The Poultry Farm in Marshmoor Lane

[Ron Cave]

Years ago, in 1948 (I was 17) I worked for Dick Canham who managed the Chicken Farm on the corner of Dixon's Hill Road/Marshmoor. My co-worker was Ted Saltmarsh who lived somewhere in Dixon's Hill Road. It was great to come across the aerial photos of Welham Green taken in 1952 and see the wooden Chicken coops in those fields, probably well since gone! I'm wondering if there is anyone who can shed a light on the names and any snippets of information as to what has happened there in the last 60 years!! (Photos of me and Ted!)

[epiphany]

Hi Ron,


Thanks for posting. Great pictures - Do you have any others of the local area?


Although the wooden chicken coops are indeed long since gone, if you were to visit the site now you probably would not see a significant change.


The Canham's farmhouse is still there, although very little is now standing - it has been derelict for the past 40 years or so.


The glasshouses of Marshmoor Nurseries have all disappeared and have been replaced by a caravan & trailer business.


The only real change has been the addition of a residential park home site - Marshmoor Crescent in the centre of the site http://www.berkeleyparks.co.uk/parks/marshmoor-crescent/


UNFORTUNATELY this is all about to change. The various land owners and the local Council are intent on destroying this attractive rural buffer to Welham Green and have recently voted through a proposal to build 80 dwellings and 4.1 hectares of industrial work units as part of the proposed Local Plan for Welwyn Hatfield.


It was interesting to read your recollections on the SAHAAS site - http://www.stalbanshistory.org/page_id__428.aspx 


I have attached the proposal from Lord Salisbury's Gascoyne Cecil Estates (one of the landowners) for Marshmoor below.










 

[Ron Cave]

Thanks, no those were the only ones. We just didn't take photos then like we do today. I must have taken the one of Ted and he the one of me!
Glad you enjoyed my post on the St Albans page. I used to cycle from St Albans to Welham Green - did it for a year before I had to join the RAF.
Ron