Your House and Mine

Moor Gate House

Introduction
Map of Frieth
Moor End
   Bramblings
   Astrea
   Merrydown Cottage
   Corner Cottage
   Moor's End Cottages
   Moor Gate House
   Underwood
   The Copse
Fingest Road
   The Forge
   Folly Cottages
   The Willows
Perrin Springs Lane
   Perrin Springs
   West's Cottages
Ellery Rise
   Hilliers
   Lynden Cottage
Frieth Hill
   Hillside Cottage
   Rowleys
   Pear Tree Cottage
   Hillside View
   The Platt
   Little Barlows
   Cutlers Cottage
   Yew Tree Cottage
   Little Cottage
   Barlows
   Birch Cottage
   Tedders / Rose Cottage
   The Old Stores
   The Yew Tree Inn
   Fairfield House
   Flint Cottage 1
   Flint Cottage 2
   Inglenook
   Middle Cottage
   Sunny Corner
   The Gables
   The Orchards
   Hilltop
   Cattons
   Mallards
   Hillswood
   The Old Parsonage
   White Gates
   The Laurels
   The Cottage
   The Firm
   Marlstone
   Westwood
   Bradstone
   Haylescroft
   The Niche
   Rivendell
   Summerhill
   Ashcroft
   Selborne
   The Ranch House
   Sara's Cottage
   The Cherries
   The Old School House
Innings Road
   Collier's Farm
   Innings Gate
   Down the Lane
   Sunset Cottage
   Fermain
   Chilterns
   Rowan Cottage
   Creighton Cottage
   Apple Tree
   Old Well Cottage
   The Cottage
   Flat Roof
   Whitsun
   Backlins
   Red Kites
   Maidenscraft
Spurgrove Lane
   Maidencraft Cottage
   September Cottage
   Spurgrove Cottage
   Gable End
   Willems
   Elder Barn
   Sunnydale

Moorgate House, Frieth, 1969 - From Joan Barksfield's collection

This house [now known as Moorgate Cottage ?] on the opposite side of the road from Corner Cottage is aptly named as, well into the 19th C, a gate stood across the road at this point marking the end of Hambleden Parish in Bucks and the beginning of Ackhampstead in the Parish of Lewknor - a detached part of Oxfordshire.

Subsequently Ackhampstead was taken into, and still remains in, the Ecclesiastical Parish of Hambleden. (At the latter end of the 19th C Ackhampstead was split between the Civil Parishes of Lane End and Marlow)

During the 19th C when the old chapel at Ackhampstead was still in use a road/track led off the Frieth - Marlow road at this point and up to the chapel.

[ Click on 'A History of Frieth' in the menu bar above for a full description of Ackhampstead ]

Whether Moor Gate House was originally two cottages is not clear, but certainly by 1890 two families lived in it and the present house, now beautifully restored still retains two old bread ovens.

Mrs Hanson (nee Ansell) tells me that the Ansell family had lived at Moor's End since 1742, her mother was living in Moor Gate House c1965 and showed me round the property as it was before its restoration.

She told me that a quantity of earthenware flagons were found in the garden.  So was this house once a tavern of some kind or perhaps the owners were enthusiastic wine or metheglin makers ?

Mrs Ansell also showed me a depression in the floor of the 'backhouse' in which rested a circular earthenware pot (about 8" - 10" deep) with a lid.  So far I do not know what this pot was used for, but I have seen two similar ones in wine/beer cellars - one at Colliers Farm and one at Chisbridge farm.  Were they storage crocks for something to do with wine or beer making ?

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