Where is this plaque of moulded brickwork?

Yesterday’s Photograph

Was of the ford in Sporhams Lane.

This is the only ford within the Danbury parish boundary.  Where is it?

Yesterday’s Photograph

was of the north end of the footpath known as Pedlars Path at its start point in Cherry Garden Lane.  It runs through to Danbury Vale.  Originally it continued through to Capons Lane but the southern end of the footpath is now a road, and this retains the name of ‘Pedlars Path’. See map below.

Image credit:  © OpenStreetMap contributors. Base map and data from OpenStreetMap and OpenStreetMap Foundation. Data is available under the Open Database Licence, cartography is licensed as CC BY-SA as per the OpenStreetMap copyright page.

Where is this footpath/bridleway, what is it called and where does it lead?

Clue:  It starts on the east side of the village and goes in a southerly direction.

Yesterdays Photograph

is of the Ice House in Danbury Park.

Ice houses were used for the storage of food and to cool drinks.  During the winter ice would be cut from local sources, such as the nearby lakes, and packed with straw or sawdust for insulation. Often the ice would remain frozen through to the following autumn.

In the 19th century considerable amounts of ice were imported from Scandinavia to support commercial ice houses but this declined in the early 20th century when factories started to make ice artificially.

Where is this and what was its original use?

Yesterday’s Answer

The Napoleonic Redoubt is on Woodhill Road close to the junction with Well Lane.  ‘Redoubt’ is defined as ‘a fieldwork enclosed on all sides’ and there would have been others created at that time, traces of which have not survived.

The Redoubt at Harwich, also built during the Napoleonic wars, is quite different and more like a fort.

There were strong fears of an invasion in the early 1800’s which resulted in a line of defences being built from East Sussex to Suffolk.  These included some 29 Martello Towers built between Felixstowe and Jaywick, and a further 27 between Folkstone and Dymchurch.  Additionally the Royal Military Canal, some 28 miles long, was built from Hythe almost to Hastings.  These were supported by the major military fortification of Dover Western Heights and Chatham Dockyards.

Although Napoleon’s final defeat came at Waterloo (Belgium) in 1815, the major losses he incurred against Russia in 1812 greatly reduced the possibility of an invasion, so work on the East/South coast defences ceased at this point.

This sign is self explanatory, but where is Danbury’s Napoleonic Redoubt?

Yesterday’s Photograph

The candle carrying character is on the roof of No. 67 Main Road, just up the hill from the Yacht Equipment shop.

Which house has this ‘Sleepy’ character on its roof.

Yesterday’s Photograph

is of Quinlan Court, seen from Mill Lane.  Quinlan Court sits behind the Danbury Medical Centre.

Built only 9 years ago, where is this imposing crescent shaped building?

Yesterday’s Photograph

The gate is at the back of St John’s Church, leading onto the church hill footpath.

The inscription reads “JESUS SAITH I AM THE WAY” which is a quotation from the gospel according to St. John, Chapter 14.

Where is this gate and what is the message in the scrollwork?

Yesterday’s Photograph

The derelict building with ‘Tea Rooms’ written on its side is at Runsell Green, opposite The Anchor pub.

It is called Wickham House and those who have lived in Danbury for more than forty years may remember it being run as a shop by two ladies.  Dating from the 19th Century, this building was originally The Saracens Head and operated as a beer house until it was closed by magistrates around the end of the 1st world war.  Apparently at the time Danbury had eight pubs to serve a village of about 800 inhabitants!

It says ‘Tea Rooms’, but where is this building?

Yesterday’s Photograph

That funny little top hat of a roof sits above the children’s slide in Dawson’s Field, Eves Corner.

This is a funny little ‘roof-top’ which is in a very visible position, but exactly where?

Yesterday’s Photograph

Is of the clock at the side of the entrance to Baker’s yard.  See below.