memorial field
In 1945, four acres of land on Henfield Common was earmaked for the creation of a sports pitch - adjacent to the existing cricket pitch - as a memorial to the 1939-45 war. The work was carried out between 1948 and 1950, and the work was completed with a dedication ceremony on September 16th, 1950. The black and white photos described below show the common as it was in 1947 and 1948, together with some of the work being carried out which turned it into the field we know today. The photos were taken from an album - photographs by Marjorie Baker - in the collections of the Henfield Museum, to which I am indebted.
MISCELLANY 26
Memorial Field 1: The common in 1947, probably taken from a back, upper room in one of the houses in Golden Square, such as Forges.
Memorial Field 2: Gorse - looking towards the pavilion, 1948.
Memorial Field 3: The first swathe of vegetation is cut.
Memorial Field 4: A view north from the Brighton road, near the old school. The house in the middle is Camellias, with Dykes to the left.
Memorial Field 5: Ground being cleared by Mr. Hills.
Memorial Field 6: Trees being felled by contractors A&J Fish.
Memorial Field 7: Stumps being uprooted by men from A&J Fish.
Memorial Field 8: Dragging out roots with a tractor.
Memorial Field 9: The partly cleared ground.
Memorial Field 10: The common in 1948, taken from Henfield Common North and looking towards the Brighton road and the old school.
MISCELLANY 27
Memorial Field 1: Harrowing the cleared ground.
Memorial Field 2: A view across the partially cleared ground from the cricket pitch edge. The semi-detached houses right of centre are Birtley and The Haven.
Memorial Field 3: A view from the road to Swain's Farm, showing the path of the stream. The windmill at the top of the Lydds can be seen on the far right of the photo, with the old school to its right and in front of it.
Memorial Field 4: This shows the outlook from the cricket pavilion in 1948.
Memorial Field 5: The outlook in May 1949.
Memorial Field 6: A drainage trench being filled in by bulldozer.
Memorial Field 7: Getting ready for another drainage trench.
Memorial Field 8: The stream dividing the woods from the sports field - before work started.
Memorial Field 9: The common in 1948, looking towards the village.
Memorial Field 10: Looking towards the pavilion from an area where cricket balls were frequently lost!
MISCELLANY 28
Memorial field: The field from its north-western corner, mid-July 2018 - demonstrating the run of hot, midsummer days and dry grass.
MISCELLANY 29
Memorial Day 1: Photographs from 16th September, when the Memorial Field was re-dedicated. This photo shows the villagers gathered round the memorial stone while speeches, prayers and a roll call of the Henfield dead from WW2 were read by Malcolm Eastwood, Rev. Paul Doick and Mike Morgan.
Memorial Day 2: The stone being re-unveiled.
Memorial Day 3: Children taking part in a sack race - one of many old-fashioned sports organised for the day.
Memorial Day 4: Part of the crowd outside the pavilion. At one point, the villagers attending the day numbered 1,800.
Memorial Day 5: Guest Sally Gunnell being interviewed at the pavilion.
Memorial Day 6: A view of the day from the pavilion.
Memorial Day 7: The WI Wild Violets, who provided refreshments in the pavilion throughout the day.
COUNTRY VIEWS 23
Memorial Field: A view across the renovated Memorial Field with the woods to the north. A photo from early October 2018.
Memorial Field 1: The common in 1947, probably taken from a back, upper room in one of the houses in Golden Square, such as Forges.
Memorial Field 2: Gorse - looking towards the pavilion, 1948.
Memorial Field 3: The first swathe of vegetation is cut.
Memorial Field 4: A view north from the Brighton road, near the old school. The house in the middle is Camellias, with Dykes to the left.
Memorial Field 5: Ground being cleared by Mr. Hills.
Memorial Field 6: Trees being felled by contractors A&J Fish.
Memorial Field 7: Stumps being uprooted by men from A&J Fish.
Memorial Field 8: Dragging out roots with a tractor.
Memorial Field 9: The partly cleared ground.
Memorial Field 10: The common in 1948, taken from Henfield Common North and looking towards the Brighton road and the old school.
MISCELLANY 27
Memorial Field 1: Harrowing the cleared ground.
Memorial Field 2: A view across the partially cleared ground from the cricket pitch edge. The semi-detached houses right of centre are Birtley and The Haven.
Memorial Field 3: A view from the road to Swain's Farm, showing the path of the stream. The windmill at the top of the Lydds can be seen on the far right of the photo, with the old school to its right and in front of it.
Memorial Field 4: This shows the outlook from the cricket pavilion in 1948.
Memorial Field 5: The outlook in May 1949.
Memorial Field 6: A drainage trench being filled in by bulldozer.
Memorial Field 7: Getting ready for another drainage trench.
Memorial Field 8: The stream dividing the woods from the sports field - before work started.
Memorial Field 9: The common in 1948, looking towards the village.
Memorial Field 10: Looking towards the pavilion from an area where cricket balls were frequently lost!
MISCELLANY 28
Memorial field: The field from its north-western corner, mid-July 2018 - demonstrating the run of hot, midsummer days and dry grass.
MISCELLANY 29
Memorial Day 1: Photographs from 16th September, when the Memorial Field was re-dedicated. This photo shows the villagers gathered round the memorial stone while speeches, prayers and a roll call of the Henfield dead from WW2 were read by Malcolm Eastwood, Rev. Paul Doick and Mike Morgan.
Memorial Day 2: The stone being re-unveiled.
Memorial Day 3: Children taking part in a sack race - one of many old-fashioned sports organised for the day.
Memorial Day 4: Part of the crowd outside the pavilion. At one point, the villagers attending the day numbered 1,800.
Memorial Day 5: Guest Sally Gunnell being interviewed at the pavilion.
Memorial Day 6: A view of the day from the pavilion.
Memorial Day 7: The WI Wild Violets, who provided refreshments in the pavilion throughout the day.
COUNTRY VIEWS 23
Memorial Field: A view across the renovated Memorial Field with the woods to the north. A photo from early October 2018.