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Dunsford
Dunsford maps
Historic maps of Dunsford and the local area, hand-drawn by Ordnance Survey and Samuel Lewis. View all Dunsford maps
Dunsford area books
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Memories of Dunsford
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A Ramble in The Dunsford Nature Reserve And Lunch in The Royal Oak
Today I joined a group of friends on an organized ramble through the Dunsford nature reserve run by the Devon Wildlife Trust. My friends are all dancers and musicians with Heather and Gorse Clog Dancers but on this occasion we were happy to enjoy a five mile circular walk on a beautiful early Spring sunny Devon day instead of our more usual dancing at a pub!
We started our ramble at Steps Bridge, close to where we parked our cars in the Dartmoor National Park car park next to the Youth Hostel. The reserve entrance is just past the Exeter side of the bridge and we followed the footpath and bridlepath along the valley floor, from Steps Bridge to the Clifford Bridge where we played “Pooh Sticks” (just shows how grown up Morris Dancers can be!).
By the time we returned to Steps Bridge it was lunchtime and we were feeling quite thirsty so we all made our way to The Royal Oak in Dunsford for... Read more
Devon memories
Old School
I enjoyed my time in Tedburn during the late 80s working with Francis Cann. He was a man of the old school and a part of exeters racing history with many wins during his time as a speedway rider. He had a passion for God and motorcycles and did every thing at the double. I rode through the backlanes from dunsford on my 1938 ARIEL RED HUNTER in all weathers and look back upon those times with great affection. I lodged in Dunsford for many years with the family who used to run the A30 cafe until the new road stopped the constant flow of traffic. These are just a few of my very fond recollections. Dean Waters, Kent.
THe New Inn
My parents ran the New Inn (now The Nobody Inn) when my grandmother died, and we moved from Higher Ashton to take over the tenancy. The Pub was owned by the St Annes Well Brewery who operated from Exeter. Many memories flow from those days. School with Miss Mary Wippell Mallet who had the typical bun hairstyle, and lived with her sister in the school house just below the school. The school inspector?attendance officer called on a weekly basis, he was called Mr Bray, commonly known as "Donkey Bray", he used to drive in his black Austin 7. When Miss Mallet retired she and her sister went to live at Tedburn St Mary. She was replaced by a Miss Harper, a rather younger lady, who had many seemingly revolutionary new ideas. The village came alive when a neighbouring farmer, Reg Lovey, was spied journeying through the back fields and entering the School House at evening times, such things were never heard of, eventually they moved to Honiton and got married.... Read more
Heather And Gorse Clog Morris Entertain at The Teign House Inn, Christow
It was the weekend of the Royal Wedding and on Sunday, the day before the May Bank Holiday, everyone was in a party mood.
We took a party of dancers and musicians to the Teign House Inn which is a delightful country pub several miles north along the lanes from Christow. The jolly landlord provided a camping field for some folks to to stay for the entire long weekend as there is a tradition among Morris Dancers to rise at dawn on May Day to greet the sun at the start of summer!
On this particular Sunday we had more than fifty dancers and a lot of musicians too. We came from many different "sides" around Devon and Cornwall. I brought along my small piano accordian and played along with the band for the Heather and Gorse Clog Dancers. They looked splendid in their blue and white kit with shiny black clogs although they did find it tough dancing on the grass!
Bond Family
I have not been to Whitestone, but my great-great-grandmother...Susannah Bond was born there in 1799. She moved to Newton St. Cyres and married Thomas Crump there. Are there any Bond's still in Whitestone who might be distant relatives ?
Farmer Seward
Samuel Seward farmed at Whitstone Cross he had 60 acres, he also had a housekeeper named Elizabeth Vincent with whom he had 13 children out of wedlock. All the children survived childhood and I wonder if there are any relatives there. He farmed until the 1880s and then retired to Nadderwater where he died in 1890. Elizabeth died at Whitstone Cross in 1869. Oh, and by the way, after Elizabeth died he decided to marry a Selina Mary Mardon Lock, who died in 1900.
A Saturday Ramble at Fingle Bridge For The Morris Dancers
The Heather and Gorse Clog Dancers organised a ramble to celebrate the New Year and so we met on a beautiful sunny January Saturday at the Fingle Bridge Inn.
My wife Elizabeth and I joined our group of friends some of whom took their walking very seriously judging by the Nordic walking poles and huge woolly caps! Others were more informal with soft fell boots and dogs chasing sticks!
We climbed the "blue" route starting a couple of hundred metres before the bridge and walked along the ridge admiring spectacular views. I guess we walked for two hours on a circular tour returning to the Fingle Bridge Inn.
We booked lunch in the carvery and we had an excellent meal. I had a giant plate of succulent roast beef, Yorkshire pudding, stuffing, roast potatoes in goose fat and half a dozen different veggies. The horseradish sauce was hot (not sure if it was home-made but it was good). There was also turkey available and... Read more
