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Filleigh
Filleigh maps
Historic maps of Filleigh and the local area, hand-drawn by Ordnance Survey and Samuel Lewis. View all Filleigh maps
Filleigh area books
Displaying 1 of 26 books about Filleigh and the local area. View all books for this area
You can read extracts and browse photos from these books.
Memories of Filleigh
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Devon memories
Family Memory
My dad was from the area and my brother was brought up in the village by my gran. I remember playing in the shallows of the river by the bridge on a hot sunny summers day. I have lost touch with my brother and would love to find him.
Evacuation
We were evacuated to North Molton during the Second World War, I remember going to the school and being billeted in various homes, one on the hill near a baker's shop - what lovely smells. I also remember the Lysander plane that crashed into the church, and the bullets exploding. I remember going picking blueberries on Exmoor for people from London and getting paid, and wild strawberries near a railway station, skinny dipping in the river with lads from London and girls from the village close to Swimbridge Bridge. Going shoping in South Molton Woolworths? Watching the farmer milk his cows and having milk squirted into our mouths, building dens with the local lads and playing Cowboys and Indians, listening to the planes going overhead on their way to bomb Plymouth and many more wonderful memories. To a 10 year old boy the war, even the bombing of Bristol, was a great adventure. Thank for the memories North Molton, from a boy from Knowle West, Bristol. Dennis Broad
Childhood in South Molton
I was born in Gothic House, The Churchyard, South Molton in May 1941. My name was Patricia Elizabeth Abbott Huxtable. My father was Charles John Huxtable and my grandparents were Charles George Pearce Huxtable and Elizabeth Avery Abbott (of North Molton). The churchyard was a playground for myself, my brother Roger and our friends. We were lucky not to suffer the effects of the war and have memories of American soldiers, German POW's and some of the evacuated families who lived close to us. We played on the gravestones, climbed the trees on the 'banks' and got told off by Mr Larsen who was a church warden at that time.
Evacuee
My mother was evacuated to Bishop Nympton ( but going to school in South Molton) She arrived with her mother and her brand new baby sister sometime during the War...I don't know the year right now, I need to find out. They were ultimately taken in by the gentry living in Whitechapel Farm in Bishop Nympton, who I believe were Stewarts of Lloyd & Stewart steel-making fame. My mum and her family lived above the stable. I think the one thing Mum said that sticks with me is that one evening when her mum was taken ill, the lady of the house came over to look after Mum and her sister. The lady of the house thinly cut the bread, wafted the butter over it and barely put any jam on. My mum was dismayed as this was not how her mum did it - they always had piles of butter and jam. I'm not sure if she spoke up though. I think my mum thoroughly loved living in Devon, having come from... Read more
My School
I was born at Filleigh and went to Filleigh Infants School. But then at eleven years old went to school at South Molton Secondary Modern. It was 1953 and the school was quite new, opening in 1952 if I remember correctly.
As I recollect Mr Larson ( ref below post) had an upholstery business in South Molton. My memories are of the Terraneaux buses taking me from where I lived to South Molton School and the bottles of school milk that we were instructed to drink at break time. The Headmaster was Mr Hawkes, we kids called him "Buzzard". I remember the the sound of the children saying "Watch out, Buzzard's coming". Those were the days.
Bracken Brae
Sadly my mother died many years ago and my father in 1953. Mum never said much about my past as she remarried and did not want to upset her hubby. Am I right in thinking there was a small bungalow on the edge of the road on a bank called Bracken Brae? Could anyone help me here please, my mother's name was Daisy Thomas and my father was Clarence or Clow, I believe he work as a sawyer. Thank you, Jean Bye
Thornton Estates
I have an old photo named Thornton Estates. Devon.-Elevated large house, with stone retaining wall in front.
I presume it belonged to George Thorne, or Jenkins.
