That is one of the most interesting items I have read for a long time. Thanks Phil. My only connection with Herts is back in 1850s when two women in my family lived at Nascot Cottage and in Bushey. Other than that I know nothing of the county. And all you write is absolutely fascinating. Pat ----- Original Message ----- From: "Phil How" <phil@howlight.co.uk> To: <ENG-HERTFORDSHIRE-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Monday, October 31, 2005 10:34 PM Subject: [HRT] Croxley Mills > Indeed Croxley Mills existed. > It stood on the South bank of the Grand Union Canal, between the > Rickmansworth Road, and Croxley Moor. It was accessed at the Watford end > by "Beggar's Bush Lane", and at the Croxley end by Mill Lane, and Croxley > Common Moor. It was the first paper mill in the world to take in raw > material (mainly rags) at one end, and send out shop ready paper at the > other. "Croxley script" writing paper was produced there, as were "Three > Candles" manuscript paper, and some "Basildon Bond", as well as many of > the specialty papers. There were other brands which I cannot remember the > names of. > The Dickinson family, lived in Croxley, though they did not originate > there. > There was a war memorial there for those employees that lost their lives > in the 2 world wars. > The location of the site at Croxley was crucial to it's success. > Like all Dickinson's Mills, it was on the Grand Union Canal, which meant > that raw materials could be brought in by barge from all over the country. > Massive amounts of coal were used in the boilers there, which was brought > by barge from the coal fields in the North. There used to be a huge > conveyer belt system, which ran 24 hours a day, to carry the coal from the > stock pile at Common Moor Lock, to the boilers some 1/4 of a mile away. > Rags and cotton waste (the main raw materials for paper in the early days) > were also brought in by barge from the cotton mills in the North. > The other main resource needed was water, which was readily available from > the river Gade, which runs along at the side of Croxley Moor. The river > became very polluted at one stage, but after great efforts were made in > the 1950s and 60s, with the clean air acts, this was virtually eliminated > by the 1970s, and of course has completely vanished with the closure of > the Mills. > The paper, in huge rolls, was taken to London by canal for use, amongst > other things, in the newspaper industry. > Much of the paper was also sent to "Sun Printers", which was the other > main employer in the immediate area. The company, along with Odham's Press > in North Watford, eventually became part of the infamous Robert Maxwell > empire > The huge printworks on the corner of Whippendell Rd, and Greenhill > Crescent has been demolished in the last couple of years, and redeveloped > into the "Rising Sun" Hotel, Industrial Units, and housing. The old Sun > clockhouse, where the workers used to clock in for their shifts, still > stands on a piece of ground opposite the Hotel, and clearly visible from > the roundabout there. > I worked at the mills for several years until sadly they closed in 1980, > due to ongoing losses caused mainly by restrictive work practices, high > wages, and too many strikes. It was a major employer in the area, with > well over 1,000 people employed directly at the mill, at it's peak, and > many other jobs dependant upon the mill. Many generations of families in > Croxley worked at the Mills, and the closure was a big blow to the > village. The character of the village has changed a lot since then. A > large number of people moved away to find other work, though a lot of > ex-employees still live in Croxley. My old friend Tom French was one of > the 4 shift managers at the mills when they closed, and he still lives a > stone's throw from where the Mills stood. He became a piano tuner, which > is perhaps an extreme example of the diversification of trades which > people branched into after the loss of the security of lifetime employment > at the mills. > Until the Mills were built, Croxley was a fairly small, though ancient > village, the first reference to it being when it was given to an employee > of King Offa! > The main produce of Croxley were Cherries and Water Cress, but with the > Mills came much prosperity, and a huge expansion of the village. Dickinson > Square and Dickinson Avenue were built specifically for Mill workers, > along with the Dickinson's Co-operative store, which is now the Co-op. > There was a building on the corner of Dickinson Square and New Rd, > opposite the Co-op, known as the Guild Hall, which was Dickinson's social > club. It was a large Green corrugated Iron Building which burnt down in > the 1960s. Some flats were built there, which are named after the Guild > Hall. > John Dickinson also built the Methodist Church in Croxley, and Yorke Rd > School, both of which I (and my 2 brothers) attended. The school was > closed down in the 1960s, at the end of the post war baby boom, but still > stands on the corner of Yorke Rd and the Watford Rd, next to the Duke of > Yorke pub. There was another school the other side of the pub, also built > by John Dickinson, but that was demolished some years ago and replaced by > some large houses, the roofs of which I can see from my back bedroom > window.He encouraged employees to become literate, and built the original > Croxley Library by the old post office on Croxley parade, also long > gone.He was a great benefactor to the area > Dickinson's Playing Fields are still very much a part of Croxley life, > with the Croxley Guild of Sport still running football and cricket teams. > The clubhouse (commonly known as Dicko,s) was originally built for > employees of John Dickinson. The main entrance to the fields was through > the massive and splendid wrought iron gates which still stand on the East > side of the Green, opposite the Artichoke pub. > So, as you can see from this brief (?) message, Croxley Mills really did > exist! > > Regards > Phil HOW. (Born, Bred, and still living in Croxley) > > > ==== ENG-HERTFORDSHIRE Mailing List ==== > To POST a message to this list use the address: > > eng-hertfordshire-l@rootsweb.com > > 2) To SUBSCRIBE or UNSUBSCRIBE send a message to: > > ENG-HERTFORDSHIRE-L-request@rootsweb.com (if you are in mail mode i.e. > receiving > the messages individually or want them individually) or > > ENG-HERTFORDSHIRE-D-request@rootsweb.com (if you are in digest mode i.e. > receiving a digest of multiple messages or want this mode) > > In the BODY of the message (not the subject line) type the word subscribe > or unsubscribe. > > > > -- > No virus found in this incoming message. > Checked by AVG Free Edition. > Version: 7.1.362 / Virus Database: 267.12.7/159 - Release Date: 2/11/2005 > >