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Fenny Bridges

Fenny Bridges maps

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

Fenny Bridges photos

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

Alfington| Feniton| Gittisham| Ottery St Mary| Talaton| Honiton| Tipton St John| Combe Raleigh| Sidbury| Harpford| Offwell| Sidford| Rockbeare| Newton Poppleford| Salcombe Regis| Cullompton| Branscombe| Upottery

Fenny Bridges area books

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

Memories of Fenny Bridges

Fenny Bridges memories
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Displaying a selection of personal memories of Fenny Bridges.
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Daffodils in June

Just a short note: I am writing my first novel due to be published in December. While travelling through Devon recently, I was still stuck for the name of the central character of the book, now I have it, her name is Fenny Bridges

Thank you for the inspiration.

Dorset Burroughs

Devon memories

Our House!

The Cottage Guest House c1960
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How funny! We now own and live in this house. It has barely changed since this photograph, although it is no longer a guest house and its name is different. There are some barns and a coach house in the background which have been partly demolished; a small conservatory has been added to the left of the porch. We believe the people who ran it as a guest house were called Haywood, his first name being Cecil. He had been a manager at the factory in Ottery (since closed). Mrs Haywood was famous for her cooking. They rented it from Lord Coleridge (known as "Lordy"). It was called "The Cottage" because it had been Lady Devon's Cottage, a dower house for the Courtenay family. It was originally built in the 17th Century as a Huguenot weaver's dwelling. This part of Ottery is known as Dunkirk, because of that French connection. The house then comprised only the left hand section and there are four other cottages nearby that share the same... Read more

My Time With The Army at Honiton 1968-1969

From 1968-1969 I was posted to Honiton with the Royal Welch Fusiliers. I was an army cook aged just 19 at the time. I thought that it was a lovely place,  posted to Hong Kong. I also remember an old American guy who ran a cafe on the High Street, he settled there after WW2. We used to drink at the Volunteer pub. My camp was Heathfield camp, I expect it has been built on now? I must pay a visit some time to see what it like now.  Robert Fuller

A Lovely Devon Village

We moved to No. 6 Tipton Vale in 1950. Maureen a baby, myself (Valerie) and parents Eric and Joan White fom Fenny Bridges. The house was a new council house, pink and blue. Dad dug out a bank at the rear and we found hundreds of flint arrow heads, knives and tools which we collected in Oster Milk tins and left in the garage. They should have gone to Exeter museum. I started at the school in November 1950. We played in the big trees of the Angela Home where children with T.B. were sent for treatment and took them comics and toys. In springtime the whole school would walk up to the hills above the Sidmouth Road and pick primroses, violets and bluebells to send to schoolchildren in London. I loved these beautiful days. I remember making the Easter Garden in the church. One day I found a hissing adder in the school sandpit. Miss West took the Infant Class and Miss Richardson the senior's. She was... Read more

Evacuee

My name was Evelyn Smith "Eve".  I was evacuated to my uncle and aunt's home during the war.  My uncle was Sidney Smith - he was station master.  We lived at 3 Coombe Lea.  Miss Richardson was our school teacher - a really beautiful lady and an excellent teacher.  My best friend was Nancy Leach - she lived in Dawes Cottage.  I remember the gypsies who came through the village - the eldest girl was named Caroline.  There were twin boys who lived on a farm - can't remember their names.  Skinner's farm was just down the lane from 3 Coombe Lea - they brought fresh milk to our house every day - or maybe we fetched it from the farm in our little churn - not sure - but it was always warm from the cow - LOVERLY!!  My cousin Josie and another cousin from London (Ettie) were land girls in Tipton.
Buster (last name skips my memory at the moment - was connected with the Great Train Robbery... Read more

My Grandfathers Cottage

Podbury's Cottage c1960
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Podburys Cottage was my Grandfathers cottage. (William Cooper). It was then named Ginko Cottage. My grandfather was a gardener at Harpford House and I believe that this was a "Tied" cottage.

I personally lived in Ginko cottage from birth in 1940 to my grandfathers death in 1946.

Carter Family of Harpford

The Village 1906
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My forebears came from the village of Harpford. In the Tithe schedule of 1839 Joel Carter rented the small cottage in the centre of the photo and also the cottage on the far right (which had a workshop at the back.) Joel was born at Podbury's Cottage (then a farm) which I think is at the back of this photo - certainly Podbury's is the main subject of the other Harpford photo. In the 21st century all these buildings are still there, little altered externally except that there is now more vegetation - trees/bushes etc. Joel Carter farmed at Harts which was on the outskirts of the village and has long been destroyed. Joel and his wife Mary (nee Paver) had 15 children of whom 9 lived to adulthood.
The lane is still very narrow and the area of the River Otter valley best appreciated on foot.

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