A Wartime Walk Around Croxley Green
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Download and print the PDF to the right or follow the trail on the page below
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We hope you enjoy discovering more about Croxley Green during World War Two. The maps below show the village as it was in the 1940s and as it is today. The numbers indicate a suggested circular walk around the main sites linked to its wartime history, but they can be explored in any order, of course.
Please visit our website at www.croxleygreenhistory.co.uk to find out more. If you know someone who might like to share their memories of Croxley past, please do get in touch via the site.
Please visit our website at www.croxleygreenhistory.co.uk to find out more. If you know someone who might like to share their memories of Croxley past, please do get in touch via the site.
1 - All Saints Church During the night of the 25th September 1940, on the 93rd alert of the month, two parachute mines fell and exploded near All Saints Church. No one was killed but seven of the thirteen casualties required hospital treatment. The massive explosions caused considerable damage to the church, church hall and other property. Eight houses were destroyed and 358 sustained damage.
2 - The Windmill The mill was used as an air raid precautions observation post, with an air raid siren mounted on the tower. In September 1940, during The Battle of Britain, many ‘dog fights’ (aerial combat fighter aircraft at short range) were witnessed in Area D and the sirens sounded 110 times. One particular alert lasted 10 hours and 15 minutes. An anti-aircraft shell exploded behind the houses on the west side of Copthorne Road and a high explosive bomb fell near Rousebarn Lane. In October, there were 111 alerts in Area D, with one lasting over twelve hours. Incendiary bombs fell on Common Moor, Lincoln Way, Rochester Way and Winchester Crescent.
3 - The TA huts & public trenches Two trenches were dug for emergency use in case of an air raid. One was situated on the Green by the Territorial Army huts at the top of Windmill Drive, with another trench in Barton Way recreation ground.
4 - The War Memorial Originally placed on The Green in November 1919, the war memorial was encircled by metal railings to protect it and the original oak tree from the cattle passing by. The first service was held in 1920. The railings were requisitioned during World War Two, along with the cattle guards around all the commemorative trees.
5 - The Gates at the entrance to The Guild. During the War, a nursery was set up in the pavilion at the Dickinson Sports Field (now The Guild), enabling mothers of young children to do some voluntary war work. The sports field was enclosed by metal fencing and the elaborate high gates, which had once stood at the entrance to the Durrants Estate. The metal gates and fencing were saved from requisition after the women protested to the Ministry of War that they were needed to keep the children safe.
A little further on is Stones Orchard, where the fruit was very useful for subsidising the rations available to local families.
A little further on is Stones Orchard, where the fruit was very useful for subsidising the rations available to local families.
6 - Copthorne Sub Fire Station (opposite Copthorne House) The old fire station building still stands at the top of Copthorne Road. The locations of 60 water hydrants were identified for emergency use throughout the village.
7 - The Victory Oak (1945) 19th November 1945 - The Victory Oak behind the bench on the “triangle” at the top of The Green was planted to mark the end of WWII.
8 - The Churchill tree (1965) 28th November 1965 - The tall pointed conifer in front of Croxley House was planted after the death of Winston Churchill. The plaque simply bears his name.
9 - Croxley House- Home Guard Originally called the Local Defence Volunteers, the Home Guard were based at Croxley House. The Civil Defence included the Air Raid Precautions (ARP) wardens and firewatchers and all played a significant role in the war.
Wardens Posts: B1 - Old Boys School Watford Road (Head Quarters) / B2 - Winchester Way / B3 - The Avenue (between Baldwins Lane & Kenilworth Drive) / B4 Durrants Drive / B5 Watford Road (entrance to what is now Sycamore Approach) / B6 Winton Drive (near to Metropolitan Station) / B7 Frankland Road / B8 Not Shown
Priority Telephones: House in Copthorne Road / House in Green Lane / House Beechcroft Avenue / Highfield House / The Green (opposite All Saints Church)
Public Telephones: Corner Winton Approach and Watford Road / Watford Road (near Hazlewood Road) / Outside LMS Station (line to Watford Junction as was) / Outside Metropolitan Station / South Baldwins Lane (vicinity Lancing Way and Durrants Drive)
Public Trenches: On Green near All Saints Church / Barton Way Recreation Ground
Public Shelters: Harvey Road School / Baldwins Lane Recreation Ground
Croxley House- A top secret location
It has recently been revealed that Croxley House was the initial venue for the joint Anglo-American preparations for D-Day: Operations Marathon and Overlord. Secret meetings were held here throughout April 1944.
Wardens Posts: B1 - Old Boys School Watford Road (Head Quarters) / B2 - Winchester Way / B3 - The Avenue (between Baldwins Lane & Kenilworth Drive) / B4 Durrants Drive / B5 Watford Road (entrance to what is now Sycamore Approach) / B6 Winton Drive (near to Metropolitan Station) / B7 Frankland Road / B8 Not Shown
Priority Telephones: House in Copthorne Road / House in Green Lane / House Beechcroft Avenue / Highfield House / The Green (opposite All Saints Church)
Public Telephones: Corner Winton Approach and Watford Road / Watford Road (near Hazlewood Road) / Outside LMS Station (line to Watford Junction as was) / Outside Metropolitan Station / South Baldwins Lane (vicinity Lancing Way and Durrants Drive)
Public Trenches: On Green near All Saints Church / Barton Way Recreation Ground
Public Shelters: Harvey Road School / Baldwins Lane Recreation Ground
Croxley House- A top secret location
It has recently been revealed that Croxley House was the initial venue for the joint Anglo-American preparations for D-Day: Operations Marathon and Overlord. Secret meetings were held here throughout April 1944.
