When we go for walks around the village, did you ever wonder why people say, "I'm off round the "hat" with the dog, or "We're going to go round the bonnet"?
There are two reasons, both interdependent:

In the recent past well before the motor car, Sunday life in Furneux Pelham had a particular pattern for most families. Many of the people were working and living in the houses and farms of local landowners and gentry. The men had two suits; a working suit, and a Sunday suit.  Every Sunday morning the men would walk to St Mary's church appropriately dressed, and wearing bowler hats whilst the women prepared the one decent meal of the week, roast beef.  After church they might take a quick walk before lunch, and starting from the church take a round trip turning left at The Well House, left Again at Pheasant Cottage, down the hill left into Barleycroft End, and left again at the Tap ( or left again after some refreshments!) This became known at "walking the hat".

The "Hat" and the "Bonnet" were known not only because of the traditional Sunday headgear, but because of the shape of the routes as seen on the map. From an aerial view, the roads form the shapes of a hat and a bonnet respectively!

In the evening whole families went to the church and after evensong would head off in groups for a stroll asking each other whether they were going to walk the "hat" or "the bonnet". Women did wear bonnets, but the bonnet was generally done on a good day by the men as it was a longer route. (Turning right at The Wash, past Clay Chimneys and turning right again off the Albury Road at Cut Throat Lane* and back into Barleycroft Lane.)

Thanks to Mr. Ambrose Brazier who gives us this and many other stories about life in Furneux Pelham. He grew up here, son of the Malter at the Brewery in Furneux.