Ella Barnes (nee Ireland) was born in Hethersett in 1911 and wrote about a walk around Hethersett in the 1920s when there was plenty of open space and fields:
There was no electricity, gas or piped water. Water was obtained from wells and pumps and the roads were untarred:
"Walking down Great Melton Road from Lynch Green, apart from dwellings occupied by Mr and Mrs Mapes and one by Mr Levine, there was no other development on the right nearly down to the junction with Henstead Road. On the left were the dovecoats, next to two little cottages .... Then there were two small cottages on the other side of the road. Further along was the chapel and next it it a grocer's shop run by a Mr and Mrs Kent. In Oak Square was a bakery run by two Mr Smiths, while next was a butchers, William Curson. Then came two more little houses. Mr and Mrs Pike lived in one, and he was a gents' hairdresser (called a barber), while in the other lived PC Burton and his family. There was nothing further on this side until the Post Office on the corner (now the McMillan Charity Shop) run by Miss Buckingham and her son. Almost opposite in Great Melton Road was a long driveway to a house and alongside was the old bicycle shop which also sold paint, wallpaper and a few clothes, and this was run for years by the Childs' family until it is thought the lease ran out. The big house next to this and down another driveway included a pork butcher run by Ernest Smith.
On the right, further down the road, was a grocer's shop run by Mr and Mrs Sharman. Just past the grocers was a house standing back from the road. There was nothing more until Cann's Lane. On the other side of the road there were no buildings until you reached Beech Grove Farmhouse. On the corner of Cann's Lane was Beech Cottage. There was nothing on either side until you reached a row of cottages next to the then Village Hall and what is now Hethersett Social Club. Then followed a grocer's shop followed by two more little cottages. The school came next (known as the National School and subsequently the Middle and now the Junior School). Next to the school playground were two more cottages. Then there was an opening with more cottages and there were more down the drive. Opposite the Queen's Head were three more cottages belonging to Hethersett Hall.
In Queen's Road, nearby the Queen's Head, was the original National School but no longer run as such at the time. It was later used as a furniture store for Mr Lemon and subsequently pulled down and a plaque was placed in the front garden of the present dwelling.
Turning left onto the main road (now Old Norwich Road) was a house and a row of Hall Cottages and at the end the harness maker, Boss Hickling. Going right past the public house you came to the blacksmith Jack Curson. The bungalow was built later. Then followed the Harvey Foundry making agricultural implements, with Cann's Lane on the corner. On the opposite corner was the Prince of Wales, and a little further along was Whitegates, owned at that time by the Boswells, wine and spirits merchants (Now Fire Service Headquarters). The King's Head came next, followed by The Priory, owned and lived in by Mr and Mrs Raikes, and then Woodhall, where Mr and Mrs Andrew and family lived. Opposite was the Old Hall, occupied by Mrs Ransom and her son. There was also a worker's cottage. Passing fields you came to Whitehall Farm (now Park Farm Hotel) and two cottages for farm workers.
Returning to New Road, then but a lane, there was nothing until you got to Eke's Farm and three or four cottages. Then there was nothing until you reached what was called Wood's Loke with a farm run by Mr and Mrs Wood (the loke is now an extension of New Road).
On to Great Melton Road and turning towards the village was The Hollies and two houses later pulled down to accommodate Glengarry Close, and then came the butcher, Edward Dann, opposite what is now Malthouse Road. Continuing on this side you came to Lynch Green, where a letter box existed for many years. On the opposite side of the road was Malthouse Farm, later taken over by Emms the Florists. There was just one house between the farm and Mill Road, where Hazel Nicholls lived with fields all around.
