On Sunday we motored across to Stanstead Airport with Ruth and the girls, setting off at 7.15 a.m. On the way there we ran across a road sign in Essex which never ceases to puzzle me. Although it was raining at that time, I think the notice is quite readable in the top picture. As a statement it is interesting. I suppose that long gardens might reduce your speed, but surely only if the gardens had now become so long as to have grown right over the road surface?
Here is a rather clearer picture of a similar sign on the way home, approaching Halstead.
On Monday we decided that a walk was needed to sweep the cobwebs away, so we donned welly boots (remember it had rained quite hard on Sunday) and set out to do the complete river walk, where we found our resident pair of swans, and their one remaining cygnet from last year's five. I suppose for a pair of swans who seem to have five cygnets annually it is not always possible to find five suitable partners for them all.
Been to the Long Melford Antique Fair today. Bought a quite nice, sheet iron, tinder box from Graham's stand- needs work though. And also bought a small, double bladed knife, with a fretted steel handle, probably from a lady's 'chatelaine. Generally speaking, a goodish fair.
Been a long day -we set out at 7a.m.- so will, I think, wish you all a very Good Night.
5 comments:
I've never seen such a sign, how funny! And I can't think what those scimitar-like patterns are meant to indicate.
Long Gardens appears to be a residential road in the village now known as Twinstead which is recorded in the Domesday Book as Tumesteda and is a small parish overlooking the Stour Valley. There has been a settlement there from as early as the 12th century being called at various times Tumstead and Tunstead, Twinstead being a mis-transcription of the handwritten Tumstead.
Much of the History is handed on verbally and concerns stories of farming, the land and the lives of country folk. Archbishop Simon of Sudbury, Simon Theobald had his Summer Palace there; he got the blame for the first Poll tax. At the culmination of the Peasants Revolt of 1381 he was dragged from the Tower of London and beheaded, his body being buried in London while his skull remains in Sudbury at St. Gregory's Church. See Wright's History of Essex, vol. i., p. 484.
Presumably if you fail to reduce your speed you will be unable to make the turn into Long Gardens and end up in front gardens. The heraldic device of 3 scimitars paley suggests perhaps an historic link to a crusader?
addendum to previous comment:-
the scimitars were originally saxon seaxes presumed modified in the 19th century ~ so small chance of crusader link.
see:- https://britishcountyflags.wordpress.com/2013/05/20/essex-flag/
Hi Mike,
I notice my comment of 4th January 2017 on Long Gardens (a street in Twinstead, Sudbury, Essex) appears to have escaped your attention, it probably wasn't worth publishing, but I'm a little concerned that your 'pooter may be making executive decisions on your behalf without consultation ....
Hello Z. The three scimitars indicate that you are in Essex (North Essex in this case).
Hello Crowbard. My thanks for your invaluable research on this, and indeed on all the subjects we have waffled on about in this blog.
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