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Bletchingley
Bletchingley photos
Displaying the first of 82 old photos of Bletchingley. View all Bletchingley photos
Bletchingley maps
Historic maps of Bletchingley and the local area, hand-drawn by Ordnance Survey and Samuel Lewis. View all Bletchingley maps
Bletchingley area books
Displaying 1 of 16 books about Bletchingley and the local area. View all books for this area
You can read extracts and browse photos from these books.
Memories of Bletchingley
Displaying a selection of personal
memories of Bletchingley.
There are 11 shared memories to read.
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My Time in Godstone
I was baptised at St Nicholas church, we were then living at the Homestead vicarage. After a short time living in Sussex we moved back and lived in 13 Salisbury Road. I went to the school riding on my bike. We played by the bay pond, and used to slide up and down at the sand pits. I love the walks by the church and over the fields, and all the lovely lanes, Bull Beggars Lane, Flower Lane and Church Lane. My granddad helped to build the house in Salisbury Road, I wish I knew him, he died before I was born, his name was Alfred Streatfield, and mine then was Rosemary Waite. Godstone still feels like home, even though I had to leave many years ago.
Castle Hill House
This is Castle Hill House bought that year by Augustus Brandt of William Brandt's and Sons bank, my Great Grandfather. Mostly now demolished, and the rest converted into flats.
Childhood Memories at Tilburstow Farm
I lived at Tilburstow Farm through the 1950s, my dad was head herdsman on the the farm. My name back then was Margaret Robb, I have so many memorie,s of that beautifull place, the bluebell woods, primroses, walking for miles with my friends, we walked miles to school every day, first the school in South Godstone , then when I was older, Bletchingley. I remember taking my dad his pint mug of tea every morning while he was milking the cows, I always got sixpence to spend, I would save it up all week, then on Friday I would go to the ahop on the green in Godstone to buy a farm animal or something for my toy farm, they were such lovely times. I'm now living in Canada, have been back a few times and always visit the old places. Tilburstow Farm is no longer a working farm and there have been lots of changes, but it's just so lovely to have the memories and share them with my... Read more
Selmes Butchers
My father Francis Coppard worked here as long as I can remember until his death in 1957, he delivered the meat as well as slaughtering the cattle. I always remember his job on Saturday morning was to make sausages for the owners and staff and Saturday night supper was these fantastic tasting sausages, they do not taste like that today.
Small Boy on Donkey
The small boy on the donkey is my father, Arthur Wallis, born 1904 in Bletchingley. The man standing to the right is my grandfather, Arthur Wallis senior, born 1862 in Bletchingley. Arthur Wallis senior was the licensee of the Red Lion Inn and later the proprietor of the newsagents in the background. The Wallis family came to Bletchingley early 1700s and for 200 years carried out bricklaying as their trade.
Childhood
Looking at the pictures takes me back to my childhood, having lived in the village for 20 years. My home was at the end of this slip road behind the large hedge. I remember walking down to the bakers and to Taylor and Bristows, to me was like an Aladdin's cave, and then on to the butcher for steak for my dog. The village has changed but many things have stayed the same, only older. I still go back for the odd walk round. It was great to find this web site.
Selmes Butchers
I remember being sent to Selmes the Butchers to buy my Mother Mrs Dora Maynard, cuts of meat. The floor was covered in sawdust and there was a little cashiers office at the end of the counter. It always had a very friendly atmosphere although I used to cry when I saw the animals being unloaded from the lorries into the slaughteryard. Once or twice I saw them escape.
Helen Swabey (Formerly Maynard)
