Weaver's Cottages at the Highwood Back to Nailsworth Index
In the days before cars, when everyone walked, homes were built in woods as in The High Wood at Newmarket. Especially important were a little row of three cottages just in front of the wood, close to the Nodes Mill. Traditionally they were visible in the landscape as soon as you entered the Valley by Pike Lane. Then they fell into disrepair. And it seemed to be good news when someone applied for planning permission to restore them. Times change and there were objections from those who felt that the natural landscape should not be spoilt by buildings. Eventually, permission was granted on condition that the Nodes pond was restored. For many years the pond was in the ownership of Isaac Hillier's step son H.J.H. King and then his son Hubert King who ran King's Engineering at what was originally the Lot Mill and which today includes meringue making as one of its activities. The pond and the remains of the Nodes Mill were more or less washed away by the disaster floods of 1931. The good news is that work is now under way to restore the pond; so hopefully we'll see our cottage view again (Sept 2003).

This photograph was taken by and given to me by my son Francis as a wedding present when I married George Mills in 1976.