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Heybridge Basin (Cannibal
Island) |
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Click
on underlined blue names for link to more details |
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The Village tour |
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Page
Five |
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The passage, footpath
or lane between the the corner dwelling and 'Sam
Purkiss's' shop called 'Two Ways', is the entrance to what
was for some time the oldest part of the village. It was basicaly
a 'T' with one part going straight through to end at the canal
by the 'Granary', a junction half way with another lane leading
round in a curve passing where the 'Eel
Company' later established their offices and ending beside
the end of the group of cottages by the canal Basin on Lock Hill.
A rough drawing of the first part of the lane is shown below. |
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(above) the layout of the first part of 'Two Ways' lane
in the 20's and 30's. |
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After entering the lane
from 'Basin Road', first on the right was once a small sweet
shop run by 'Mary Ellis' (later by Mrs Mynard a relative of Rob
Burling), followed by the 'Privvy' of 'John Crisp's' house on
the other side of the lane, and then 'Mrs Hilliers' tea room
and shop. The group of three cottages were there from the earliest
times and saw many changes of use. John Crisp who unfortunately
had to cross over the lane to use his inconvenient convenience,
owned the large trading ketch 'Ada Gane', which was often kept
in the Basin and can be seen on many of the old postcards and
photo's. It was in this group of three cottages that saw three
different named beerhouses in their time .... the 'Carpenters
Arms', 'Chelmer Inn' and the 'Bergholt Arms' affectionately referred
to as 'The Boghole'. |
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(above & below) the
cottage that was once the 'Bog Hole'. |
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Ernie Odam was generally
known as 'EAO' and ran an electrical and other businesses fom
the building just further around the bend. |
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(above) 'EAO's' place
is to the left with the white flagpole beside it, and the 'Bog
Hole' to the right out of sight. The open land in front of 'EAO's'
in later years became one of the two boat yards of 'Hartley &
Brookes'. Picture taken from in front of the oldest house. |
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Behind the 'Boghole'
was one of the two brewerys that there are known to have been
in the village, and a little further along the offshoot of 'Two
Ways' lane stood the 'oldest house'. |
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(above) the first house
built in the village. (and also the first Lock Keepers House). |
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Further along that offshoot
lane in the corner was in later years, the 'Eel Company's' offices
were built, these offices and building were at one time occupied
by 'Electraction Ltd' before the boatbuilders 'Hartley &
Brookes'. |
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(above) boatbuilders
offices on the old 'Eel Company' site. |
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(above) another section of 'Two Ways' Lane c1925 |
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