North Mymms News: 2018

Volunteers wanted to help maintain Northaw Great Wood

Work parties every Friday and first Sunday in month

Volunteers are needed to help maintain the trails through Northaw Great Wood
Image by Hertfordshire Walker released under Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 4.0

Do you use the Great Wood at Northaw? Would you like to help maintain its 300 acres? If so, the group of volunteers that cares for the site would like to hear from you. Help is needed with a number of tasks, and those who want to volunteer can do as much or as little as they feel able. There is no obligation to turn up if you can't make it, and no experience is required.

Grade II listed monument no longer visible

Photograph of The overgrown Grade II listed tomb at St Mary's Church, North Mymms - August 2018 Image by the North Mymms History Project released under Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 4.0

The overgrown Grade II listed tomb at St Mary's Church, North Mymms - August 2018
Image by the North Mymms History Project released under Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 4.0

A tomb in the churchyard at St Mary's, North Mymms, which was listed as a Grade II historical monument in 1983, is now completely covered in ivy. It's not known whether any damage has been caused, but church representatives are to meet to consider how best to tackle the problem. Earlier this month the restoration of another listed tomb in the churchyard was completed. That repair cost several thousand pounds and took two years. That, too, had been covered in ivy in the 1900s.

Search for the Grade II listed item resumes

Photograph of the missing coal post which can be seen middle left of this picture taken in the early 1900s Image from G. Knott and part of the Peter Miller Collection

The missing coal post can be seen middle left of this picture taken in the early 1900s
Image from G. Knott, part of the Peter Miller Collection

For more than 120 years a coal post stood at the junction of Warrengate Road and Hawkshead Lane in the Hertfordshire parish of North Mymms. In the early 1980s it disappeared. Since then, mystery has surrounded what happened to the historical listed landmark. Now the North Mymms History Project (NMHP) is keen to resume the search.

Feasibility study set for September

Picture of Brookmans Park's Bradmore Green and Bluebridge Road. Image by North Mymms News released under Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 4.0

Crossing Bluebridge Road in Brookmans Park village can be a bit of a challenge at times, especially for the elderly and those with small children. Rush hour and the school run are particularly busy times. For years people have been talking about the need for a pedestrian crossing, but, so far, nothing has been done. Now it seems the situation might be about to change.

"Temporary solution" proposed by parish council

Photograph of Jonas Way. Image by North Mymms News released under Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 4.0

The potholes along Jonas Way, Brookmans Park, which runs between Moffats Lane and Gobions Open Space car park, are to be filled in as a "temporary solution", according to North Mymms Parish Council (NMPC). The local authority says it will provide the material for infill, and the Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust (HMWT) has, the council says, agreed to provide the labour.

Doors open for 'master plan' viewing

The RVC Hawkshead Campus Image by North Mymms News released under Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 4.0

The Royal Veterinary College is opening its doors to local residents next month as it
sets out its 'master plan' for the years ahead. The site has been continually expanding over the years and now says it's about to remodel some of its research, learning, teaching, and office space.

Your chance to be a hyperlocal journalist

Photograph of person typing on a computer keyboard Image by North Mymms News released under Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 4.0

Is there a local issue that you want to raise? Perhaps you have stumbled upon a local news story that you want to follow up. Or there might be something going on in the neighbourhood that you feel deserves wider attention.

New look with enhanced content

The Brookmans Park Newsletter is now a portal, offering an entry point for three new sites where all the history, walks, and archived news features have been updated, enhanced, and extended.

Highways officer told to 'sort it out'

A blocked grid on Station Road, close to an area known to be susceptible to flooding Image by North Mymms News released under Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 4.0

A month after road resurfacing work left the grids and gullies along Station Road, between Brookmans Park and Welham Green completely blocked with excess gravel, weeds and plants have taken root.

New tactics being used in Hertfordshire

Photograph of Herts police crime alert image

Police and Trading Standards officers in Hertfordshire are warning residents to be vigilant after rogue traders in the county adopt new tactics for conning people on the doorstep.

