Ashen, Essex
A lovely wooden sign, showing the church, and a “flying fortress” bomber.
Ashen has been inhabited since at least the Bronze Age, as evidenced by a bronze axehead found in the area. There is also evidence of Roman and Saxon settlement in th earea, and after the There are a number of old houses in Ashen, two dating back to the 15th century, and a few old cottages with some retaining thatch. The area was taken over during the war and used as the home for the U.S.A.A.F. 381st Bomb Group (H). Speaking to a local during my visit, I was told tales of how the bombers used to clip the trees as they took off and landed during the war.
Ashen Village, OS Grid Ref: TL 748 421