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A Brief History of Kimpton Page 6 By John Pollington Some snippets
of information from the beginning of the century until 1962, taken
from various sources: PM = Parish Magazine (Parish Church) PCM = Parish Council Minutes 1900 New scheme for the disposal of Sewage explored. Lord
Hampden offered lease of 2 acres of the Paddock for the scheme for 99
years at £3 per acre. County Council requested to kerb footpaths. PCM 1901 Population of Kimpton 944 1903 County Council requested to provide warning notices
on the roads for cyclists and car drivers. Letter of complaint sent to chief constable because
of excessive speed of motors turning the dangerous corner at the bottom of
Hitchin Lane and the High St. PCM 1905 Old Village Hall erected 1907 Stained glass window in Church porch and
south aisle inserted 1910 Shaw bought "The New Rectory" - Ayot St
Lawrence now Shaw’s Corner 1921 A notice board would be erected in the Recreation
ground prohibiting bad language. PCM 1922 Agreed to request roads from Kimpton to Whitwell,
Peter’s Green and Harpenden to be widened on account of road
traffic. PCM 1924 5 acre recreation field purchased from Lord Hampden
for £320 (was leased) PCM 1925 Letter written to all owners of sheep asking them
to send sheep to graze the Recreation Meadow. PCM 1926 Resolution passed to request a speed limit for
vehicles passing through the village. PCM 1927 Resolution passed urging electricity supply as soon
as possible. PCM Request to level part of the Rec. for tennis and
bowls. 1929 Request for public lighting for Kimpton - 8 street
lights at £4.10. 0 contract on each light. PCM 1932 Rat menace in village. 1934 A guide leader is being trained so Kimpton can have
a guide unit. PM 1936 Council agreed to number all houses and name all
roads after appeal from Hitchin Postmaster. PCM The
High Street was to extend from Ballslough to Luton Lane. PCM 1937 Air raid precaution committee set up. 1938 152 children to be received in connection with
London Schools Evacuation Scheme. 109 houses in Kimpton and surrounding district. Proposal
for mains water to be brought to most of the village PCM Air raid Precaution Com. Distributed 1000
respirators and work done on laundry shelter. Rural District Council gave permission to erect 3
street lights for Peter’s Green. 1939 Fire
at Wren’s Garage prompted call to widen the High Street at that point Moss
Home to be put on mains water via Cutts lane PCM Ladies
voices to be allowed in Church choir again = " Mr Batchelor is anxious
to revert to the custom which is quite an old one in Kimpton of having
the assistance of ladies voices in the choir." PM 1940 Spitfire Fund set up. Agreed to recommend to Rural District Council that the
Senior Warden’s post should be moved to the Men’s Club which would be
rented for 5s. per week plus lighting, fuel and attendance thus bringing
the ARP and Home Guard into closer touch. PCM 1941 126
Fire watchers in Kimpton Village ( 6 on duty every night) PM 1942 Cost of converting van given by laundry to be
an ambulance £15 PCM 1944 Long lease obtained for land to build a new
village hall on E. Side of Hall Lane PM 1945 Ambulance to be sold for £50 New
Village Hall to be the main war memorial 1946 Barclays
Bank to reopen on Thursday mornings in Kimpton PCM 1961 Census
Population of Kimpton - 1550 Before the last war, Kimpton Village Hall
was the long narrow building in the High Street next to The Wick. This had
been inadequate for a long time and in 1943 a committee was formed to raise
money for a new hall as a memorial to the men of Kimpton who had fallen in
two world wars. In 1956 Viscount Hampden opened the Memorial Hall sited in
Hall Lane. Early on the morning of 4th July 1981 the
building was almost totally destroyed by a fire, started by an arsonist. After an
enormous effort by everyone in the village and the village organisations,
funds were raised to build a bigger and better Memorial Hall, which was
opened by Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother on 10th July 1983. It had taken
just 2 years, - a fantastic achievement.
Kimpton High Street 1910
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Cruden’s cycle shop,
Kimpton High Street 1930
Kimpton Memorial Hall
after the fire in 1981 (photo by Jon Marsh) |
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Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother at the opening of the re-built hall, 1983 Comments? Enquiries? More information? |