All walks are free to access, download, and print

All 74 local rambles on the Hertfordshire Walker site are now available to locate and access on a single map. The new feature also includes KML and GPX information for those who want to navigate the walks with a smartphone or any other mapping device. Both additions were suggested by users of the free walks site.

The Brookmans Park Newsletter discussion forum has closed

After more than 15 years featuring debates about local issues, the Brookmans Park Newsletter's discussion forum has closed following dwindling interest and activity.

Recent resurfacing work clogs waterways

Photograph of Station Road, Brookmans Park Image by North Mymms News released under Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 4.0

Many of the drains along Station Road, between Brookmans Park and Welham Green, are completely blocked with excess gravel. In one stretch, known locally as Watersplash because it's prone to flooding, all the grids have been filled with stones, leaving nowhere for rainwater to escape.

Parish council hires specialist company

Japanese knotweed in the Gobions Open Space woods
Image by North Mymms News released under Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 4.0

North Mymms Parish Council has agreed to a treatment plan for dealing with Japanese knotweed in Gobions Open Space. Work will begin in the summer. A second thicket of the invasive shrub at the North Mymms war memorial has been reported to Hertfordshire Highways.

Suspected thickets of invasive plant being investigated

A suspected thicket of Japanese knotweed close to the North Mymms war memorial on Tollgate Road

North Mymms Parish Council (NMPC) is obtaining quotes for the eradication of Japanese knotweed after the discovery of what is thought to be thickets of the invasive plant in Gobions Open Space and close to the war memorial. One of the patches is close to the rear gardens on the south side of The Grove in Brookmans Park. The other is on the bank to the north of the North Mymms war memorial close to Tollgate Road.

Four-week consultation ends June 6

Aerial photograph of Chancellor's taken by Paul Large of Falcon Media in September 2002

Aerial photograph of Chancellor's School taken in September 2002
Image by Paul Large of Falcon Media

The public has been given four weeks to respond to expansion plans drawn up for Chancellor's School, Brookmans Park, that aim to cater for a rise in school numbers from 180 to 210. The school says the "improved facilities" should be available from the autumn term of 2019.

Welwyn Hatfield told to review housing strategy

The latest edition of the Welwyn Hatfield Local Plan newsletter has just been circulated. In it the planning inspector's requirements of the council are set out in a list of 'key tasks'. That list, and the newsletter, are included below.

All departures and arrivals will be changing

Scan of the Great Northern Timetable May 20, 2018 to December 8, 2018

Great Northern has published a new train timetable affecting trains to and from Brookmans Park and Welham Green. It runs from May 20 to December 8, 2018. But local commuters have reported that they've found it difficult to make sense of what's been published online - particularly regarding arrivals and departures. So we've picked up the local timetable, scanned it, and it's now available below to download and print.

Photograph of a Welwyn Hatfield Local Plan event poster - image courtesy of the Welwyn Hatfield Times

The dates for Stage 4 of the Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council Local Plan examination have now been announced. They will be on Thursday and Friday June 28/29. Stage 4 will be looking at the individual allocated sites in Hatfield and Welwyn Garden City only; it's unlikely North Mymms sites will be discussed until later this year.

They're at it again, this time it's household waste

Photograph of Bradmore Lane closed at the Station Road end. Image by North Mymms News released under Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 4.0

Bradmore Lane, Brookmans Park closed at the Station Road end because of fly-tipping
Image by North Mymms News released under Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 4.0

A large dump of household rubbish, fly-tipped in the middle of Bradmore Lane, led to it being closed to traffic on Bank Holiday Monday. It's the third such incident in a little more than a week. Clearly, the current strategy for dealing with fly-tipping isn't working.

Photograph of a polling station sign. Image by secretlondon123 released under Creative Commons

The Conservative Party held Welwyn Hatfield but lost two seats. Labour lost one seat, the Liberal Democrats gained three seats. A third of the council seats were up for election this year. There was a 34.8% turnout.

Groundsman's complaint leads to council action

Fresh grass cuttings in the woods adjoining Gobions Open Space, May 2018 Image by North Mymms News released under Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 4.0

Fresh grass cuttings in the woods within Gobions Open Space, May 2018
Image by North Mymms News released under Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 4.0

The parish council has written to residents whose gardens back on to Gobions Open Space asking them not to dump garden waste on council-owned property. The letters have been sent to residents in The Grove, Brookmans Park.

