Although little is known about Goldings before the 18th century, an estate has existed certainly since the Middle Ages. The original Goldings mansion was situated nearer the river Beane than the current building and was built in 1700 for Thomas Hall, Squire of Bengeo it stood about 58m above sea level.

In 1811, the mansion was sold to Samuel Smith and sometime afterwards it was demolished and replaced by a newer building as seen above. His son Samuel George followed by various tenants including Sir Minto Farquar MP for Hertford lived in Goldings. He was a supporter of legislation against the use of child chimney sweeps following the death in 1852 of a 7-year-old sweep in a Goldings kitchen chimney.

In 1861, Robert Smith, son of Abel Smith M.P arrived to live at Goldings with his wife Isabel and young family. They worked hard to improve both the estate and Waterford village, which had a bad reputation at the time. They bought many of the village cottages to restore and rebuild and turned two of the three pubs into cottages and a coffee tavern. They also built the church, St Michael and All Angels 1872, and established a school.

In 1869, Robert Smith diverted the Hertford turnpike road, which ran along Goldings Lane and through the estate, so that it was further away from the house. But in the early 1870's the family decided to build a new house (the current mansion) further up the hill away from the mists and dampness of the river Beane at about 60m above sea level as trig mark by kitchen doors. It was a a pseudo Elizabethan red brick building, that by all accounts was a little bigger than intended.

Following the deaths of Robert and Isabel Smith, their son Captain Reginald Abel Smith sold Goldings in 1921 to Dr Barnardo Homes. The building was re-opened by the Prince' of Wales in 1922 as the William Baker Technical School. In memory of William Baker Esq. LL.B. Honorary Director of Dr. Barnardo's 1905 to 1920 Over two hundred Barnardo boys arrived at Goldings to live and study trades such as printing, carpentry, painting and decorating and metal working plus bookmaking. The school remained at Goldings throughout the war and was visited by Princess Margaret on Tuesday 18th October 1960 when she opened the Mac Andrew wing with a silver key. Some facts you may whish to know: Apparently Mrs. Fyfe's room was converted into a Drawing Room for the princess and a special toilet was built but when the big day arrived, she did not use either of them.

In 1967 July 26th The William Baker Technical school closed as Dr. Barnardo's moved away from using large homes to placing children in smaller family units. Hertfordshire County Council then took ownership of, Goldings and used the grounds for the Transportation service for some years. They then sold Goldings to Irish property developer, Mr. Eugene Flannery of London-based Harinbrook properties, which had plans to convert the buildings into private residential apartments. This was planed for 31 July 1997, Goldings was purchased for £2.8 million, the starting price for some of the flats was £240,000 of which the biggest chunk would be for the view and the grounds, I do remember asking a fellow boarder what price would you pay to have a house that was built within the Goldings grounds with a view like this, the answers started, I think at, ' 2d money Saturday’.

Goldings as an old building has its history and also has its share of ghosts, The story of the chimney sweep ghost concerned a young boy aged 7 who could be heard crying out for help as he was stuck fast within the chimney on most full moons and it was quite chilling to hear the cries, this had been the talk of the school by the 200 plus boys that marched out from Stepney in 1922. This was the story that was told until 1928:

A new boy that had just been placed in the care of Dr Barnardo’s homes Goldings, on the 27th July 1923 because his mother could not cope with him. His name was Malik Whirbel, he was an outspoken strange lad, and always up to no good. He was third oldest of ten children, of which three were girls. He was the only one of his siblings to go into Dr Barnardo’s care. He was just 14 years and six months old and was petrified of the ghostly cries he could hear. The house captain was trying to take his mind off the thoughts of these sounds that Malik seemed to hear, so he said, “if you think that’s bad wait 'till the butler comes round.” Who’s the butler?"  Asked Malik. The House Captain then started to tell the story of the butler of Goldings.

