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Hamswell
Hamswell maps
Historic maps of Hamswell and the local area, hand-drawn by Ordnance Survey and Samuel Lewis. View all Hamswell maps
Hamswell photos
We have no photos of Hamswell, although we do have photos of these nearby places:
St Catherine| Charlcombe| Swainswick| Bitton| Batheaston| Saltford| Bath| Bathampton| Bathford| Widcombe| Dodington| Keynsham| Colerne| Ditteridge| Kingsdown| Combe Down| Box| Old Sodbury| Monkton Combe| Frenchay| Frampton Cotterell
Hamswell area books
Displaying 1 of 6 books about Hamswell and the local area. View all books for this area
You can read extracts and browse photos from these books.
Memories of Hamswell
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Avon memories
Memories of Bitton in Gloucestershire
The Grange at Bitton was the home of the Seymour family, one member of which was Jane, the third wife of King Henry VIII. The village is dominated by its open countryside setting. This relationship arises from the historic development of the Roman Road and then the coach route between Bristol and Bath as well as its crossing of the River Boyd. The road skirts around the foothills of Bitton Hill and Brewery Hill, with development clustered around the junction of Golden Valley to the north and the River Avon floodplain to the south. To the west the slopes of Bitton Hill provide the setting for the essentially linear development along the A431. To the east, the setting is more open with longer distance views over the fields up to the village of Upton Cheyney. The flat open floodplain to the south is disguised by Barrow Hill and the old railway line. The rural setting is emphasised through traditional open fields, hedges and mature, free-standing trees. Given this dominant countryside setting... Read more
Bathampton Tea Gardens
This is a view of the Bathampton Tea Gardens which occupied the old buildings of Bathampton Mill, and the picture is taken from Bathampton Bridge. On the O.S. Somerset sheet XIV Revision of 1930 with additions in 1938. The buildings were bought by my Uncle and Aunt, Stan and Gwen Burge, in 1933, using money given to them by Stan's brother Alec who had a winning ticket on the Calcutta sweepstake. In spite of the annual winter flooding when the water reached almost to the first floor, they developed the premises into an attractive destination for trippers arriving by boat, bus or car. I worked there during the summer months serving ice creams, taking orders for teas, washing and clearing up. They also welcomed people for B&B. The attraction was good food (Aunty Gwen's scones were legendary, as was Uncle Stan's bread and butter), wonderful gardens and excellent swimming in the River Avon between the bank and the weir. When they retired in the 1960s, Keith Johnson turned it into... Read more
Bathhampton Mill
This is the old mill on the banks of the River Avon at Bathampton. It may have been operational at this time but by 1930 it was labelled as disused.
What The Name of The Weir Was at Bathampton
Just wondered what they called "the weir" relating to the weir Tea Gardens in 1959 at Bathampton.
Memories of The Queen's Head Willsbridge
At the bottom of Willsbridge and Brockham hills, on a busy Bath to Bristol road, stands an unassuming little building called The Queen's Head public house.
Unlike other pubs in the vicinity, The Queen's Head has never been wrapped up in all the usual alehouse folklore of highwaymen, cut-throats, and kings, and very little, by way of fact, or fiction, has ever been written about it. What follows is fact, and research reveals a fascinating history that tells the story of an establishment that not only served up ale, but which performed a whole variety of other hamlet, and old Bitton Parish functions.
EARLIEST DAYS
Willsbridge hamlet before The Queen's Head - The name 'Willsbridge' means 'the spring, (or well), by the bridge', and is Anglo Saxon in origin. In those days it was known as 'Wylsbrugge'. Now much extended, the original settlement was a hamlet at the Mill Clack Brook (now called Siston Brook) bridge - in other words the little bridge and immediate surrounding area... Read more
Architectural Notes
As a former resident of Bath I recall that this building was not particularly liked. In 1959 the hotel was demolished and a block of 33 flats at 1st, 2nd and 3rd floor level with shops at the ground floor was built. The quality of building work and the amenities of the building was exceptional and included electric underfloor heating beneath parquet floors in the main living room and an air extractor system to bathrooms and kitchens without external windows. The two side wings of the property housed lifts serving the three floors and also included very convenient rubbish chutes. There was also an entryphone system - a relatively new concept in Britain at that time. The rooms in the flats were well proportioned with 9' ceilings and large sash windows.
Because of the underlying geology of the area it was necessary to construct a deep and strong platform several metres below street level over which were constructed vertically... Read more
Where Have The Trees Gone?
Does anyone know when the trees were felled? I have found a slightly later photo around the turn of the century and this has the trees still. Today there are none, although I think those on Laura Place are still there. If anyone knows about this, I'd love to hear from you: moretrees@live.co.uk
