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Blackdown

Blackdown maps

Historic maps of Blackdown and the local area, hand-drawn by Ordnance Survey and Samuel Lewis.   View all Blackdown maps

Blackdown photos

We have no photos of Blackdown, although we do have photos of these nearby places:

Ashow| Leamington Spa| Kenilworth| Stoneleigh| Warwick| Whitnash| Long Itchington

Blackdown area books

Displaying 1 of 6 books about Blackdown and the local area.   View all books for this area

Memories of Blackdown

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Warwickshire memories

George Goode

Christ Church 1922
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George Goode who was born at Wappenbury in the 1840s was one of the builders who worked constructing this church. He was my  great grandfather on my father's side of the family. His daughter was Ellen Louisa Goode who married Thomas Pratt. He was once an officer at the Reformatory at Weston under Wetherley. He later became a master baker and became baker at Moreton Morrell.

11 Years of Age And Gazing

Abbey Fields Swimming Pool c1965
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I never swam here but I remember going there with my family and walking around the Abbey Fields and coming across the Swimming Pool. It was a hot summers day and we spent the afternoon sunbathing and me well...sunbathing and gazing of which I loved to do.

Swimming All Summer

Abbey Fields Swimming Pool c1965
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I remember this so well. We went nearly every day in the school holidays. I can even remember the fence which was quite new and smelt of creosote! I think that could be me on the far left of this photograph. I was very excited to see this picture!

Grandma's House!

Castle Hill c1960
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Was amazed to find this photograph! My grandmother's house was the white-walled thatched building in the middle distance. It's called Robsart Cottage, a 15th Century cottage built to house the building foreman supervising additions to nearby Kenilworth Castle. The cottage is named after Robert Dudley Earl of Leicester's wife Amy Robsart who died in mysterious circumstances at nearby Cumnor Hall. Grandma's house in Coventry was destroyed by a German bomb during 1941 and she was rehoused in Robsart Cottage and lived there until her death in 1970. When I was about 2, I remember visiting her in 1960 and visiting the sweet shop (Cafe). opposite.

Waifs And Strays Society

Guy's Cliffe House 1892
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From approximately 1939-1945 the house was taken over by the Waifs and Strays Society becoming a home for 40 boys. They had moved from Chislehurst, Kent. The house was also used as a landmark by German bombers during their attacks on Coventry.

Old Shops in Warwick

I grew up in Warwick in the 1960s. These are some of the shops I remember from my childhood, nearly all of which are gone now unfortunately.
The Saltisford and North Rock.
Summers the  butchers, Maydays the bakers, Hobdays the sweet shop, 'Catherines', sweet shop, Mrs Moores toy shop, also another butchers, hairdressers and other shops.
Warwick town
Mr Jones the fishmonger, the Beehive - haberdashers, Pork shop, Vaughns  large toy shop, Elizabeths toy shop in Swan Street.
Ploughmans was our favoured grocers with a visit to the more upmarket Thackers and Christmas at Christmas time. Woolies of course, Caves pet shop, Elizabeths the Chef for cakes and opposite the old P O a small Tobacconists.
I think the Wool Shop was still there last time I visited along with the hardware store in New Street. The wonderful old hardware store whose name escapes me opposite the Wool Shop. Greens bookshop, Health food shop, several butchers and another fishmongers.
Hope this might bring back memories for others, there were... Read more

Warwick in The 1950's

I was delighted to find a picture of my dad and Aunty Lily outside Tandy's the family plumbers shop in Swan Street. I spent many happy hours in the shop as a child, as on the right hand side behind the door was a table covered with black velvet where my Uncle Albert with the aid of a T Square and Diamond point would cut glass to size. Wallpaper and border were sold by the roll, and as the manufacturer for both was only up in Bordesley in Birmingham - any order placed before 2pm, would be put on the 4.10 train and would be at Warwick Station before 5.00pm. What Service!!

Other shops I can recall were Eddie Sims the TV shop, Thacker and Christmas on the corner, with the freshly ground coffee smell as you passed. Don Hanson's Leather Shop, Sleaths the Shoe Shop, The Red Lion, Mrs Lines the dairy selling milk from the churn, Mundy's the furniture shop on the... Read more

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