Postcard of the Month: March 2026
/Coldwaltham
This view of Coldwaltham (written ‘Cold Waltham’ on the card) shows part of the London Road (A29) which is a spur off the main carriageway. The Labouring Man, with its pub sign, is on the left, and some barns are on the right with the church in the background.
A lock on a canalised section of the Arun Navigation lying nearby between the river and the hamlet is named after Coldwaltham
Apart from identifying the card’s location as a small hamlet just west of the River Arun, the message on the back has little apparent relevance to the Arun valley. It was sent to an army patient at the V.A.D. (Red Cross) Hospital at Balcombe, Sussex. This was one of the many private dwellings given over for casualties of WW1. It was previously known as Knowle.
The sender was F.H. Peacock from Tooting S.W. and the card was posted on 18th April 1916. The message reads “Have not heard much about you since your brother left us”. It also asks when the recipient is coming back and expects that improvement may be slow. The name of the recipient is difficult to decipher but is probably Private John Henry Durden, 15th RF. He had sustained a double leg fracture during training at Shoreham Camp in late 1915 which was probably the reason for his hospitalisation. His brother was Stanley John Durden. Both survived the war, and subsequently worked for the LCC.
Research has so far failed to identify any local connection for either sender or recipient, but a F.H. Peacock was a garage proprietor in Balham around that time, with many employees. Perhaps the Private or his brother had worked for him pre-war. Peacock was known to have given donations towards the costs of treating injured employees. Perhaps the location had some relevance for them both? Any suggestions would be welcome via the Contact page.