We used to go through Coggeshall almost every Saturday on our way to Colchester which is the biggest town in the area. This whole area was inhabited by the Romans and Colchester was an important Roman military camp. The photo below is of a main street but it’s amazingly quiet, all the buildings remind me of the Mapp and Lucia books by E.F. Benson, although those books were set in Rye in Sussex. I half expected to see Quaint Irene wandering about the place.
I’m sure I’ve got a jigsaw puzzle somewhere which looks very similar to this photo. The buildings are so alien to me but very attractive.
I can’t help thinking that they look like they would just fall over if you gave them a wee bit of a nudge. The one below is unusual because the timbers are intricately carved.
And yet another English church, this one does have an unusual name though, St. Peter-ad-vincula, but I think it just means St Peter-in-chains.
Coggeshall is another one of those sort of chocolate boxy places and they all seem to have a few up-market boutiques, there’s certainly more to the place than I remember. Thirty odd years ago it was well known for having inhabitants who were a bit daft and were known as Coggies but I like to think that they were just ‘characters’ and weren’t actually suffering from inbreeding!
No ,we were not and are not products of inbreeding , we simply have a sense of humour ! And maybe , even though many of us have moved away , maybe we just do not wish to comply to the plastic world of the masses ! đŸ™‚
Wonderful Characters , well most of them .
Thank you for your further comments though .
Happy Greetings,
Peter B. Thompson.
Facebook: ‘Peter B. Thompson’s Paintings .
Peter B. Thompson,
I’m glad to hear it! As I recall ‘Coggies’ were teased for being different but then I was working in Witham with people who tended to be London overspillers and they couldn’t see past London. Coggeshall is a lovely place, you were lucky to be living there. Thanks for dropping in!
I to was born in Coggeshall, and i can’t recall any inbreeding, at least i don’t remember guest at weddings all sittings on the same side of the church!!!
Many of us who have moved away would love to come back and live in sunny Coggeshall again. It was an amazing place to grow up, everyone in the village got on well and would do anything to help you out.
Don’t knock it til you’ve tried it!
C.A.Thompson Neave
Carol,
Lucky you – growing up in Coggeshall, it is a lovely wee place, but for some reason did have a reputation for eccentric inhabitants. Maybe the rest of the folks in Essex were just jealous! I hope you manage to move back there some day. Thanks for dropping by.