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Little Hadham

A Brief History of Little Hadham

Straddling the A120 Little Hadham nestles along the banks of the Ash and contains many timber framed cottages and farmhouses.

You can also find remains of a windmill in the fields between Little Hadham and Albury End. The well-equipped village hall is home to the Hadham Players, a playgroup, Post Office and Doctors Surgery.

The medieval St Cecilia's Church, was reconstructed in the late 14th or 15th century and apparently the Bishop of London is still patron. In the church is a memorial stone to Arthur, Lord Capel, who was executed for treason and hanged on March 9th 1649. An ardent Royalist during the Civil War, he was sent to the Tower of London after being captured by Parliamentarians. He escaped but was re-arrested and one of his last requests was for his heart to be buried with King Charles I. The Bishop of Winchester preserved it in a silver box and gave it to Charles ll when he was restored to the throne.

It is believed the King sent it to Capel's son, the first Earl of Essex because in 1703 a heart in a silver box was found at Hadham Hall. It was transferred to Cassiobury, near Watford, where the family later lived, but its whereabouts since are unknown.

Hadham Hall was the family home of the Capels, who became the Earls of Essex under Charles II. The Hall was in fact the entrance range of an Elizabethan house that was built around a large courtyard. It is thought that Queen Elizabeth I once stayed there.

Did you know about the Roman Baths in fenced off woodland near Albury Hall, or whilst mentioning Albury Hall that this was a top secret military installation in the Second World War?

Another fact is the road connecting Much Hadham with Little Hadham, Albury and the Pelhams used to be a 'C' numbered road before they were abolished.