this village whilst hunting, it should be of interest to Henham children as part of their Elizabethan school project work.

From: THE ELIZABETHAN STAGE VOL. IV by E.K.CHAMBERS, OXFORD: AT THE CLARENDON PRESS M.CMXXIII Humphrey Milford Publisher to the University (Henham Park (Essex), iv. 87.)

A COURT CALENDAR, 1570- 1587 (itinerary of Queen Elizabeth’s Progress)
Gunnersbury, Hendon (Edward Herbert) Hatfield (Aug. 15-21), Knebworth (Rowland Lytton), Brent Pelham (Lord Morley Aug. 26), Saffron Walden, Audley End (Duke of Norfolk, Aug. 29-Sept. 3), Horham Hall in Thaxted (Sir John Cutts*, Sept. 5) with hunt in Henham Park, Lees (Lord Rich, Sept. 7, 8), Rookwood Hall in Reding Abbess (Wiston Browne), Mark Hall in Latton (James Altham, Sept. 13, 14 & 17), Stanstead Abbots (Edward Bashe, Sept. 20), Theobalds (Lord Burghley, Sept. 22), Hadley (Lady Stamford), Harrow (William Wightman).

Horham Hall, was visited by Queen Elizabeth I and her court in 1571 (9 days) and 1578 (6 days). Her bedroom is on view, there is a good collection of Tudor and 18th Century portraits, oak furniture, tapestries and a very modern ghost – the owner’s Cavalier King Charles named ‘Charlie’ died in 1995 and is buried in the grounds – comes to the drawing-room door and scratches noisily to get in!

* CUTTS, Sir John (1545-1615), builder of Horham Hall, Essex; Shenley Hall, Herts. and Childerley, Cambs.

CALENDAR OF DEEDS 1618 – 1879 of The Henham Estate

TITHE AWARDS 1840 for Dodnoe Field immediately south of The Spring field parish boundary with Chickney

The important document shows that on the 22nd April 1929, the then owner of the Henham Hall estate, William Fuller Maitland, gave the greens as a free gift to Henham Parish Council ‘to manage for the benefit of the inhabitants for recreation for ever and no other purpose’.

1846 May 22nd Essex Standard
William Brand, a labourer, was charged with stealing seven pieces of wood, the property of James Bush, at Henham – Mr. RYLAND conducted the prosecution, and Mr GAUSSEN defended the prisoner – In this case it appeared that Mr. Cornell, a maltster, of Bishop’s Stortford, had purchased the topwood of some timber which had been felled in Dudd’s Wood, in the parish of Henham. Mr. James Bush, a farmer, of the latter parish, had been engaged by him to cart it, and the prisoner was employed by him in the work. On Saturday last, while passing is own cottage with a load of wood, he was seen by a policeman to throw seven pieces into his garden, which formed the subject of the present charge. Guilty. Seven days in solitude.

31st Dec. 1852 Articles of Agreement for Sale
Joseph Howell Blood ( a solicitor and agent for Philip Stuart Feake Martin now of Worthing, Sussex) with Joseph Baxendale of Woodside, Whetstone – the Henham Estate comprising A. Henham Hall Farm (318 acres, 2 roods, 31 perches), Cock Public House and land, and land formerly belonging thereto (22 acres, 1 rod, 1 perch,) Dudds Wood, Birch Wood and park Spring (107 acres 3 rods, 21 perches, for  £ 12,526. 3s.4d B. lordships, and manors of Henham Hall and Rectory of Henham als. Pledgdon Cannons for, and rent charges in lieu of great tithes of the parish of Henham for £ 12,590.3s4d C. Henham Parsonage Farm (204 acres 1 rod, 34 perches) Henham Lodge Farm (403 acres , 1 rod, 7 perches), advowson of vicverdana church of Henham for £ 13,883.13.4d Also included in the schedule of property is a rental of estate giving the following information (re acreage a=acres, r=rods, p=perches)

1861 Census

2nd Sept 1884 Deed of Partition States that the Henham Estate comprises Henham Hall Farm (318 acres, 2 roods, 31 perches), Cock Public House and land, and land formerly belonging thereto (22 acres, 1 rod, 1 perch,) Dudds Wood, Birch Wood and Park Spring (107 acres 3 rods, 21 perches, lordships, and manors of Henham Hall and Rectory of  Henham als. Pledgdon Cannons, Parsonage farm (204 acres 1 rod, 34 perches) Henham Lodge Farm (403 acres, 1 rod, 7 perches)

23rd Oct. 1844 Mortgage for £ 5,000 Philip Stuart Feake to Jos. Howell Blood and Charles Edgar Stuart re Henham Hall Farm, in occupation of Widow Stallibrass; The Cock Public House and land, in occupation of Jos. Heard, and certain lands formerly held therewith now in occupation of James Bush; Dudds Wood, Birch Wood, and Park Spring; all in Henham.

2014 Uttlesford Pre-submission Consultation Paper

blossom hill 01b
Blossom Hill Exhibition

Henham Parish Council Response examination of Uttlesford local plan

14th November 1926 – Indenture between the Gilbey Family and Henham Parish Church