Treadaway Hill circa 1920
(picture from SWOP website) |
Treadaway Hill today (in snow) |
No one can really remember when Kaffir became the name given to Flackwell folk. British imperialism and the Victorian expansion of the British empire may have provided an added confusion to the development of the name, with children mistakenly hearing Kaffir for Cassir (a shortening of Circassia) but according to 'Alice Ray Morton's Cookham' by Roger Parkes it is more than likely that the name derived from a particular black and juicy cherry seedling imported from Russia.
Treadaway Hill was an important route to 'Kaffir land' for 'furreners' (foreigners/anyone not from Flackwell Heath) visiting from the chair factories and paper mills in the valley below, and later for those travelling from further afield by the railway.
To find out about life at the bottom of the hill go to
www.galaxypix.com/Sally/Loudwaterlea/(but you will leave this site).
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