“The ghost of the butler, Dogling, the master of the house the Rt. Hon Ronald Weddoney MP always called him Doglings. He walks the dorms ending at this very bed, this is the last but one, bed before he goes back into the tower, he is looking for his lost foot or a foot to match his that was left dangling from a chain on the top tower, it was said that Doglings had two left feet, of which he had lost his right. He had been lowering the Union Flag, later than normal, as he had forgotten to do it at the allotted time, the master of the house had just reprimanded him, as the flag should have been lowered at dusk and it was now a quarter to midnight. Doglings left the study muttering to him self " if only you had left the footmen alone they would still be here to lower the flag on time, I'm a butler not a footman"

He walked from the study to the spiral staircase with just a candle to light his way, to the very top, then across the servants’ quarters into the back staircase, which the servants were forbidden to use, and entered the tower stairs and climbed to the top. He then placed the candle on the front corner buttress and then proceeded to lower the flag. The night was very overcast, and, even though it was a full moon, no light was getting through the low cloud. A gust of wind blew the candle from its perched position, which, in turn put Doglings, the butler, into the pitch darkness It was as if he was blind! In his panic, he got the chain of the flag pole caught round his right leg, which tripped him over the top. The weight of his body falling caused his foot to be amputated at the ankle as the chain cut into his flesh, he fell to the foot of the tower, and died on the spot.

Rt Hon Ronald Weddoney MP then used the newly installed telephone system to inform the police in Hertford town Centre of the tragic accident and was told not to touch a thing until they arrived, and it was not until later that day when the police arrived at 13:49Hrs on the 27th July it was a hot sunny day, by which time the crows had eaten most of the foot, and it was reported, by one of the chamber maids, in her statement to the police, that she had seen a magpie fly off with the remnants of Dogling's right foot.

To this day the butler still hobbles the same route, and, along the way looking for his lost foot or any foot to replace his. Malik was now hooked on the story and asked “but why was he late in lowering the flag”. The reason he had forgotten to lower the flag was he was having a torrid love affair with the lady of the house, which had been interrupted by the early arrival of the master of Goldings, who in turn had been to see his, lover a stable lad, who had his sleeping quarters above the stable yard which is now our snob shop that overlooked the bottom field.

The Lady of the Manor had a late flowering cherry tree planted in memory of her lover at the spot where he landed, it blooms each year on the anniversary of his death, she vowed to her dead lover, that if any person should ever cause damage to, or remove the tree, they would suffer the pain he suffered at the time of his fall, as the chain cut into his flesh and breaking his foot 6” above his ankle, and then feel the impact on his death, each quarter and full moon, until the tree has been made good, and flowered once on the anniversary of his death. At that point the curse would stop.

“So you see,” said the house captain, “ I would worry more about the butler, Dogling, than those screams you can hear, because if your foot matches the one he lost,  he will have yours, and it is said that person who’s foot he takes would also then have the same feelings as the Rt Hon Ronald Weddoney M.P,  "What feelings, be an M.P and live in a grand house like this?" asked Malik. "No you silly bugger he would fancy young grooms of course.” came the reply. Looking somewhat puzzled he retorted " So what time did he fall from the tower?" asked Malik. " His death was said to be at two minutes past the hour of midnight, on the 27th July 1904. The time is quite exact as the stable yard clock had just finished its chimes and had struck 12 times, then a minute later a scream was heard which finished abruptly. This is known, as it was part of the statement given to the police by the head cook who had rooms on the top floor of the servants quarters and had heard the scream that ended with a sound of a  thud.

On reading this story, it got me thinking, if it is true about the butler, the present occupants should think themselves lucky, as we now have female grooms. The boy, Malik Whirbel, left Goldings two years later as an apprentice carpenter and Joiner, with both feet, he never married but had a large family that he cherished and loved, and spent every moment that he could with his children, as he watched them grow. Malik Whirbel died a happy man on 26th July 1967 aged 61 and six months knowing he had given his children a good start in life, as Goldings had done for him.

ED           You may think I have made this all up, ask the person who removed the cherry tree its quite real for them..... And just look at any old photograph that shows the bottom of the tower you will note it shows a tree,..... a late flowering cherry tree......that had been replaced by Herts County Council after some strange things happened after each full moon.