Anger Cottage - Watchfield

Many maps from the 19th century covering the Watchfield area include a spot that is known  as 'Anger Cottage.' The assumption is that information was supplied to a cartography surveyor that this was once the location of a cottage and garden occupied by a person called Anger.

An OS map of 1883 clearly depicts a Cottage, with a garden and an orchard. The 25 inch OS map dated 1892 - 1914 also depicts the cottage and garden. Note in both maps that the dotted Parish boundary line also forms part of the garden boundary. The 1:25,000 series map dated 1937 - 1961 shows that Southdown Farm has sprung up, right alongside the main A420 highway. 

It's puzzling why a single cottage would have been built in such an isolated spot, so it's likely that there were other buildings nearby during an earlier period that had since fallen into disuse and subsequently demolished. Field walking on the part of the site that has been ploughed revealed the usual occupation debris, such as pottery, brick and broken bottles. We have some of this in our display case at the Centre, including the top from an 18th century wine bottle.

It has been frustratingly difficult to discover any more information on this dwelling. If any researcher/reader has any information on this, we would be very grateful to receive the same. Please Email us on info@shrivenhamheritagesociety.co.uk