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Higher Durston
Higher Durston maps
Historic maps of Higher Durston and the local area, hand-drawn by Ordnance Survey and Samuel Lewis. View all Higher Durston maps
Higher Durston photos
We have no photos of Higher Durston, although we do have photos of these nearby places:
West Monkton| Bathpool| Ruishton| North Curry| East Lyng| Stoke St Mary| Taunton| Burrowbridge| Kingston St Mary| Staplegrove| Orchard Portman| Hatch Beauchamp| Fivehead| Bishops Hull| Bridgwater| Westonzoyland| Wembdon| Norton Fitzwarren| Trull| Othery| Middlezoy| Chedzoy| Corfe| Pitminster| Aisholt| Blagdon Hill
Higher Durston area books
Displaying 1 of 11 books about Higher Durston and the local area. View all books for this area
You can read extracts and browse photos from these books.
Memories of Higher Durston
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Somerset memories
Monkton House
I lived with my family in this house for a few months when we first arrived in England from Northern Ireland, it was being renovated by one "Gassy" Harris and was full of the smell of sawn timber. A few years back I revisited the house briefly and met with someone who I think was doing some temporary gardning, though his main profession was thatching, and had worked on that very renovation; now I have lost his name. I attended West Monkton School and got befriended by Johnny Curry, whom I subsequently met up with again at Taunton School, but then lost contact with. There was a boss-eyed stallion in the field behind the house which bit me on the bottom.
Post Office West Monkton
I lived here from around 1952 until the late 1960s with my parents RF and WM Marsh who ran the Post Office and Stores. My father used to deliver groceries to customers over quite a wide area, some of whom lived in Coombe (in another photo) and some lived across fields further into the hills where geese used to try to attack the car wheels! My father passed away at home in 1974 and my mother kept the shop going by herself (with helpers) until around 1977/8. I understand that it kept going until the Post Office cuts in 2008. Earlier there was a butchers shop further up the Street and possibly another shop of some sort.
Pear Tree Cottage Greenway
We used to visit my grandparents on Sundays. Quite often during the Spring we would drive through the flooded levels and see boats on the water. I remember wanting desperately to go for a ride in one! It didn't happen. My Grandfather was Charles Perry who was a stonemason and Grandma's name was Laura. They had 4 children, Rose, George (known as Gordon) my Dad, Kathleen and Wilfred. It would be great if anyone remembers the family or perhaps the house?
Good Memories
The year was probably 1956 to 1960. I used to go to my uncle's farm with my cousin, Colin Brunt, he had 2 race horses, Lyng Gold and Misty Evening, I used to go up and ride out with him.
Walnut Cottage
My Grandparents ran the post-office at Moorland when I was young, we used to visit every Sunday. I loved the atmosphere and the peacefulness of the village. My grandad was Charles Kitch, also named 'Fido', but I can't find out why. Does anyone out there know? Walnut Cottage is very much the same as I remember, and the orchard where pigs and chickens were kept had an abundance of apple trees, especially Morgan sweets. Most of my family seemed to originate from that area, those were the days. I also remember how high the canal used to be, scary as a child. I used to pick blackberries with my cousin who lived with my gran. I'm doing my family tree, I have come across a Kitch Drove and wondered how that came about, also Kitch bridge. If anyone can help I would be delighted, and most grateful. Linda Kitch
Narrow Escape (probably Between 1958 And 1961)
a few years after this photo was taken WH Smiths which was located to the bottom left of this photo completely collapsed following a prolonged spell of wet weather. This happened very early one saturday morning in the run up to christmas, prior to staff arriving for work. I don't think anyone was injured - a few hours later and the store would have been crowded with christmas shoppers!
Army Barracks Overlooking Vivary Park.
I lived in the Army Barracks [Jelelahbad] from around 1960-61 and went to Mary Magdalene School which is now closed and used as an auctions room. One teacher I recall was a Mr Oak and pupils were Margaret Harvey, John & Jane Scott, Paul Hacker, and Marilyne Littlejohn. We spent a lot of time playing in Vivary Park and bought our sweets from Jarvis Sweet shop across the road from the iron gates last I heard it was turned into a Tatoo Shop in the 1980/90s. Tutor Tavern back then was run by Mr & Mrs Hacker who had sons called Paul and Clifford we often played in the tavern in the cellar area it was very spooky. My father was stationed at nearby Norton Manor Camp and mother worked at Woolworths.
