You are here:
Dolton
Dolton maps
Historic maps of Dolton and the local area, hand-drawn by Ordnance Survey and Samuel Lewis. View all Dolton maps
Dolton photos
We have no photos of Dolton, although we do have photos of these nearby places:
Hatherleigh| Little Torrington| Taddiport| Torrington
Dolton area books
Displaying 1 of 26 books about Dolton and the local area. View all books for this area
You can read extracts and browse photos from these books.
Memories of Dolton
No memories of Dolton have been shared yet - be the first!
Add your memory of Dolton
or of a photo of Dolton.
Devon memories
Sid And Nancy Harris
My granparents, Sid and Nancy Harris, nee Podgers, lived and went to school in Broadwoodkelly. They lived in the rectory, Silver Trees, when I and my sister Liz were growing up. We loved visiting and sleeping in this huge and wondrous house, it seemed so magical, especially the grounds. My gran, Nancy, would lay the enormous kitchen table for tea, with homemade sponge cake and cream and butter that we'd watched her make. She'd show us the baby chicks and pigs, and laugh heartily at just about everything. We used to play on the 'Silver Trees Island' at the entrance to the house with some of the local children that went to Winkleigh school with us. I can still smell those trees on that island when I think about it. We used to walk the two Jersey cows down through the village (to a field that was next to the cottage I was born in, next to the old post office) with Granpop, as we called him, Sidney. We were... Read more
Silvertrees, Monkokehampton
I read with interest Jude's recollections of Silvertrees farm. Could it be the same place that I used to visit as a child on holiday with my parents and friends of the family? Did Mr and Mrs Harris run a bed and Breakfast at Silvertrees? I'm sure it was an old rectory. My family the Beales family and the Harratt family used to stay there on holiday for many years. I remember it was a lovely old house that was on a slight tilt through some characterful subsidence. When I was around 7 years of age, myself and my accomplice Chris Harratt were allowed by Mr Harris to help with the milking and separating the cream. However one morning when we got up before Mr Harris we made our way out to the farm building and managed to start his tractor and reverse it through his old farm shed wooden doors. He was angry but more because he thought we could have hurt ourselves. We were admonished and not allowed to helpout... Read more
1944 Sheepwash Memories
I first went to Sheepwash in the summer of 1945 with my parents and girl friend. I was 15 at the time. We stayed at the Half Moon Hotel for two weeks. Because it was towards the end of WWII my father was able to get the petrol to drive. And because this was a working farm the rationing had not affected the food situation - which was wonderful. Lots of Devonshire cream. The owner was a retired army colonel Schofield and his wife. My girl friend and myself were able to get a couple of horses to ride and did some lovely rides. This was a fishing hotel and we would ride along the banks of the River Torridge. Also, the local sheep farmers would drive their sheep into the square at Shepwash for the annual sheep dip. This involved every sheep going through a bright yellow dip followed by a blue dip for their... Read more
Daisy Hutchins
My memory of Taddiport is a of lovely lady Daisy, she was always so happy and called all the little ones "My turtle dove". Every morning and evening her son Bobby would come to see that she was ok before he went to work, and before she went to bed. I loved her when I was little.
Daisy's Cottage
I was born in 1934 in my grannie's cottage which lay behind Daisy's in the Court, I used to go in to Daisy's to see and sometimes play with her son Bob who still lives in Torrington, I also remember well Mrs Edie Baker who lived next door to my grannie. Many a time I went swimming in the Torridge and also jumped off the bridge during my holidays as at this time I was living with my parents in Bideford. I don't get that way now as often as I would like, especially as my cousin Ann and her husband still live there (Ann Ayres that is). Many was the time I went to the woods at Frisnom to pick primroses with another friend, Peter Diamond. I would surely like to read of any other memories from this happy time.
Great Torrington
My mother in law Gladys Bidgway was born in New Street, but they all lived at what is now Londis in Mill Street, all 18 of them! Most of the girls went to work in the Glove Factory in Whites Lane. Gladys worked there with her best friend Katie Vodden who went on to live to be 107 and died 2010. They joined the Guides together and on May Day they went up onto the common to wash their faces in the dew from the grass, why I don't know, but they did. Bill Smale had pig farm on the way out of Torrington on road towards S. Molton. Aubrey Bidgway lived in Torrington and his daughter still lives there.
Playing on Castle Hill, Torrington
I was born in Calf Street, no 57 in 1957, my gran Annie Gilbert lived opposite and my uncle Alex used to have the local shop at bottom of Calf Street and there used to be a lady that sold milk next door. My dad used to keep pigs along with Mr Oake the log man. My dad used to work for Cedric Bealy but believe the farm is now all houses. I can remember when the Dartington glass factory started and the local ladies loved the Swedish workers! My maiden name was Knight, my dad was Pat Knight and my mum was Mabel.
