FINGRINGHOE

Fingringhoe is a small village about four miles south of Colchester, near to marshland bordering the river Colne. Its location and the fact that its population is centred around three greens is recognised on the village sign, which is a painted carving in the shape of a tree, representing the greens, surrounded by water representing the Colne river.

Within the outline of the tree is a montage of village features. In the foreground are the reed-fringed marshes and on the right some of the sheep which graze them. Behind the sheep is the bridge over the Roman River, which runs north of the village, flowing from west to east to join the Colne just south of Rowhedge. Depicted behind the bridge are the village school and a warehouse on the old quayside, which was once busy with sailing barges transporting sand, ballast and other merchandise. This maritime activity resulted in a drift of the population, away from the historical centre of the village around Church Green, to an area half a mile to the east where most of the houses are now located. At Church Green is St.Andrew’s church, built around 1100 and which incorporates carvings of local people on the roof timbers, which were done when the roof was replaced in the Middle Ages. The church is shown centrally on the sign and to its left is the nearby Whalebone Inn, which once had the jawbone of a whale on its wall. Whether the inn was named after the whalebone or it was acquired as an oversized pub-sign is not clear! The sign stands to the west of Church Green, opposite Forge Cottage, and was erected in 2000 to commemorate the millennium.

Written by Ken Savage, VSS Member