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Rowhedge is a small village some two and half miles east of Colchester on the banks of the River Colne.  The village has had a chequered history wrapped around smuggling and piracy.  A well known local Victorian author even goes to describe, and I quote "By the roadside to Colchester where cross ways met, was growing an oak, that had been planted as an acorn in the mouth of a pirate of  Rowhedge, not many years before, who had been hung in chains for men murdered and maids carried off"   MEHALA  by S Baring Gould. Follow the link below to read the complete chapter:
http://arthur-ransome.org/ar/literary/meh2.htm

The seagoing folk of Rowhedge were very much favoured by the well heeled Victorian sailing fraternity as skippers and crew.   Rowedgians have served many famous personage in the mid to late Victorian era, none the least the Sir Thomas Lipton and his America cup challenges with the yacht  "Britannia".   The village was also famous for boat building which survived in to the nineteen seventies when the Iron works finally closed.

I now have the pleasure of living in this charming village and have thought it right to put up on the web, a collection of post card photographs of the village from, the earliest 1890 ,and where it is at all  possible photographs of  the same views today.  This village and that from which  I hail from, Hamble, in Hampshire, are similar in one respect.  Neither village can be passed through, you come to Rowhedge for Rowhedge and not to go further, other than the ferry when running in the summer.  However, I do hope you will enjoy .

The first  view of the village was from the Wivenhoe side of the River Colne taken , I believe, in the early 1900's.  The tall building on the left is Daniell's Brewery which closed in 1913 (why!!!)  - there were some ten pubs , I believe, together with six beer shops!!   One of the pubs, The Albion,  can be clearly seen, again on the left, the building with the flagpole  jutting out at the apex of the roof.   Further along adjacent to where the small boats are tied up can be seen  the "The Anchor"  Both pubs are still flourishing today. 

The modern photo shows the "Albion" clearly and easily recognisable however, the brewery there is no sign.  The photo is not a mirror image and I will try harder next time (suitably chastised).

I take the liberty of expressing my views regarding the history and local folk lore but must emphasise they are mine alone.

The picture post cards were reproduced with the kind permission of the publishers of the booklet  "Rowhedge - in old picture postcards" by George Pluckwell and published by European Library, The Netherlands..

This site is dedicated to the late George Pluckwell.

Should you wish to add any comments feel free to email me at rowhedger@tiscali.co.uk

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Village News

Wednesday, June 18, 2008