More Alkham Heroes

The Alkham Heroes page is dedicated to the men whose lives were lost in the First & Second World Wars and whose names are inscribed on the village war memorial.  This page is dedicated to the men whose names are not on the memorial and lost their lives in the two World Wars.

Leonard Saunders

Leonard Saunders was the son of John and Charlotte Saunders who lived at Drellingore on the Alkham Valley Road. He was in the 17 Field Regiment of the Royal Artillery and he died on the 19th January 1943 at the age of 35. He is remembered with honour at Medjez-El-Bab War Cemetery in Tunisia. Here is a link to to see or his commemoration by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

There is a lovely Georgian style, late 17th century Rectory in the village and also a Vicarage. The Vicarage was bought by the church in 1864 and remained so up until 1978. Both properties are now private residences. There were also two Wesleyan Chapels in the village, one was pulled down and the other converted to a private house in the 1960's

The Marquis of Granby, now known as Marquis, stands next to Forstall Cottage, which in the mid nineteenth century was a public house called the Fox and Goose.

 

The Marquis of Granby was owned privately when it was built in 1810 but in 1928 it was bought by Fremlins Brewery. The pub also served as a shop and a meeting place in its early years and was next door to the village well. The pub passed into private ownership and in 2008 became a high class hotel and restaurant

There was another pub at South Alkham called the Carpenters Arms but this closed some years ago when it went into the ownership of Whitbread.

Alkham Cricket Club is still in existence, having been formed over 150 years ago and home matches are played on village green. The latter is properly known as Vicarage Meadow as it was owned by the church but it was purchased by the parish council in 2003

 

In the 1980’s an Iron Age cremation bucket was found near the church in Alkham and it now resides in a London Museum. The Alkham Valley Historical Research Group is carrying out further archaeological in the valley and if you would like to find out more details please access their web site www.alkhamarchaeology.co.uk

Back to Alkham Heroes List

Do you want to learn more?
See the 2009 Battlefield Tour photos
Follow Mark Robson's 2011 trek "In the Footsteps of the Heroes"