Topic
Topic ID 4632
31/08/2009 by Marilyn
Cowbridge
We had a couple of hours with a friend yesterday afternoon talking about "Old Hertford".
He tells me the mane "Cowbridge" comes from the fact that the cows were loaded onto trains at the end of Chambers Street by the bridge, it also makes sense that we have always called the area of Port Hill down the side of the bride were Austins now is and the Coal Yard used to be "the cattle pens" thas probably what they were!!
It would seem there was a photo of the land where the garage now stands piled high with old horseshoes, they were sold to Germany in 1938 and were loaded on the train from the end of Chambers Street. They tried to get the contract stopped but couldn't. I have a feeling they may have come back in another form dropped from the sky a couple of years later!
He has loads of stories like that so going to see if I can organise a recording for the Oral History Society!
Replies
Reply ID 66506
31/08/2009 by Steve
I understood that it was called Cowbridge because it was the route taken by cattle from the fields to the market in town. There a book of Hertford street names and their origins in the library - I'll check.
Reply ID 66509
31/08/2009 by Marilyn
It probably was that as well, maybe the "cattle pens" were used both for market days and the railway..........
Reply ID 66547
02/09/2009 by Steve
The name "Cow Bridge" appears on Andrews and Wren's map of 1766, which I believe is some time before the railway! [;)]
Reply ID 66549
02/09/2009 by Marilyn
quote:
Originally posted by Steve
The name "Cow Bridge" appears on Andrews and Wren's map of 1766, which I believe is some time before the railway! [;)]
As ever I stand corrected.
I suspect the "cattle pens" nickname may be railway related though.
Reply ID 67093
20/09/2009 by homeless
That's weird - as boys, we always thought it was named after the old woman who lived at number ** (I won't say the number).
5 replies