Making a mountain out of a Mill Hill
Mill Hill, Mill Hill.
I've seen the Hill, but where's the Mill?
I asked Dave, I've asked Bill,
No one knows, a mystery still.
I walk up Millway every day,
but there's no Mill on Watford Way,
There is no Mill on Newcombe Park,
I've searched but I am still in the dark.
So why is my home called Mill Hill?
A new name is needed, Something ville?
We've got Rugby and we've got music,
Best in Europe, so why not use it?
But Saracens Ville or Rock and Roll Village,
Doesn't sound nice or give the right image,
So even though we've go no Mill,
I guess we're stuck with Old Mill Hill!
Copyright 2019 - Roger Tichborne
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| The Old Forge Mill Hill |
There is a bit of a back story to this. When I was about seven years old in 1969, I asked my Dad where the Mill was. I assumed there was a big Mill somewhere. He suggested that we jump in his car and have a look for it. We spent a joyous half an hour zooming around the streets of Mill Hill, looking for it. Then we got to the junction of Highwood Hill and Lawrence Street. There was a group of people gathered outside the 'Old Forge tearooms' on the small green. Dad suggested we stopped an had a look. To my great delight, the Old Forge was having a strawberry fair. So we had tea, with strawberries and cream. It was delightful. I completely forgot about our mission to find the Mill. As a parent, I now realise that Dad had probably planned going for strawberries all along, as bunch of his mates were there. A couple of weeks after, I said to him that surely they should change the name of Mill Hill, as there was no Mill. He said if I could think of a better name, he'd have a word with Mayor and get it changed. Sadly, to this day, I've been unable to come up with a better one.
A reader has informed me that I was 215 years too late, in my hunt for the Mill!
More info here
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mill_Field
Last summer during the hot weather, I was in the Mill Field and noticed something odd in the by now yellowing grass: what looked like crop marks/parch marks - many of which were seen around the country at the time, revealing interesting archaeological sites previously unknown. I took pictures. No expert, and of course it may be markings from sports field use or similar - but worth investigating as it was at the high point in the field where you would expect a mill to be located. Wish HADAS or similar would take a look ...
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