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Holcombe Rogus

Holcombe Rogus photos

Displaying the first of 9 old photos of Holcombe Rogus.   View all Holcombe Rogus photos

9
View all 9 photos of Holcombe Rogus

Holcombe Rogus maps

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

Holcombe Rogus area books

Displaying 1 of 26 books about Holcombe Rogus and the local area.   View all books for this area

Memories of Holcombe Rogus

Holcombe Rogus memories
Read and share Holcombe Rogus memories

Displaying a selection of personal memories of Holcombe Rogus.
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War Time in Holcombe Rogus

Hi everyone. I lived in Holcombe Rogus during the war years. My Father Leeming Greaves and Kathleen Korner had leased the Prince Of Wales Hotel. My brother Joseph and I attended the local School, I was 9 years old at that time. My Teachers name was Mrs Berry. Mrs Berry had a son Roger who spent a lot of time with my brother. It was a very busy time in Holcombe Rogus as the American servicemen had arrived, and were stationed there, I think there were about 200 at the time. The Americans were very good to us as children, and were always giving the children their chocalate supplies. The Prince of Wales Hotel was very busy, with Jeeps turning up day and night. Now living in Australia, I returned to Holcombe Rogus in 1990 and found the Hotel was still trading, even the Bowling alley at the back of the hotel was still operating, with the same old Bowling balls that... Read more

Somerset memories

Rock

From Underdown c1960
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Underdown was a magical place, a narrow island of rock left by quarrying at some time in the past. This photo is taken from the western end. At the eastern end there was a copse and the top of the island merged back into the side of a hill. The south side was a vertical cliff with trees growing along the top edge and out of the face. The trees started a little to the left of the photographer in this picture. The end in the photograph could be scrambled down or slid down through a natural helter skelter formation in the rock. The north side (to the right) was steep but with a path running diagonally down the face, and largely climable by us children. A lot of my childhood was spent here, climbing, making dens, etc.  We called it "Rock".
The first time I went there, with my dad and before Myxomatosis, I can remember looking up across the field and seeing a line of rabbits looking back... Read more

The Rock.

From Underdown c1960
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I was a resident of St Boniface Home, Sampford Peverell, from 1943 to 1946. Our Scout and Cubscout group used 'the Rock' (although we had a different name for it) for many of our scouting activities. The large mound to the west was ideal for semaphore practice and due to a large population of rabbits was referred to as 'Connie Warren'. Many proficiency badge tests were passed using the Rock as a base camp. Perhaps someone can recall its alternative name.

The 697 Bus From Tiverton to Wellington Via Huntsham


I suppose one of the advantages of being "old" is having both the pensioner's free bus pass and the time to use it!

So having retired to the middle of Devon with my wife Elizabeth in 2006 I gradually set about exploring the area.....and one of the best ways to do this is by bus. Armed with the local bus timetable I went down to the Tiverton Bus Station and boarded the 697. It sounds grand with a "big number " like that but in fact there is ( or rather "was" as the service no longer runs as it did ) just one return journey on a Tuesday and another on a Friday. These are Tiverton's miid-week market days so I boarded the Tuesday afternoon bus for its return run through Huntsham and Holcombe Rogus and on to Wellington in the neighbouring county of Somerset.

Believe me, I have never known another bus journey like it! The lady bus driver seemed to know ALL the passengers... Read more

The Railway Inn

Railway Crossing c1965
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This is a photograph of the railway crossing gate, the line has been long closed (blame Dr Beeching!) The white building on the right is the Culm Valley Inn, prev The Railway Inn. My father Sydney Dennis was licensee, my brother was born here, my bedroom window can be just seen on the 1st floor........What fun days they were for me as a 12 year old! We later moved to Cullompton. The Kings Head.

My House!

OMG!!! Wow, I was amazed when I saw this picture! The house I grew up in is the one on the right of the two stuck together, behind the cottage at the front of the picture! My bedroom was the top right hand window, I even remember my brother climbing out of it on to the wall to go meet his mates! I broke my finger in that graveyard, ouch! I loved living there, the local Illminster pub is on the right, shame you can't see it!

I Remember

Railway Crossing c1965
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Wow, I remember that pub. When I moved there the track had been covered in tarmac, what a shame! But me and my sister went down into the forest on the left and found the rest of the track! It was brill! Shame the pub has become fancy, they even closed the bowling alley, what madness!

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