August 2021

7 Buckden Roundabout August 2021 Grafham Water Pt.2 : Eye - witnesses Grafham Water. Part 2 - Eyewitness Accounts Following a request through the Grafham Gossip for anyone who remembers the construction of Grafham Water, I got re- sponses from Lorna Kirschner, now living in Buckden and Adri- an Love, now living in Grafham. Lorna Kirschner “ I was 28 when work started and lived in a cottage, 70 East Perry. I was outside one day with my son Paul and niece Veron- ica when we saw two men in the field next to us with a big machine boring a hole. They told me they were checking on the clay to make sure it was strong enough to build a reservoir. I had worked at Manor farm from when I was 15 until I was 21 when I married. I still remember the names of all the fields I used to work in, now under the water - Home Close, Orchard Close, Mayfield, Short Hill, Long Fallon, Elbow Ground, Stocking Corner. And all the farms that were demolished - Valley farm, Lymage farm, Low farm, Glebe farm, Redhill farm, and High- field farm. The earth - moving machines moved into the field next to us and operated all day and night, which kept us awake. My mum, Mrs Storey, cooked the men ’ s breakfast eve- ry morning at 6 am in a hut near the dam; they started work at 7 am. There were lots of accidents during the construction. I remember one man who was sitting on the mudguard on one of these massive vehicles when he slipped off and was crushed. When the work was finished I remember seeing water gushing out of the aeration tower - that was a sight for sore eyes! I attended the official opening and saw my boss, Jimmy Topham, shake hands with Prince Phillip. Of course, now I think it ’ s won- derful and love walking around Grafham Water with my family, feeding the ducks and playing in the park. ” Adrian Love “ I was 16 at the time of the inauguration and worked at Buck- den Marina. It was the Marina that provided the boat for Prince Philip. I lived at Gaynes Hall when it was a borstal - my father taught bricklaying to the lads. My family ran a Sunday newspaper business that delivered to Great Staughton, Perry, Grafham and Buckden and all the houses in between. We used to deliver our newspapers by motorbike and later a car and to get to Grafham we would use the roads now under water. When they were cut off we had to go the long way round. Of course as a young lad I didn ’ t listen to the news or read news- papers and I don ’ t remember my parents talking about the new reservoir. The first I remember is seeing lots of people, caravans and big earth moving vehicles. I knew a lot of the people who were directly affected. Between Redhill, farmed by the Tophams, and Highfield farm, farmed by the Ellerbecks, the diggers put up a huge bank of clay which was used as a high- way for earth moving vehicles. The Ellerbecks moved to a new building half a mile approximately, up the hill and is the large white building at the southern end of the dam wall. Mr and Mrs Shelly moved out of Rectory farm to Warboys. My father in law (to be) farmed at Grafham and about half of his farm land was compulsory purchased. The other farms affected were Low farm (Englands), Lymage farm (Pinners), Perry farm (n/k), Grafham farm (Baker). Other farms were less affected to varying degrees: Baker ’ s farm was swallowed up by the devel- opment, with the sailing school built on much of their land. Those not affected were Manor farm (Herdmans) and Model/ Top farm (Neilson). I just remember the trees felled and sold for firewood and the farm buildings that were razed to the ground. I also remember the Roundhouse, which was a small thatched dwelling and used to be, or so I was told, a gatehouse to an old entrance to Gaynes Hall. I remember being told that round houses were built to avoid the evil spirits that hid in the corners of rectangular houses! The Haynes family lived there and worked on one of the farms. They moved to a new house near the Ellerbecks from Highfield farm. Of course now I think Grafham Water is a great facility but it can get a bit busy at weekends with all the cyclists. I don ’ t know where it came from but at some point I acquired this poem on Grafham Wa- ter, which I have copied below ”. - Richard Storey, Secretary to the Buckden Local History Society To Graham Water What is this vast expanse of water Lately covering the countryside? All the old familiar landscape Sunk beneath the flowing tide. Where is the peace and quiet of Grafham Which once we so much enjoyed? Cars and vehicles speeding by In a ceaseless, rushing horde. A marvellous engineering feat, No doubt at all about that. But oh! The heartaches caused thereby, As homes were bulldozed flat. Families of many years standing, Whose farms were their work from birth, Pulled from their roots to pastures new, While water flows over the earth. Houses, farmlands, roads and byways, Gone forever the fields of corn. Treeless and hedgeless, a changing scene, The Grafham Water is born. All in the cause of progress new, So the wiseacres will tell, Water to drink for the Multitudes, For everyone – pleasure as well. Sailing and boating and fishing quiet, Plenty of trout in the deep, Picnics and fun at the water ’ s edge, Shy wading birds take a peep. A stately white swan glides slowly by, Brown cygnets splashing behind, Up to the water ’ s bank they come Picnickers ’ scraps for the find. Over the ripples rides a yacht, Waves sparkling in warm sunlight, Blue are its sails as the water blue, Making a wonderful sight. But when a storm brews o ’ er its shores And grimly dark clouds appear, Like ships on a heaving ocean (Continued on page 8)