10 - Durrants The Red Cross was based at Durrants House, marked on the Civil Defence map as “Rescue, Demolition & Decontamination Squads”.
It also housed B company, 5th Battalion Herts. Regiment, Home Guard. Croxley resident Jim Hughes recalled: “My late father William Hughes was in the Home Guard from the start and I remember going up to the Green with him to collect his LDV armband (the only bit of uniform available at the start!) as well as his rifle and bayonet. His was the unit based at Durrants under the command of Captain Hodson - a former officer who served after WW1 with the Black & Tans.”
It also housed B company, 5th Battalion Herts. Regiment, Home Guard. Croxley resident Jim Hughes recalled: “My late father William Hughes was in the Home Guard from the start and I remember going up to the Green with him to collect his LDV armband (the only bit of uniform available at the start!) as well as his rifle and bayonet. His was the unit based at Durrants under the command of Captain Hodson - a former officer who served after WW1 with the Black & Tans.”
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11 - St Oswald’s- an evacuee school Over 600 evacuee children from London schools arrived in Croxley.
Harvey Road School and Durrants School, both new to Croxley Green, were used as distributing depots for the evacuees. Volunteers were first asked to submit their names to Mrs. Bell at Overdale, Copthorne Road, then asked to escort small parties from the depots to their ‘temporary billets’. Buildings were identified for use as temporary schools at Dickinson’s Guildhouse, St Oswald’s Church Hall, Methodist Chapel, All Saints Church Hall and the Scout Hall in Watford Road.
Harvey Road School and Durrants School, both new to Croxley Green, were used as distributing depots for the evacuees. Volunteers were first asked to submit their names to Mrs. Bell at Overdale, Copthorne Road, then asked to escort small parties from the depots to their ‘temporary billets’. Buildings were identified for use as temporary schools at Dickinson’s Guildhouse, St Oswald’s Church Hall, Methodist Chapel, All Saints Church Hall and the Scout Hall in Watford Road.
12 - Winton Drive-The British Restaurant Local councils were provided with plans to establish ‘Community Feeding Centres’ (soon to be called ‘British Restaurants’ by Winston Churchill). They could be prefabricated buildings built on vacant sites or existing buildings converted into suitable venues. Croxley Green’s British Restaurant was situated on the corner of Winton Drive and Winton Crescent. The required provision was at least 100 adequate meals at one sitting.
13 - Winton Drive- The station cottages On the 29th September 1940 an oil bomb and two high explosive bombs destroyed seven houses and damaged two others close to the Metropolitan Railway station but, incredibly, no one was hurt.
14 - Watford Road- First Aid Ambulance station The First Aid Unit (now shops) was at the top of Mill Lane at the end of the newly built Frankland Road.
15 - The canal- Dickinson’s Mill During the war, the John Dickinson Company at Croxley Mill changed its usual output of paper to the manufacture of the board that was required to make fuse-caps for ammunition. It also began producing anti-radar paper made to give some protection to the British and American bombers flying over Germany. Metallic strips of paper in small bundles could be dropped from the aircraft some distance from the targets and this made the planes less detectable by the German radar systems. The Croxley Mill was also recognised as a ‘nucleus’ firm in the paper industry and ‘engaged on work of an important national character’. Employees were granted the choice to stay employed in this ‘reserved occupation’. This meant that they did not have to enrol in the Armed Services and were exempt from ‘call up’ unless they chose to enlist.
16 - Watford Road- Hedges Grocery Store The National Registration exercise of 29th September 1939 resulted in the issue of a personal identity card and ration book for each citizen. The rationing of basic food items started in January 1940. Citizens had to register with their preferred local supplier who was then allocated quantities of supplies. Many people in Croxley shopped at Hedges (opposite The Red House). Eventually, rationing was extended to include most food items plus clothing and furniture.
17 - The Guildhouse- Evacuees & the Red Cross exhibition The Guildhouse and adjacent hall were used as school rooms in order to provide education for the large number of evacuated children who arrived and quite overwhelmed the local schools. It was agreed that the available halls and the schools in Croxley Green should share all their facilities and so lessons were therefore rotated to give all pupils the same opportunity. Many groups and schools organised events to raise money to help with 'the war effort'. In 1943, The Red Cross put on an exhibition organised by Mr. Wilbee in the Guildhouse.
18 - New Road In 1939 there were a great many shops on New Road, the largest of which was the recently extended Co-Op which sold a huge variety of goods.
Rationing would have severely limited the range of products available during the 1940s and early1950s.
The metal railings outside most houses in New Road (shown here before the war) were removed to be melted down for the war effort.
Rationing would have severely limited the range of products available during the 1940s and early1950s.
The metal railings outside most houses in New Road (shown here before the war) were removed to be melted down for the war effort.
19 - George VI tree (1937) 12th May 1937 - The Coronation of George VI took place on the day planned for Edward VIII’s coronation. The plaque reads “G R CORONATUS 1937”. George VI remained as king throughout the war and made his famous speech to the nation on VE Day 1945.
20 - Scots Hill / Gospel Hall On the night of February 19th 1944 a parachute bomb fell near Scots Hill, just 150 yds from where the parachute mine had fallen in 1940. The bomb exploded on an outhouse causing 25 casualties of which 7 were serious but none fatal. The blast affected 210 houses and 7 were demolished, including the Gospel Hall (which stood in front of what is now Rickmansworth School).