Brings to 20 the number dumped in the last week

13 fridge freezers dumped at the western end of Bradmore Lane
Image by North Mymms News released under Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 4.0

Last week seven fridge freezers were dumped on the bend halfway down Bradmore Lane, this week another 13 have been tipped, leaving a trail of glass and metal along the road. The local council has been notified.

Already spotted in Hertfordshire

A caterpillar of the oak processionary moth.
Image by Wim Rubers released under Creative Commons BY 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

The Forestry Commission is warning that the oak processionary moth has been spotted in the South-East. They say the larvae, or caterpillars, of the moth can affect the health of oak trees, people and animals.

Local police are alerting residents of a banking scam currently doing the rounds in Hertfordshire. It seems the callers are persistent and using increasingly convincing methods to try to con would-be victims out of their savings.

What's changing between now and July 2018

Screen grab of the Brookmans Park Newsletter front page taken on 26 April 2018

It was announced at the start of the year that the Brookmans Park Newsletter is changing. This is an update on how those changes are progressing, and what can be expected in the two months leading up to the introduction of a new arrangement with our hosting company.

Photograph of Potters Bar household waste recycling centre Cranborne Industrial Estate Image courtesy of the Welwyn Hatfield Times

Potters Bar household waste recycling centre Cranborne Estate before the current closure
Image courtesy of Hertfordshire County Council

According to the Welwyn Hatfield Times, improved weather leading to a high demand, coupled with the charging for garden waste collection by some local authorities in Hertfordshire are being blamed for tips being "full to overflowing".

Did you lose a set of keys in Brookmans Park today, Wednesday 25 April, 2018? If so, Hertfordshire police might have them. Anyone claiming them will have to describe them.

Fridge freezers are classed as hazardous waste

Seven fridge freezers dumped down Bradmore Lane April 2018
Image by North Mymms News released under Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 4.0

Could these be yours? Have you had a restaurant refurbished recently? These seven fridge freezers have been left along the northern side of Bradmore Lane, just before the first bend. One is blocking a public footpath. The fly-tipping has been reported to the local authority.

We've added a new big, bold, green button to our three sites to enable you to print the pages you are reading. It allows you to edit out any content you don't want, leaving in only the elements you require. It's called Print Friendly, and is the green button in the line of buttons below.

Photograph of police car for the Herts police crime alert

A few months ago I was in my front garden when a white van pulled up. A bloke --- he must have been in his mid 50s --- rolled down the window and shouted "do you live here?" Caught off guard I said yes. "Well you need your trees done, mate", he said. "I can do them now for you now if you want."

Image of Herts police crime alert and appeal

The first of the two burglaries was in Oaklands Avenue on April 9, and the second in Westlands Drive on April 10 or 11. In both cases police are appealing for witnesses.

Some of the tank traps on the north side of Bradmore Lane
Photograph by Peter Miller

It was thought that there were half a dozen WWII tank traps buried in the hedgerow along Brookmans Park's Bradmore Lane, now more have been uncovered.

Photograph of what's thought to be a wartime defence emplacement near Brookmans Park Station. Image by Peter Miller

The remains of what's thought to be a wartime defence emplacement near Brookmans Park Station
Image taken by Peter Miller

What’s thought to be a strategic wartime defence position from WWII has been discovered close to Brookmans Park station.

Photograph of North Mymms Memorial Hall. Image by Mike Allen

North Mymms Memorial Hall, Station Road, Welham Green

The chair of the North Mymms Memorial Hall, Mike Allen, has written to this site asking for help in recruiting a new secretary and active committee members to help run the place.

The Swan, Bell Bar, in the 1900s
Image from the NMLHS, part of the Images of North Mymms collection

260 years ago, residents of Bell Bar had the choice of four pubs, all within a five minutes walk of each other, and all serving home-brewed real ale. All four inns or alehouses, The White Hart, The Swan, The Bell, and The Bull, had accommodation and stables too, because Bell Bar was a major staging post between London and the north.

