Ashmore, Wiltshire

The Mount

My great aunt Emilly Still lived in the bungalow in the background and we as children spent many happy summer holidays in Fontmell Magna. She and Tom (who I never knew) are buried in the church graveyard.

I remember travelling from our home in Kent to Fontmell in the winter of 1963 during the worst snow storms in living memory... [more]

A Boarding School second to none

What a dump Iwerne Minster was to a school boy of the 60's sent from London to that boarding school in the middle of nowhere. The locals spoke in a strange unintelligible dialect, the air was sometime thick with the stink of manure, and you had to be 14 to buy beer from the off-licence at Tarrant Hinton! Now, 50+ years... [more]

Shaftesbury's bad reputation!

Shaftesbury's position high on a hilltop with only a meagre water supply meant that water had to be brought up to the town from wells at the bottom of the steep slopes, usually by horses and donkeys carrying barrels. Water sellers then went round the town's houses selling water by the bucketful. However, Shaftesbury's position at the crossroads of several main... [more]

Hovis Hill

This is the hill that appeared in the Hovis television adverts - supposedly in a northern town, but in reality in deepest Dorset! At the top it is about 700 feet above sea level. It is now the scene of the once a year Gold Hill Festival in July.

Sixpenny Handley, The Roe Buck Inn

My ancester Edward Dutch built and ran this hotel after the village fire in 1892
- as recorded in the censuses of the time. Take a look at my family history at www.thedutchfamily.co.uk/h_dutch.htm

Alexander Charles Day

This photo is of my Grandfather, whom I have such lovely memories of. I understand that Grandad used to work with the heavy horses in the days before tractors, so for me this picture is a wonderful find. He was married to Gladys (nee Smith) who was not a local girl, originally a Londoner. They had 6 children, Edgar (Gary), who... [more]

Coombes of Church Farm

I believe my Great Grandparents Annie and Maurice (Frank) Coombes lived and farmed at Church Farm during the 1920s.  My father Thomas (Aubrey) Coombes used to spend most of his school holidays there as a boy. This was a very happy time in his life. Long summers helping his grandfather and being spoilt by grandmother Annie.  

When they gave... [more]

I lived and worked here.

I lived and worked at the manor from Sept 1986 to around May 1988, if anyone remembers me and wants to get in touch please email. j.goodwin007@hotmail.co.uk