Carole-thanks for the directions to Nazeing. Do you think the caretaker at
the church would let my sister and myself in to see the church? Would also
like to get info on the Curtis family. Do you know if the Camp and Curtis
homes are in lower Nazeing, or did you see them? We are really going to trot
for the week of Feb. 17-28.Just reread your first e-mail and can you tell me
how I can reach the Warden of the church? Thanks, margaret
----- Original Message -----
From: "Carole Johnson" <fojo(a)mindspring.com>
To: <CAMP-L(a)rootsweb.com>
Sent: Friday, January 26, 2001 2:30 PM
Subject: [CAMP-L] Directions to NAEZING
To those of you who are not familiar with mass transit - have
no fear - the British rail system is very efficient. Some trains
are actually clean!
As Cragg Hines informed me: "There is very frequent service from
Liverpool Street Station in London to Broxbourne (the closest village
to Nazeing with rail service), which takes about 25-35 minutes."
The Liverpool Street Station serves the Underground service as well as
the regular rail trains. I found a very helpful agent who gave specific
directions. Once you arrive in Broxbourne station it will be necessary
to take a taxi to Nazeing. Our taxi driver knew just how to get to the
church (his children were baptised there). It is about 2 miles from
Broxbourne to Lower Nazeing and about 2 miles more to the far end of the
village. The church is up a narrow lane and sits on the top of a hill.
(Beautiful)
A caretaker lives in front of the church. At the time of our visit
there wasn't anyone living in the vicarage. The church was open when
we arrived, but I don't think that is usually the case. The caretaker
was very pleasant and seemed to enjoy talking about the church. There
is a lady who lives directly across from the church, but during our
visit she was on her way to the hospital to sit with her critically
ill husband, so we didn't want to burden her with questions.
The nave of the church dates to the Norman times (around 1100s). The
pediment for the baptismal font was apparently also from those times.
The basin of the font dates from the early 1500s. I could visualize
the little heads of our ancestor's being held over it. There are
beautiful leaded and stained glass windows, but those were installed
after our ancestors left. The trunk that held the original parrish
records is still in the church. The Ten Commandments plaque was
installed by decree of Elizabeth I. There are no grave markers legible
older than early 1800s, but the parrish register indicates that CAMPs
were buried there from the 1500s onward. I suppose over time people
were buried on top of others.
The church grounds and cemetery are protected as a wild flower (and I
presume wildlife) refuge. We were there in early May and the grounds
were positively gorgeous. The grass is not mowed until after the
wildflowers have gone to seed and was quite tall. There are grave
markers right up next to the walls of the church. If you've seen the
movie "Sense and Sensibility" then you are familiar with what the
church grounds look like. It is so different from our over manicured
public areas.
Enjoy!
Carole
As a note: There is only a pub in Nazeing. No other restaurants.
I'd advise eating in Broxbourne. We could find nothing open after
two in the afternoon until the restaurants opened back up for dinner.