Treasures found in the ruins of Bedmond’s Porridge Hill cottages (now demolished) include these concrete “mushrooms” which were used to prevent rats getting at corn. The mushrooms, which were found in the cellar of cottage number three, are about three feet high. Four would be planted in a group and the corn stack built on top of them. The rats could climb no higher than the head of the mushroom.
Another discovery was a round, brick oven, built into the main chimney stack between cottages number two and three. Says Mr A Witcomb, who used to live in number three: “The oven apparently used to open into what was our gas meter cupboard. We never knew it was there.”
Two other finds were bricks – one inscribed “Sarah Dowse, 1612” and the other with the word “James” clearly visible.
[From the Watford Observer of October 30, 1970]
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