Painting of Little Miss Muffet
From the former North Mymms Local History Society archive

There is a lovely feature on our new history site, The North Mymms History Project, about Little Miss Muffet. It explores whether she was a local girl living at Moffats Farm on Moffats Lane, Brookmans Park, and whether the nursery rhyme was written by her father.

Photograph of the gate close to site BrP4 west of Brookmans Park and south of Bradmore Lane, one of the site's being considered for housing Image by David Brewer released under Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 4.0

A gate and footpath close to site BrP4 west of Brookmans Park and south of Bradmore Lane
BrP4 is an allocated site in the Local Plan for 250 new homes
Image by David Brewer released under Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 4.0

Developers have been accused of "pushing to increase house building in North Mymms" and "add 899 new houses to the 609 already in the Draft Plan" for the parish.

Photograph of the headless children brass etching on the wall of St Mary's, North Mymms Image by David Brewer released under Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 4.0

The headless children brass on the wall of St Mary's, North Mymms
Image by David Brewer released under Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 4.0

From our local history site, The North Mymms History Project, the story behind the brass image on the wall of St Mary's Church showing a woman with two headless children.

Photograph of North Mymms House from the Peter Miller Collection

One of our other sites, The North Mymms History Project, has a short feature showcasing a video of a virtual tour of North Mymms Park. The video was put together by the auctioneers Sworders to promote an auction in April 2018.

Photograph of Gobions Wood and Gobions Pond taken in the snow on March 1, 2018. Image by David Brewer and released under Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 4.0.

For those who were unable to get out and walk in the snow, here are some pictures taken in Gobions Wood and at Gobions Pond on Thursday, 1 March, 2018.

Photograph of a gatekeeper butterflies spotted in Gobions Wood. Image by David Brewer released under Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 4.0

In 1998, five local women spent an hour a week from April 22 to September 18 walking through Gobions Wood recording the butterflies they saw. Their work resulted in a detailed report which was submitted to the National Millennium Butterfly Atlas Survey. A year later they did it all over again.

A flowering hornbeam by Amada44 released on Wikimedia Commons under Creative Commons BY-SA 3.0

This report, first published on The Brookmans Park Newsletter in August 2002, features 49 species of flowering herbs and shrubs (flowers, bushes and trees) seen during a short survey from Gobions Open Space car park through Gobions Woodland and back in April 2002. Illustrations have been added to the text submitted by Brenda Harold's WEA class, which carried out the survey. This page deals with the trees and shrubs. We have another page showing the herbs seen during the same survey.

Photograph of cowslip by Matt Brown released under Creative Commons BY-2.0

This report, first published on The Brookmans Park Newsletter in August 2002, features 49 species of flowering herbs and shrubs (flowers, bushes and trees) seen during a short survey from Gobions Open Space car park through Gobions Woodland and back in April 2002. Illustrations have been added to the text submitted by Brenda Harold's WEA class, which carried out the survey. This page deals with the herbs. We have another page showing the trees and shrubs seen during the same survey.

Photograph of amanita muscaria fungi in Gobions Wood. Image by David Brewer released under Creative Commons

Amanita muscaria fungi in Gobions Wood
Image by David Brewer released under Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 4.0

Gobions Wood is one of the best sites in Hertfordshire for fungi, according to the late Michael Jonas, one of the trustees responsible for the former Gobions Woodland Trust. But, in his report published in 1998 he wrote: "because some fungi are poisonous for humans to eat and perhaps also because they seem to appear overnight, they receive a bad press." We have preserved his report along with images of the species of fungi to be found in Gobions Wood.

Photograph of a red kite (milvus milvus) by Noel Reynolds released under Creative Commons 2.0

The following information about bird numbers in and around Brookmans Park has been researched and produced by local ornithologist Rupert Pyrah. The information was first published in the now closed environment section of The Brookmans Park Newsletter. The material is being archived on this site.

After 20 years attempting to serve the local online community, the Brookmans Park Newsletter is changing. The history section has moved to The North Mymms History Project, and the site's walks section to Hertfordshire Walker. Any news stories will be updated on this site, North Mymms News, and reflected on the main site.

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