Timeline of 19th century Fire-Fighting

1826

• Gold Street Maltings, Shrove Tuesday (see also fire in the same location in 1941

1835

• Workhouse, High Street, Saffron Walden In the run up to Christmas, a serious fire broke out at the workhouse, located at the top of the High Street (opposite what is now the war memorial). Initially it threatened to spread to the adjoining town gaol and nearby houses, “but through the exertions of a large portion of the respectable inhabitants” it was brought under control in about 90 minutes. The building was destroyed and a new workhouse was built on an alternative site, which later became part of the Radwinter Road Hospital and housing.    

1847

• Easton Lodge, Little Easton– partly destroyed by fire (see additional account)

1865

• Howards Hairdressers
• JT Fryes, Stables

1866

• Mr Lucas Farmer, Radwinter
• Charles Norris, High Street

1867

• JC Crussell, High Street
• John Miller, Ashdon Street Farm
• George Beddall, Hempstead

1868

• George Clark, Ringers Farm, Widdington
• Joshua Housden, High Street, Saffron Walden
• Mr Edwick, agricultural stack fire, Newport
• Robert Medcalf, Hempstead

1870

• Mr Mascalls & Debnam Watchmaker, Newport

1872

• Charles Earnshaw, Freshwell Street, Saffron Walden
• Westley Farm

1874

Great fire of Radwinter – A poster (shown in our local history gallery) was produced to encourage people to raise funds for those affected by the Radwinter fire in which 24 buildings were destroyed and 95 people were left homeless. The fire was found to have been caused accidentally by a young girl playing with matches in a barn. The Saffron Walden and Audley End fire engines attended and sucked the local ponds drying trying to extinguish the fire.  The charred remains of a black jug can be seen in the Museum’s Local History Gallery, Fire Brigade display case.

1878

• Debden Church – a member of staff checking inside the organ with a candle set the organ alight, it destroyed the organ and 10ft of the roof above.
• Crown House, Newport

1879

• Catons, Lofts Lane

1880

• Elmdon

1885

• Mrs Gibson’s Almshouses, Abbey Lane
• Hempstead
• Conservative Club
• Mr Harts, King Street

1886

• Littlebury
• Great Chesterford Mill

1887

• Byrds Farm
• Market Hill
• Great Chesterford
• Copt Hall buildings, Ashdon Road – 17 families left homeless  
• Westley Farm
• Myddleton House

1888

• Ravenstock Farm

1889

• Radwinter

1890

• Grange, Clavering
• Hempstead Farm – a large barley stack on fire. The fire brigade’s hose had been maliciously cut so it couldn’t be used to put out the fire.
• Catmere End

1891

• London Road

1892

• Ashdon
• Debden

1894

• Elmdon
• Vineyard
• Castle Brewery

1895

• Radwinter – 3 separate incidents
• Kings flour mill – entirely destroyed

1896

• Farm, Saffron Walden
• Johnson engineering

1897

• Debden Farm
• Radwinter Hall – over £1,000 damage
• Hempstead
• Great Chesterford
• Wicken
• High Street, Saffron Walden
• Flinn Maltings

1898

• Springwell
• Radwinter

1899

• Wills Ayley
• Gray Palmer (2 fires that year)