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Challacombe

Challacombe maps

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

Challacombe photos

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

Bratton Fleming| Parracombe| Kentisbury| Arlington| Brayford| Barbrook| Exmoor| Woody Bay| Simonsbath| Lynton| Heasley Mill| Lynmouth| Shirwell| Rockford| Goodleigh| Brendon| Combe Martin| Countisbury| Landkey

Challacombe area books

Displaying 1 of 26 books about Challacombe and the local area.   View all books for this area

Memories of Challacombe

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Devon memories

Pub Outing

White Hart Hotel c1955
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From 1972- 1975 I lived in North Devon, and on the 20th Feb 1974 there was an outing from the White Hart. I remember the date as it was my 27th birthday and a coachload of us were going to Exeter bowling. The landlord of the White Hart was Jack, his wife I think was Eileen and they had a lovely daughter called Jacqui. Soon after I went to work at the Narracott Grand, Woolacombe and it was the best job I ever had.
Phil Ross, Mae Chan, Thailand.

Memories of A Descendant of A Bratton Fleming Family

White Hart Hotel c1955
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Although I live in Canada, I have a sentimental attachment to Bratton Fleming, where my grandmother, born Melia Ann Parkin, was born long ago. This attachment was fostered by my seeing pictures in the National Geographic in an article entitled "Down Devon Lanes." As a child, I gave one of these pictures, framed, to my grandmother. My interest in Devon was also fostered by the sayings in dialect passed on by my grandmother.

I have visited Bratton Fleming many times and seen the place where my great-grandfather, John Parkin, a tailor, lived, and the building at the back that held his workshop. My father's cousin, Oive Parkin of Barnstaple, wrote a nostalgic account of Bratton Fleming entitled "A Bit of Bratton." On our last visit we enjoyed the hospitality of Bratton people we had never met before.

I have included some of the family history connected with Bratton Fleming on my website on Hewlett-Parkin Family history.

Bratton Fleming has grown... Read more

The Nulty Family at Kittitoe Near Parracombe

Cross Roads And Hill c1955
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I think I was 12 years old and living in Hatch End, Middlesex, when I first noticed a lovely girl of about my own age called Alison Nulty. She moved to Parracombe as her family wanted to start a chicken farm on a beautiful old house called Kittitoe. The Nulty family invited us to go and spend a few days with them at half-term soon after they settled in Devon. I loved those few days there - we stayed up late playing pontoon in the barn by the light of an oil lamp and I was in love! Being 12 years old of course meant I didn't do anything about it although I did manage to get a photograph of her on her Daddy's Land Rover when she was crowned as the carnival queen! Here we are 50 years later and she still doesn't know how she affected me!

Happy Memories of Holidays as A Child

Cross Roads And Hill c1955
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I came to Parracombe regularly as a child (born Oct 1942) with my parents. We stayed at "Fernlea" with Mr and Mrs George Court and their daughter Mary (about my age). My father George Pickering, and my mother Jessie Pickering would go to the "Fox and Goose" in the evenings. The Landlord was Fred Crick (Creek)? My father played the piano, and went with Fred into Barnstaple to buy a piano to replace the old one. They did, but apparently this piano was floating through the village after the floods hit!! I believe we stayed in Parracombe about 2 weeks before the floods. I have a photo of myself as a small girl taken outside the Fox and Goose holding the lead of an Old English Sheepdog (not ours - I haven't a clue who it belonged to!). I visited Mr and Mrs Court when I was married, and bought my late husband and my two sons to visit - by then they had split their bungalow in two and... Read more

A Day Out With my Granddaughter at Arlington Court


Easter Sunday 2009 was a gloriously fine and sunny day - just right for a family outing so my son David drove us all in my car to Arlington Court which is an enormous National Trust property not far from Barnstaple.

Granddaughter Anna sat on the back seat next to Grandma and sang nursery rhymes for nearly all the journey of an hour from our home in Tiverton. When we arrived we found they were organising an Easter Egg Trail so that was fun following the clues.

We also went inside the grand house - Anna who is only just three years old loved the big wide staircase and the display cabinets of sea shells. We walked around the lake and took some photos to remind ourselves later of our outing. We walked up to the stables and saw the carriage museum and the horses which fascinated young Anna. By this time she was hungry so Grandma went back to the car park to fetch... Read more

Collard & Collard Grand Piano at Arlington Court


Today I had a wonderful experience at the National Trust property, Arlington Court. The stewards on duty allowed me to play their grand piano in the main hall and it was a wonderful instrument made by Collard & Collard around 1830 - 1850.

The staff opened the piano lid, and the tone sounded superb! I played a piece from memory as my sight reading is not good and thoroughly enjoyed myself - a memory to remember!

Bracken Brae

Sadly my mother died many years ago and my father in 1953. Mum never said much about my past as she remarried and did not want to upset her hubby. Am I right in thinking there was a small bungalow on the edge of the road on a bank called Bracken Brae? Could anyone help me here please, my mother's name was Daisy Thomas and my father was Clarence or Clow, I believe he work as a sawyer. Thank you, Jean Bye

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