In 1851 there were 504 souls living in just Longney alone. We now have just over 200 living in Longney and Epney. With a shrinking population it's encouraging to know so many people have lived here all their lives and they would be quick to tell you it wasn't always as it is now.

At the heart of Epney, the Cross, is a building we all take for granted as being there. The house New Orpington was not always there.

In 1971 a battle to turn a simple house come village off-liecnce into a modern home began. the original was constructed from local brick from the Longney brick factory and in a English lay which resulted in the building having no cavity. The new house would be built in flemish bond to use the half bricks. The owners then were Charles James Silvey who was the grandfather of Rachel, the present owner. Rachels father Maurice Howard wanted to modernize and enlarge their family home, but as a builder he soon saw that it would cost more to modernize than rebuild, the original foundations being of just three courses of brick and the floor laid onto bare earth.

Many thanks to Rachel and Mike Williams in the writing of this story.

The Old house from the back garden

Hand cleaning bricks

I say battle, because planning consent was no straight forward matter in 1971. We have all in our time produced an argument of such starling logic and thought it sheer folly not to follow it only to find others do not see it that way. This was so with New Orpington. The then planning office refused permission on the grounds that the house (of poor quality by modern standards) had stood there for a long time and enlarging it would add difficulties to road access.

A second application to knock it down and rebuild using the salvaged brick for the facing and built to modern engineering standards was also refused and so a long process of appeal, in those days directly to the Department of the Environment in London, resulted in the objections being overturned. The argument was only won by a five page detailed letter to the D of E which prompted a personal visit to the sight by the head of the D of E to gather accurate information and judgement.

No wonder, this house was only the third to be built in the hamlet since 1945. This was not for resale but for the owner to occupy himself. Furthermore it was self build. Imagine coming home every evening to spend three or four hours laboring after a hard day at the office. Few would take it on now.

The Anchor at a time when opposite was a bus depot.

Demolishing the old house was a family business.

Next door at 1 Edith Villas was the village general store.

One of Mr Silveys chara bancs.

Villages should never stand still. To thrive they will have to grow and change. The Silvey family, he of the bus company started with horse and cart, then chara bancs and eventually motor vehicles. A process that didn't cause to great an upheaval in the village as it was all no doubt in the name of progress. Can any of us imagine now a bus depot opposite the Anchor, an off-licence at the Cross, when to set foot onto the road outside a shop now would be so dangerous. But this village just after the II World War was a hive of activity then with merchants, sailors and farmers all going about their business.

When the original Orpington cottage was being demolished work was halted suddenly one day as a strange tinkling sound was heard falling from the rafters. A close inspection through the rubble revealed a collection of old coins, not English but French. For the house had given board and lodgings to sailors who plied up and down the Severn and Canal from the continent. These were not treasure but the stash of favorite shuv-hapny coins used to while away the hours waiting for a return boat.

The house, as we can see, was finished but not without a few more detailed discussions on the colour of the roof tiles and the size and frequency of windows.

To this day the family who built it are still living in it. Four generations later.