OUT AND ABOUT with John Stedman
Life time resident, local historian and museum volunteer of 20 years, John Stedman, heads a series of walks around the local area in his own inimitable style.
Monthly, from April to October 2025, the Earls Colne Heritage Museum and John have put together old and new walking tours for the third Saturday in each month at 2pm. Each tour lasts approximately two hours and tickets at £5.00 per person will be available from the museum or from John.
TOUR DATES 2025
June 21 Church Hill/Upper Holt Street
Join John again as he explores the rich architectural heritage of the buildings on the main road out of Earls Colne towards Colchester. This will be one of Johns favourite walks as at last he gets to talk about Bill Poulter’s Garage!
Meet at St Andrews Churchyard 2pm Tickets limited to 20
July 19 Shopping with John
Part One
Earls Colne High Street has had a rich retail and business history from early times. Recently, Earls Colne has lost some of its local shops. Come and relive some of the 1950s onwards High Street as remembered by John and others as we explore the business and retail premises of Earls Colne High Street. Many of the premises have a much earlier history but too much to tell on one walk!
Meet at St Andrews Churchyard 2pm
August 16 Four Colnes Horticultural Show
‘Ask John’ Local historian John Stedman will be available on the day to answer any Earls Colne related questions alongside other Museum Volunteers who have a wealth of local knowledge and will be available all day.
Meet at the Recreation Club, Halstead Road
September 13 National Heritage Open Day 10am – 4pm including the Quaker Meeting House
Take part in the National Heritage Open Day – ECHM Pop-up at the Quaker Meeting House, Burrows Road.
Pop up exhibit of The Matthews of Ashwells Farm, Burrows Road and FREE! walks of Burrows Road and Hillie Bunnies! (Note the date as not the third Saturday). All times of walks to be confirmed.
Meet at the Quaker Meeting House, Burrows Road
October 18 More Shopping with John
Part Two
Second part of rich retail history of the High Street form the 1950s. There was more than enough to fill the first tour!!
Meet at the Corner of York Road/High Street 2pm
Past Tours of 2025
April 19 The Atlas Works Tour
A repeat of a previous tour (albeit with new anecdotes!) around what was once the Atlas Works site and informing us of the rich industrial and social heritage that the Hunt family provided for Earls Colne from when Robert Hunt, a millwright from Soham, Cambridgeshire, settled in Earls Colne in 1824. Always the best tour to introduce newcomers to the village.
Meet at the Museum, One Reuben Walk
TOUR SOLD OUT
May 17 The ‘Royal’ Streets
York Road, probably chosen in 1895 to mark the birth of the son of George V, later to become king after the abdication of his brother, and Queens Road after the Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria in 1887. Join John as he explores The Village Hall, The Con Club and the Grammar School then across the High Street to the Blacksmiths on the corner of Queens Road, the water tower that supplied fresh water to Earls Colne, the ‘Hunts’ houses and the doctors surgery amongst others!
Meet at the bottom of York Road/Park Lane 2pm
Tour sold out