The Irelands moved into a council house in Lynch Green in May 1915. Proceeding down this road there was nothing on the left, but further on, on the right, were two cottages, followed by a row of cottages (since pulled down). Further down still, on the left, was Lynch Green House, then owned by the Sharman family until 1999, when Sybil Woods, Thomas Sharman's great-granddaughter, moved to Wymondham. In earlier times it had been a beer house. Lying back from this was a number of small cottages in one of which Doris Winterborn had lived. From the corner, looking down a drive, two cottages could be seen. Robert Curson had his builders and undertakers business in one, now known as Myrtle Cottage, Wiffen's Loke. On the left was a big house, later occupied by Mrs Roberts. The Thatched Cottage lay back off the road and still exists, being the only thatched dwelling in the village. Then follows the Oaks (requisitioned in the war as an officers' mess) and another dwelling. The Shrublands, followed by two little cottages (the redbrick house was built about 40 years ago). There was nothing more on the right until the White Cottage at the end. Opposite Lynch Green in Henstead Road was a row of cottages, Miller's Row. Moving right was the British School (now Church Hall) and opposite that was the Baptist Chapel, known as the Ebenezer Chapel. Next to the school was a house where the headmaster, Mr Beeby, and his family lived, and next door to that was the Greyhound. Opposite and next to the chapel was a roadway leading to some more houses. Moving along and on the right you came to the shop on the corner and opposite to that the doctor's house.
Cedar Road, passed early on the tour in Lynch Green, contained only Cedar Grange, occupied in 1922 and for several years by Judge Charles Herbert-Smith. It was gated all week, except on Sundays.
Moving south down Mill Road you pass on the right the house where a friend, Hazel Nicholls, lived, and assiduously fed and looked after the ducks.
Taking a trip down Cann's Lane, leaving Beech Cottage on the left, came the Manor House and a cottage, while down a loke there were two or three more. On the right was a grocer and a big house occupied by a market gardener. There was nothing more on the left until one reached the old A11, while on the right were the cottages of Mrs Wiseman and another. Then came a lokeway with some houses in one of which lived Mrs Bailey and her two sons, one of whom was a shoemaker. The hut in the garden was a memorial to Cyril and is engraved C.J. Bailey. Further along was another house and next to it a dwelling later pulled down.
When Ella left school there was no immediate job for her, but after a few weeks she obtained work in the Caley Factory in Norwich, to which the only transport was a bike.
There was no electricity, gas or piped water. Water was obtained from wells and pumps and the roads were untarred:
"Walking down Great Melton Road from Lynch Green, apart from dwellings occupied by Mr and Mrs Mapes and one by Mr Levine, there was no other development on the right nearly down to the junction with Henstead Road. On the left were the dovecoats, next to two little cottages .... Then there were two small cottages on the other side of the road. Further along was the chapel and next it it a grocer's shop run by a Mr and Mrs Kent. In Oak Square was a bakery run by two Mr Smiths, while next was a butchers, William Curson. Then came two more little houses. Mr and Mrs Pike lived in one, and he was a gents' hairdresser (called a barber), while in the other lived PC Burton and his family. There was nothing further on this side until the Post Office on the corner (now the McMillan Charity Shop) run by Miss Buckingham and her son. Almost opposite in Great Melton Road was a long driveway to a house and alongside was the old bicycle shop which also sold paint, wallpaper and a few clothes, and this was run for years by the Childs' family until it is thought the lease ran out. The big house next to this and down another driveway included a pork butcher run by Ernest Smith.
On the right, further down the road, was a grocer's shop run by Mr and Mrs Sharman. Just past the grocers was a house standing back from the road. There was nothing more until Cann's Lane. On the other side of the road there were no buildings until you reached Beech Grove Farmhouse. On the corner of Cann's Lane was Beech Cottage. There was nothing on either side until you reached a row of cottages next to the then Village Hall and what is now Hethersett Social Club. Then followed a grocer's shop followed by two more little cottages. The school came next (known as the National School and subsequently the Middle and now the Junior School). Next to the school playground were two more cottages. Then there was an opening with more cottages and there were more down the drive. Opposite the Queen's Head were three more cottages belonging to Hethersett Hall.
In Queen's Road, nearby the Queen's Head, was the original National School but no longer run as such at the time. It was later used as a furniture store for Mr Lemon and subsequently pulled down and a plaque was placed in the front garden of the present dwelling.
