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East Coker
East Coker maps
Historic maps of East Coker and the local area, hand-drawn by Ordnance Survey and Samuel Lewis. View all East Coker maps
East Coker area books
Displaying 1 of 11 books about East Coker and the local area. View all books for this area
You can read extracts and browse photos from these books.
Memories of East Coker
Displaying a selection of personal
memories of East Coker.
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Clare School
I was at Clare School in the latter part of the fifties and recently visited East Coker and was unable to find the school. Mr H T Bowden started the school. What has happened to the old building?
Somerset memories
Barwick House School
Barwick House as shown in the photographs on this site is sadly no more although the building is still standing and is now being used as luxury apartments, this is as a result of the school (which previously occupied it) going bankrupt in 1987, the school was run by a Major Gray and his wife. I was a pupil there from September 9th 1977 to May 25th 1979 and I was glad to learn of its closure as a school although it wasn't until April 2010 that I actually learned of this development. I say that I was glad because my memories of my stay at the school are not happy ones, my memories of my time at Barwick House are of abuse and suffering and I am delighted that the school is no more and that the abusing monster who ran it is almost certainly now dead.
Barwick House
My memories of my 7years at Barwick House from 1973 - 1980 from the age of 9 years aren't perfect but where else would I have had the chance to ride horses, go sailing, join the Sea Cadets and become the man I am today....I hear a lot about people being abused at the school; yes, it was rough but then none of us were in there for good behaviour, we were in there because no other school would have us. I loved it and yes I was a trouble maker but I'd like to think in a nice way...Who remembers building the swimming pool? And the stables and what about the stable girl and Annette? I have some really good memories of them if anyone is interested. Ian Gayle, 'HMS Amethyst'
Family Home
I wish there was more history related to the house. I'm very interested to know how it was used before it became a place of bad memories. I am sorry to hear it became a reform school where children were abused but I am doing my family research and this used to be called Barwick Manor in the 16th century. My 13th great grandfather, Sir John Symes, was born in this house.
Gathering The Harvest And Catching Rabbits in The Corn
I sometimes stayed with my Uncle Frank and Auntie Florrie Allen in Stoford in the 1940s and 1950s. He was a signalman for the Southern Railway at Yeovil Pen Mill Station and would encourage me to have a wander around his station and goods yard - there was no such thing as "Health and Safety" regulations in those far off happy days! Sometimes he would take me for walks in the nearby countryside and we would gather a whole bag of conkers in the autumn - a whole bag! It was so exciting going back to school the next Monday and showing off dozens of the fattest shiniest conkers anyone had ever seen. However the memory I cherish most of all is one harvest time. There was a large square field and an ancient tractor was slowly going around the edge of this field cutting the corn and working towards the centre. Uncle Frank took me and Cousin Peter and many young friends to form a line around... Read more
Brympton D'evercy - as I Knew it Claire School
I spent as a boy four years from 1970 to 1974 at this magnificent house, as it was a boys' boarding school. It was a fantastic place to be as a 10 year old, to study and grow up.
I yearn to return and see its splendid huge wooden staircase we use to slide down, its hamstone turret stairscases, and the japanese garden that we spent many hours tending due to detention!!!!
I hope the house is still in good hands it is a national treasure in my eyes and I feel privliged to have lived there for four years of Brympton's long history.
Western Morning News 28.12.09 Brympton
1959 - 1962 I was also in 'inmate' of Clare School at Brympton, this spectacular alleged Inigo Jones fronted building and certainly then did not value its stature until later in life. It is featured in the BBC programme 'The Turn of the Screw' on 31st Dec 2009 and page 2 of the Western Morning News. The Hockey pitch (front lawn) looks in remarkably good nick so The Glossops, the now owners, have done a good job. The paper says they are encouraging folk to visit and use the house as a wedding venue. I will turn up one day! Alec
