HIGHWAYS and BYWAYS II
An important footpath going westwards from the High Street by Ashgrove, was at one time known as Crouch's Passage. Mrs Crouch ran a sweet shop from her cottage behind the wall. This footpath ran past Coddies Close, being part of the grounds of Manor Farm, and continued on eventually coming to the village allotments, which formed a large square block running down to Church Lane just beyond the last enclosed field on the right. An old local resident recalls regular Sunday afternoon outings, with the whole family taking a picnic, and visiting Grandad's allotments. Apparently local coalman Josh Bentley had one of these allotments, and was said to do more talking than digging.
These allotments were relocated to their present position in Gas Lane after the war. Forming a crossroads with Want Lane, the lane opposite, now known as Burrs Lane, carried on down to the substantial farmhouse of Rushingwells. Before the Burr family bought the bakery building, and the land enclosing the lane, it was known as Nunny's Lane. The Quin tributary ran down the lane centre before its enclosure in a culvert. What is now Gas Lane also gave access to Rushingwells. This was the main route to Nuthampstead then, and was known as Moodey's Lane. Past Rushingwells, and carrying on to Nuthampstead, the name Duck Lane is recorded. With the later introduction of the gasworks the name was changed.
The first stretch of the Nuthampstead Road by the garage down to the Quin bridge did not then exist. In the 1700s, the then version of Rushingwells was owned by the second Earl Cowper. He had substantial land holdings in Hertfordshire, and built the grand Panshanger House, west of Hertford, and also owned Brocket Hall near Welwyn. The current Rushingwells House is late Victorian. At one time Church Lane provided a route through to Reed. At the end of the stretch known locally as the “tunnel”, the path turns abruptly left ending up at the Buckland Road. But originally it carried straight on to Gannock Green, one of the outlying hamlets of Reed. It is rather unfortunate that it's relevance as a local path was lost.