The picture above gives and idea of the steepness of the hill heading towards between Bathway and how much lower the cottages are from the main road. This difference in height may be due to the cottages being situated on the route of an earlier road. This is more signficant with the row of cottages closer to the top of the hill. There is a small gap between the two rows of cottages so this row is given the generic name of the ‘lower row’ to differentiate between them. Some of the earlier records are not clear about which row of cottages the person lived in. |
The lower row is earlier that the upper row as shown by this stone. The upper row of cottages has a similar stone but with a date of 1832. The turnpike road was built around 1754 so it is possible there were cottages here before 1810. The initials are confusing. The meaning of the ‘M’ is not clear and it may coincidence that the date stones for both sets of cottages begin with ‘M’. The Adams family is one prospect for the origin of the ‘A’. Adams Grove is not very far away which was probably named after the descendents of some of the people living in the area. |
The occupants may have worked in one of the farms close by. Nedge Farm was directly behind and was connected by a lane than is now blocked off. Everards farm was a bit further on and may have been classed as in the West End or Middlesex tithings. There were also a number of farms in East End tithing |
The cottage on the end of the row is called The Old Forge and there is evidence of blacksmiths working in the area before Uphills. There was also a blacksmiths or foundry at Bathway, what is now Chewton Field House and Cutlers Green which are all within walking distance. The 1839 map confirms the Uphill family were occupying the old forge at the time. |
The 1840 map suggests that there may have been a religious motivation for some of the people to live in the area. A Methodist Chapel was in operation close by near to Rouse Corner . A Methodist chapels were later built in Bathway and Chew Hill. |
The Victorian school registers often refer to Edge Hill or Nedge but without being more precise where the people lived. |
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