Turning left onto the main road (now Old Norwich Road) was a house and a row of Hall Cottages and at the end the harness maker, Boss Hickling. Going right past the public house you came to the blacksmith Jack Curson. The bungalow was built later. Then followed the Harvey Foundry making agricultural implements, with Cann's Lane on the corner. On the opposite corner was the Prince of Wales, and a little further along was Whitegates, owned at that time by the Boswells, wine and spirits merchants (Now Fire Service Headquarters). The King's Head came next, followed by The Priory, owned and lived in by Mr and Mrs Raikes, and then Woodhall, where Mr and Mrs Andrew and family lived. Opposite was the Old Hall, occupied by Mrs Ransom and her son. There was also a worker's cottage. Passing fields you came to Whitehall Farm (now Park Farm Hotel) and two cottages for farm workers.
Returning to New Road, then but a lane, there was nothing until you got to Eke's Farm and three or four cottages. Then there was nothing until you reached what was called Wood's Loke with a farm run by Mr and Mrs Wood (the loke is now an extension of New Road).
On to Great Melton Road and turning towards the village was The Hollies and two houses later pulled down to accommodate Glengarry Close, and then came the butcher, Edward Dann, opposite what is now Malthouse Road. Continuing on this side you came to Lynch Green, where a letter box existed for many years. On the opposite side of the road was Malthouse Farm, later taken over by Emms the Florists. There was just one house between the farm and Mill Road, where Hazel Nicholls lived with fields all around.
The Irelands moved into a council house in Lynch Green in May 1915. Proceeding down this road there was nothing on the left, but further on, on the right, were two cottages, followed by a row of cottages (since pulled down). Further down still, on the left, was Lynch Green House, then owned by the Sharman family until 1999, when Sybil Woods, Thomas Sharman's great-granddaughter, moved to Wymondham. In earlier times it had been a beer house. Lying back from this was a number of small cottages in one of which Doris Winterborn had lived. From the corner, looking down a drive, two cottages could be seen. Robert Curson had his builders and undertakers business in one, now known as Myrtle Cottage, Wiffen's Loke. On the left was a big house, later occupied by Mrs Roberts. The Thatched Cottage lay back off the road and still exists, being the only thatched dwelling in the village. Then follows the Oaks (requisitioned in the war as an officers' mess) and another dwelling. The Shrublands, followed by two little cottages (the redbrick house was built about 40 years ago). There was nothing more on the right until the White Cottage at the end. Opposite Lynch Green in Henstead Road was a row of cottages, Miller's Row. Moving right was the British School (now Church Hall) and opposite that was the Baptist Chapel, known as the Ebenezer Chapel. Next to the school was a house where the headmaster, Mr Beeby, and his family lived, and next door to that was the Greyhound. Opposite and next to the chapel was a roadway leading to some more houses. Moving along and on the right you came to the shop on the corner and opposite to that the doctor's house.
Cedar Road, passed early on the tour in Lynch Green, contained only Cedar Grange, occupied in 1922 and for several years by Judge Charles Herbert-Smith. It was gated all week, except on Sundays.
Moving south down Mill Road you pass on the right the house where a friend, Hazel Nicholls, lived, and assiduously fed and looked after the ducks.
Taking a trip down Cann's Lane, leaving Beech Cottage on the left, came the Manor House and a cottage, while down a loke there were two or three more. On the right was a grocer and a big house occupied by a market gardener. There was nothing more on the left until one reached the old A11, while on the right were the cottages of Mrs Wiseman and another. Then came a lokeway with some houses in one of which lived Mrs Bailey and her two sons, one of whom was a shoemaker. The hut in the garden was a memorial to Cyril and is engraved C.J. Bailey. Further along was another house and next to it a dwelling later pulled down.
When Ella left school there was no immediate job for her, but after a few weeks she obtained work in the Caley Factory in Norwich, to which the only transport was a bike.