When the mill which had stood in Mill Street, Berkhamsted, for over 1,000 years was demolished for street improvement purposes, a stone with a Latin inscription was erected to mark the site of the old building.
Mr Edward Greene, the sponsor of the improvement scheme, offered a prize of two guineas for the best translation of the inscription.
The winning translation was announced at the Berkhamsted School Founders’ Day on Friday. It was sent in by Professor L W Lyde, of University College, London, and is as follows:
Here for a thousand years the old mill stood
And gave men bread
Here now our school in rival motherhood
Feeds minds instead
One inscription which Mr Mitchell Innes stated was sent in by a member of Mr Greene’s family, who had a keen sense of humour, read:
Here for a thousand years a mill has been
Until pulled down by Edward Greene.
[From the Watford Observer of July 2, 1927]
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