Barwick, Hertfordshire
| Barwick | |
|---|---|
  Barwick Barwick shown within Hertfordshire | |
| Population | 65 |
| OS grid reference | TL3819 |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Police | Hertfordshire |
| Fire | Hertfordshire |
| Ambulance | East of England |
| EU Parliament | East of England |
Barwick, Great Barwick, and Little Barwick (Berewyk 14th century, and Barrack[1] 19th Century) are hamlets in the civil parish of Standon in Hertfordshire, England. They are near the A10 road and the village of Much Hadham and the hamlet of Latchford. The River Rib flows behind Barwick & through Great Barwick.[2] There is a ford crossing at Great Barwick.
History
In the 14th century Barwick Manor, today known as Great Barwick Manor, was an estate and part of the larger Standon Manor and was in the King's name. The control was finally passed back to Sir William Say during the 16th century. Great Barwick hamlet predates the hamlet of Barwick.[2]
The settlement of Barwick, to the north of Great Barwick, was known as 'The Outpost'.[3] In 1888 the 'Smokeless Powder Company', owned by James Dalziel Dougall Junior, the son of the famous glaswegian gunsmith -J D Dougall, took a 99-year lease for 126 arces around 'The Outpost', from the Youngsbury Estate. The site's name was changed from 'The Outpost' to Barwick and Barwick was formed as a 'factory hamlet'.
The 'factory hamlet' was designed and superintend by the company's engineer Ernest Spon A.I.C.E. Mr Ernest Spon was also an international author of civil engineering books, such as 'Workshop Receipts' and 'The Present Practice of Sinking and Boring Wells...' Mr E Spon was interred at St John the Evangelist Church in High Cross village in 1890.
The Smokeless Powder Company (S.P.C.) manufactured various high explosive powders for use in torpedoes, artillery shells, small arms ammunition (for the military and sporting) and mine blasting. The 'Smokeless Powder Company' was a world leader in its high explosive powders. S.P.C had over 100 employees at the factory. S.P.C. was the first British company to export it's product to the U.S.A.
On 26 May 1893, there was an explosion & fire in one of the drying houses. As a result, company employees Mr A Aylott & Mr A Ginn both died in this incident[4] The accident was thoroughly investigated by H.M. Chief Inspector of Explosives - Colonel V.D.Majendie C.B; on 20 June 1893.
In 1896 the Smokeless Powder Company, was purchased by the New Schultze Gunpowder Company Limited, located at Eyeworth, Fritham, Hampshire.[5] As a result of this sale, the company was renamed the Smokeless Powder & Ammunition Company Limited in 1896. The company had two of Great Britain's greatest ballistics' experts working for it - Mr F W Jones & Mr R W S Griffith. The Smokeless Powder & Ammunition Company continued to produce high explosive powders until it ceased trading in circa 1910.
In circa 1912, Sabulite(Great Britain)Limited (or locally known as the 'Sabulite Works') took over the site and continued to turn out high explosive materials, namely Sabulite and Cleveland Powder, for military and civilian applications all over the world, especially in the Antipodes. William Herbert McCandlish the director of the 'Sabulite Works' patented a number of inventions namely a new hand grenade for use in the Great War and a new cutting machine for cordite. The 'Sabulite Works' went into liquidation in circa 1938.
Amenities
Barwick is made up of private residences, a caravan park and industrial units. There are no bus service, shops, telephone boxes, post offices or churches in Barwick. Barwick's public house was purposely built for the munition workers. It was initially named 'The Factory Arms' but in circa 1904 the public house changed its name to 'The Duke of Wellington'. The pub officially ceased trading in the late 1990s and is now a private residence.
References
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