What the Dickens is going on in Chigwell?
At the end of our journey, local history buffs congregated under the Dickens Oak. Please join our rapidly growing community facebook page (click here) On Saturday 5th December 10 people from Chigwell and the surrounding area travelled across the various sites in Chigwell Row and Chigwell Village that had a connection to the world famous author Charles Dickens. Initially people met just behind the car park of the Maypole pub The tour began at the Dido Oak in Hainault Forest accessible via Sylvan Way. This is a veteran oak (old but not quite ancient a list of definitions can be found here ) that was once made famous in Tatler Magazine back in 1903, due to an article about the Hermit of Hainault, a man named William Bell otherwise known as Dido who once lived in the forest under the cover of some sackcloth. In his pocket he carried herbal roots, snakes, newts and anything else he could make money form. Apparently he used to say: 'They call me Doctor Bell, Bec...
Comments
Post a Comment