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Graffham
Graffham maps
Historic maps of Graffham and the local area, hand-drawn by Ordnance Survey and Samuel Lewis. View all Graffham maps
Graffham area books
Displaying 1 of 19 books about Graffham and the local area. View all books for this area
You can read extracts and browse photos from these books.
Memories of Graffham
Displaying a selection of personal
memories of Graffham.
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Chelsea Cottage (used to be Bridgers Cottage)
I used to have holidays in Graffham with my Great-Aunt, Lottie Bridger. We loved climbing the hill; collecting eggs from the chickens and even the adventure of visiting the outside toilet. My family lived in Graffham, going right back to the 1500s, and I still have a wonderful feeling when I visit the village. My aunt had no running water, except in the wash house outside, where the washing had to be boiled in a copper. Earlier than that, water was collected from the well in the front garden, which is now cemented over. Her father, James Bridger built the tiny chapel by the side of Ladywell Cottage. He was a non conformist and wanted to worship in his own way. When he died of diphtheria, after nursing his son Harry, who had the same illness, he was carried into the chapel, which he loved. We used to shop in the Post Office which is now... Read more
West Sussex memories
Four Years Old or So........
My parents worked for Mr & Mrs Agar, Beechwood, Lavington Park, Petworth, Sussex. Mrs. Agar's name was Barbara. They had a town house near Berkeley Square, London W.1. I remember living there more than in Sussex. However, I recall a sense of freedom as a 3 or 4 yr. old, only child while at Beechwood. Also, I remember lots of trees and country roads. Good memories! I hope to some day visit & perhaps see the home we resided in on occasion. Mr & Mrs. Agar were wonderful employers, I recall my parents comments about them. We returned to Ireland in Oct .1951, I needed to enroll in school. The baby boom was on and to enroll in school in England was difficult as we were not English citizens, plus Mom & Dad thought we should get closer to family again. I am much older now & live in the USA, the state of Nebraska to be exact. ... Read more
School Days
We lived at Lower Cranmore Farm, I remeber starting in the village school when I was 5yrs old, it was quite a long walk to school, people were allowed to let animals run loose on the common in those days, I remember the Frankhams having a dun pony that we often used to see, also the Lovejoys carthorses were often seen out on the common too, those were the days ! I stayed at the school until it closed, then we were all shipped off to Grafham school, before going off to Midhurst, my friends included Nancy, David and Peggy Hills, Pat Campbell, who came to live next door with Mr & Mrs Chapman, Alan Taylor, and the Jackson girls. I remember that there was a shop just up past the school, it was a real lovely little village, lots of open spaces all around, there used to be an old man who used to be a mole catcher, he used to wear a big black coat and ride an old... Read more
Mother's Memory
Thinking that my mother always lived in and around Kidderminster, I was surprised to discover her mother had died in West Sussex. I did some research and found Mum and her siblings attended Tillington school. The school register was interesting reading, on 22 September 1927 the school nurse visited and Frances (my mum) and her sister Edith were sent home for having dirty heads. I remember Aunt Edith and Mum telling me they were sent home because they had nits and the walk home was up a big hill and it took ages to get home. My mum was 8 and her sister 10, not somthing we would do today. It does seem strange that nits are reported in the school register but not their mother's death 4 weeks later. Their mother died in the workhouse, Budgenor Lodge, Easebourne.
Down North Street
This old picture shows very few cars and people. It also shows the old Cinema and clock tower on the left. This was sadly demolished to make way for a ghastly supermaket, which is ugly and in disrepair at this time Jan 2007.
Looking Down North Street
This picture is much the same as the previous one. The horse and carriage should be on the left side...but who cares, there's nothing coming up the right side.
The Grammar School's tall oaks can be seen in the distant centre.
My Home
I lived in the Wheatsheaf for 20 years. My parents Len and Desi Murphy were Landlord and Landlady from 1950-1977 The pub had only a beer licence when Dad took over. What a great photo. I remember the Catholic church bell ringing and the nuns processing to the church from the convent on Sundays. Eventually the new church was built and the bell removed. Sometime in the 1960s the top half of the chimneys were removed for safety reason, mainly vibration from heavy traffic on Rumbolds Hill. I don't know the date of original structure but the building was renovated in 1621, a date inscribed on one of the beams facing Wool Lane. We had a magnificent view from our front bar window all the way down North Street, which was much quieter than today.
