You are here:
Bilstone
Bilstone maps
Historic maps of Bilstone and the local area, hand-drawn by Ordnance Survey and Samuel Lewis. View all Bilstone maps
Bilstone photos
We have no photos of Bilstone, although we do have photos of these nearby places:
Twycross| Market Bosworth| Ibstock| Measham| Newbold Verdon| Witherley| Atherstone| Mancetter| Coalville| Merevale| Barwell
Bilstone area books
Displaying 1 of 6 books about Bilstone and the local area. View all books for this area
You can read extracts and browse photos from these books.
Memories of Bilstone
No memories of Bilstone have been shared yet - be the first!
Add your memory of Bilstone
or of a photo of Bilstone.
Warwickshire memories
Fishing Under The Arches
I was born Marilynne Thompson at 17, The Lynch, Polesworth in January 1952. My mam and dad, Peg and Geoff Thompson both worked at Ensor's brickyard. When I was about two or three years old we moved to a cottage belonging to the firm in Tamworth Road. I believe the rent was 5 shillings a week. My dad was a keen fisherman and I followed in his foosteps with a fishing net. The nets didn't last forever and I would buy new ones at 6d each from either Cross's in the square or Dix's in Bridge street. I would gather money together by taking pop and beer bottles back to the Bull's head. These would be collected from aunties and uncles in Polesworth, especially at the time when the fair came to the rec. in Station road in the summer, for the carnival and "the statutes" I would get my wellies on, take my net and tin seaside bucket and walk down to the arches nearest the square where the water... Read more
Running Errands in Market Street
One of the shops I remember well was Fosters. It was like a mini department store. We had some of our clothes from there. You could buy things and pay so much a week. It was how we lived then. It was quite normal for us. We had stuff either from shops like that or catalogues, "club books" we used to call them. My auntie Lottie in Station Road ran one and our next door neighbour, June. You could buy shoes, hats, dresses, fabric, ribbons, bed sheets, all sorts of stuff. My mam once said "go to Fosters and tell them to send you two frocks" - I got two frocks, one was white. Of course I couldn't have the white one, it would show the muck too much, so I had to have the yellow one. To this day I still love white clothes, probably because I was never allowed anything white except for white buckskin shoes. I can still smell the whitener we used on them. It would... Read more
Our Yesterdays Relatives
I have found over the past few weeks that nearly all my relatives from my fathers side began in Polesworth. There was James Scarratt Clifford 1780 married Sarah Bullows in 1803, my ggg grandmother was Caroline Clifford who gave birth in Poleswoth to John Ordish Clifford (he saddled me with the second name Ordish, this I am trying to find out why?) who was a policeman (inspector retired) in 1850 in London.
There are so many distant relatives who were baptised and married in the church at Polesworth, that a visit will have to be made to look at all the church records at Warwick where I believe they are held.
So I am looking for anybody who has the name Ordish and can relate back to 1829 when John was born (there is no sign at the moment of a Mr in Caroline's past). She got married 1832 to Edward Bingham.
I would appreceate any help.
Nigel Ordish Clifford
Poynton, Cheshire
Change of Ownership
I bought the proerty named "The Gatehouse", being the timber framed buiding to the left of the gateway, in 2007. There are various records in the church archives which relate to the building being ariginally being built for the nuns and at one time being occupied by royalist soldiers during the civil war.
The gatehouse was built in 1482 with the 3 cottages next door being added in the 1520s.
The gateway is still owned by the church and is due for restoration shortly.
I will amend this entry as I research the history more fully.
Kevin Devine Remembers Little Jim's Cottage
In the early 1960s as a small boy, this was the home of my grandmother and grandfather, Hilda and John Guy. I remember going to visit them with my mother, Cynthia Joan Devine, formerly Guy.
I used to love running around the garden with their little terrier called Betty and around the pond you can see in the picture.
My grandparents had a chicken shed, and I was allowed in the morning to go and collect the eggs.
While I was there I was often allowed to stay up much later than normal and remember sleeping upstairs and hearing the adults talking downstairs.
Very sadly my grandfather, shortly followed by my grandmother, passed away and they are buried in Poleswoth churchyard I think, as I have never been back.
My grandparents had four of their own children. Mmy mother Cynthia, Peggy, and Lawrence have all sadly passed away, but still going strong at 73 yrs old is my Uncle Brian and living in Wiltshire.
I have very fond memories... Read more
LIFE IN POLESWORTH
My husband, Terry Norman, was born in Polesworth and stayed there until he joined the army, then he moved away, never to return. He has a lot of good memories of Polesworth, but we have now settled in Norfolk and are very happy.
British Legion / Miners Welfare Club
I have many fond memories of the Legion in Grendon Road, Polesworth, it was demolished sometime in the 80's. I have asked everyone I know if they have a picture of it, but no one has one, so I am appealing to everyone to help me get a picture of the Legion. Many thanks to you all.
