Langley
(Thank you once more, Noel Starr, for this convincing piece.)
Drovers in North-West Essex – Langley, an 18th Century Service Centre
I have had an interest in the Welsh Cattle Drovers for many years, developed by travelling to and from Saffron Walden to my home in Brynmawr for over 50 years. From these journeys I identified a number of routes in the southern Marches and through the Cotswolds.
However, when I read the book ‘Welsh Cattle Drovers’ by Richard Moore-Colyer , my curiosity was aroused by the Evan Edwards accounts, (1701) on page101 and the Davis accounts (1838) on page 98. Both sets of accounts showed rest at ‘Langley Green’ over a period of 137 years.
Langley is a small village about 8 miles from where I live and Langley (Lower) Green is a small hamlet, part of it. It is located roughly between the old toll roads to Cambridge (A10/B1368) and to Newmarket (old A11, now B1383). It is at a natural cross way where the droving route from the North, St Ives – Cambridge-Sawston meets a route from the North-West, coming from Clophill and the Chiltern ridge via Royston. From Langley there is a choice of two routes – one south via Much Hadham and Stansted Abbotts and on to London via Enfield, and the other South –east via Bishops Stortford (Starford) and Harlow to South Essex.
At Langley are all the requirements: inn, paddock, smithy, and water.
The pub, ‘the Bull’ was called ‘the Black Bull until mid-19th century. (#1). The paddock is currently rented out for grazing, (#2). The Smithy is very similar to smithies in south west Cambridgeshire - e.g. Thriplow - (#3) The cottages opposite have very interesting notice attached. (#4). 50 yards away is a small ford over a stream which always seems to have water.(#5).
