Brimscombe Corner & Burleigh 1910 62690

A Memory of Brimscombe.

This photo is taken 100 yards up Brimscombe lane, looking back across the Golden Valley.
The lane itself leads back up to Thrupp Lane & Dark lane, which is on its way to Quarhouse and the Lypiatt Manor, (the "Haunted House" and home of the Duke & Duchess of Kent).
The photo looks towards the face of Brimscombe Hill, (and although its out of shot), the 120 degree Corner, is hidden by the high costwold stone wall on the left.
Over the wall appears a road which is heading towards the start of the steep Brimscombe Hill.
The road is in fact a hump back bridge going over the Thames & Severn canal, (which cant be seen), but runs across the photo left to right.
Another 1/2 a mile left of that bridge is the site of the Brimscombe Port and on the right a pub called "The Ship Inn"
The main road below the photographer is the London Road and turning right would lead to Stroud 2 miles further or turning left to London, 100 miles or more with Chalford and Cirencester on the way.
The hedge row and trees which dominate the centre of the photo sit above a deep cutting carrying the GWR and the up-line Brimscombe Halt, is hidden behind the row of houses topping the cutting.
Behind the hedge is an open field belonging to two Victorian ladies.
Their home "The Manse" is in the line of houses above the field, on Victoria Road.
It is the large double fronted house with 5 windows with a central door.
It sits below another large house sited further up Brimscombe Hill.
After WW1 the widows sold the whole field to the SDC who filled it with housing.
Adding another lower road known as Albert Road which joined to both ends of Victoria Road.
No 7 Victoria Road, (yet to be built), was were I lived aged 5 from 1958 to 1974.
Brimscombe Hill was my childhood village.
Above the row of houses, (and hard to define), is the rising massive of the Richardo C of E primary School and the Trinity church, which were the backbone of my morale compass.
A church in which I sang as a choir boy, along with my 2 other brothers in the 1960s.
Above the Church spire, (and to the left) is a row of terraced houses known as "Church Row" edging the road to the Walls Quarries, (which are hidden behind the houses).
Below the church is the large house that stands above "The Manse" known as Cotswold House.
This is the last house on this 1st seep pitch of Brimscombe Hill, before it levels out and turns on up Church Row or levels out at the foot of the "Steep", before it continues along the face of the Walls Quarry Bank and on up the 2nd pitch, and on to the Common.
In 1901 there were 4 pubs sited on the hill.
They began with the Ship Inn as seen, then the Nelson Inn, located mid edge left.
On the "Steep" level Known as the "Pike" was the Vine Tree and on the 2nd pitch, half way up, the Bell Inn.
Sadly all converted to homes, but in 1901, the Port of Brimscombe was still busy and the men that worked there liked a good drink on their way home up a hill.
A hill which I later cycled in 1965 and ran news paper rounds, all the way to the common and back, (before school), as a teenager. A wonderful child hood memory.