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Bilsington
Bilsington maps
Historic maps of Bilsington and the local area, hand-drawn by Ordnance Survey and Samuel Lewis. View all Bilsington maps
Bilsington area books
Displaying 1 of 24 books about Bilsington and the local area. View all books for this area
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Memories of Bilsington
Displaying a selection of personal
memories of Bilsington.
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My Memories of Bilsington
I can remember moving to Bilsington village when I was just over seven years old.
I attended Bilsington Primary School and have clear memories of Miss Fellows (the headmistress). She had a kind heart I think but at the time she seemed very strict to me. She would take us off for nature walks and it was during these times that I learned to love the soft greens of the countryside. She would point out to us the wonders of the wildlife and plants and we would pick grasses and wild flowers to take back and decorate our classroom with.
Our Sports Days were held in the field opposite the school ( the one with the monument in) and I can remember having to clear the field of sheeps' droppings so that we could take part in the sporting activities without fear of falling in sheeps' poo!
We had school outtings once a year, and the school would be closed the day before (much to my... Read more
Kent memories
Good For The Roses
I remember nearly forty years ago, my sister Jo's pony dumped on the pub's forecourt, and the landlady, also Jo, had a strong point-of-view about the mess.
Sister Jo quick-wittedly suggested to landlady Jo that one should be grateful for the deposit, which would no doubt be good for the nearby roses... c.1972/3
105 The Street
I have no memories of Willesborough as I visited it for the first time on 26.8.08. My reason for visiting was that I was trying to find where my grandparents once lived, and surprise surprise it's still there, 105 The Street. Their names were Thomas Alfred Barton and his second wife Flossie May Foster. This was Thomas's second wife, his first wife Kate Elizabeth Butcher was my mother's mother, her name was Daisy Barton, she had a sister Carrie Ann Barton but she died with her mother of influenza in 1915, they are buried together in Willesborough cemetary. I had lunch in the Warren Cottage Hotel, a 300 year old building nearly opposite where my granddad and mother lived. The landlady Carol was telling me the hotel is haunted by a little girl about 5 and her mother aged about 35. They died within a few months of each other. I feel that this is Kate Elizabeth Barton and her daughter Carrie Ann Barton, how strange that I chose this... Read more
School Years
I lived at Glebe House. I went to the primary school at Warehorne, the very strict head was Miss Sane (later to become Mrs Buxton) and my teacher was Miss Small. Most of Kenardington's children including myself got taken to school in Mr. Worsely's Taxi, a very old taxi that smelt of real leather. He used to be strict and would threaten to 'box your ears' if you didn't sit still. Manor farm was a beautiful mixed farm that housed every farm animal and at that time was tenanted by Mr. White who had a son called Alexander. I used to visit him at the farmhouse and watch 'Champion the Wonder Horse'. Steam trains used to run by at the crossing and my friend Linda's father, Mr. Kinane, used to be the crossing keeper. His wife used to take us to the cinema in Ashford and for this we would have to walk down the line to Appledore to catch the train! You could see the steam trains passing through... Read more
Born in Sellindge
I was born in Sellindge in 1947, at 1 Railway Cottages. There were 3 cottages, my aunt lived in no. 2, and Mrs Clark in no. 3. My dad was born in Sellindge, married and started married life in no. 1, and lived there until his death in 1961.
I remember Mum sending me 'up the shop' for a bag of sugar or 'half a pound of marge'. Sometimes it would be a Sunday when the shop was closed or Wednesday afternoon, and Mum would say 'Go round the side door and ask Mrs Batchelor if she could let me have a bag of sugar till Friday when Dad gets paid'.
One day my dog had puppies, and when they were old enough, Dad said I had to get homes for them. He'd made me a 'truck' out of an old wooden box and wheels and I pulled it along with string. So I put the puppies in the 'truck' and took them up to the shop and... Read more
Lympne Airport in The 50s
That plane was bright blue! As far as I can remember, the pilot was Polish - left over from the war. He used to keep the plane at the airport, and give stunning free acrobatic displays on bright sunny days. For special events, like the village fete, he would give short flights. My mum paid for me and my brother to have one once - first time I'd ever flown. When we first moved to Lympne (very near the airfield) in 1952, the planes were Silver City Bristol Freighters, with huge front opening doors that swallowed cars whole. Silver City moved to Lydd, and they were replaced by Skyways, with a fleet of Dakotas. The runway was grass, and when Skyways wanted to replace their ageing Daks with HS748 turbo-props, they had to lay a concrete strip because the new planes couldn't land on grass. There was a lady (can't remember her name) who used to excercise her racehorses on the periphery of the field. One of her horses triggered a... Read more
County Members
That pub is the County Members. We lived just round the corner, in the Street, which leads to the Castle. Between us and the pub, was an old farmhouse, which became the Castle Tea Rooms for a short while. My mum cleaned at the pub, which was three old cottages knocked into one, resulting in the living accommodation being at the top of one flight of stairs, but going to bed, meant you had to go downstairs, through the public bar, and then up another flight of stairs between the public bar and the 'snug'
