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Draycot Cerne

Draycot Cerne maps

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

Draycot Cerne photos

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

Kington St Michael| Great Somerford| Chippenham| Bremhill| Yatton Keynell| Derry Hill| Biddestone| Castle Combe| Malmesbury| Lacock| Calne| Ford| Corsham| Quemerford| Compton Bassett

Draycot Cerne area books

Displaying 1 of 12 books about Draycot Cerne and the local area.   View all books for this area

Memories of Draycot Cerne

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Wiltshire memories

I Lived at 12,Newbourne Gardens

Hi to anyone who remembers me, I lived there from !952 to 1969 and have lots of fond memories of the village and people I used to know.

A Lucky Find Chestermans Farm.

Having started to work with a company in Fleet I needed to find somewhere to live that was commutable both to work and our home in Devon. Having spent a whole weekend looking at various properties in the surrounding area without any luck we had one more left on the list to look at before heading home again.  To our delight it was just what we needed, plenty of space, peace and quiet and the dogs were well pleased. We stayed for two years before moving on again  but we loved the farm and it still crops up in conversation.

The Village

I was born in the village in 1934, my grandfather Edgar Edwin Budge had Bremhill Grove Farm, we lived in the cottage attached to the farmhouse. I and my sister Janet went to the local school, where Miss Tavener was my teacher, Miss Simper was the head. We used to go to the local Sunday School and events in the village hall. In about 1942/43 my grandfather had foot and mouth on his farm when all his animals had to be killed, it was the last farm in the country to have foot and mouth at that time. During the Second World War my father was in the village Home Guard. We lived in the village until 1943 when we moved to Chippenham.

5 Jubilee Cottages

Born here 1942 - mother a member of the Wicks family based at Holly House (hurdle makers) father an airman stationed at RAF Hullavington. I recall land girls, the drone of planes. I was too young for school & roamed the village alone but with the family dog "bob". I recall falling in the village pond, the village shop run by Mrs Neate, having to attend chapel on Sundays, streams running across the roads, virtually no traffic, bus rides to market day at Malmesbury. I often go back - its not changed too much - still very peaceful.

The View From A Volunteer Pub Garden Bench. 16TH JUNE

The Cross Roads c1960
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The most important bench I have had the privelage of sitting on one lunchtime on June 16th 2008 and the view of the Cross Roads. Over a diet coke and an Orange juice I met the best friend I have ever known. The Volunteer Pub, The pub garden bench and the slight view of the Cross Roads will linger with me for ever. That day at 12.15pm was the first time I had been in that village but it is now like a city in my heart. Had many a great meal there since.

Had to go Back.

The Cross Roads c1960
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The building to the right of the picture was one of only two shops in the village. From there, whilst waiting outside for my mother who was shopping in there I shot an arrow from my home-made bow straight up. It came down and hit the roof of a car parked outside the pub. All I got by way of reprimand was an "OI!" from the owner. There were so few cars about during the war and I had to dent the only one in the village!
My mother Jessica Morgan and my Dad, Bill Morgan, were regulars in the pub, and in 1959, when I was in the RAF, she made me wear my uniform to show off to the regulars, who bought me a few pints. I went back with my daughter on Father's Day 2007 and I mentioned to the staff that I had last been there when I was 18 years old. They were not impressed. I noticed on the wall a photo of local... Read more

Not Always Good to be Taller.

The School And Village c1955
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I attended this school, on and off during the war years as my father Bill Morgan, was frequently posted around the country, and I would end up with my grandparents, the Eldridges who lived at West House. My teacher was a Mrs Greenaway, who lived a bit further along in the picture, and always put me at the front of the line for our exercise period as I was the tallest ("E's gonna be 6 foot y'know"). This meant that whenever I was at the front I couldn't see what everyone else was doing and always got it wrong. Someone was always bleating out, "Please Miss, Keith Morgans not doing it right!" Nonetheless I loved that school. Just opposite was a cottage that housed the Brind family, and Julie Brind was always telling on me, but told everyone she was going to marry me one day ... I was only six.

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