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Kingsdon
Kingsdon maps
Historic maps of Kingsdon and the local area, hand-drawn by Ordnance Survey and Samuel Lewis. View all Kingsdon maps
Kingsdon photos
We have no photos of Kingsdon, although we do have photos of these nearby places:
Charlton Mackrell| Ilchester| Somerton| Long Sutton| Keinton Mandeville| Tintinhull| Dundon| Butleigh| Compton Dundon| Queen Camel| Martock| Mudford| Sparkford| Muchelney| Huish Episcopi| Langport| Montacute| Stoke-Sub-Hamdon| Preston| High Ham| Yeovil| South Petherton
Kingsdon area books
Displaying 1 of 11 books about Kingsdon and the local area. View all books for this area
You can read extracts and browse photos from these books.
Memories of Kingsdon
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Somerset memories
Paydays
This quiet village street, that could at times be busy with traffic, was the scene of frenetic energy once a week. It was on the day the wives from the naval married quarters at Taranto Hill collected all the kids, walked past the church, over the river bridge, and came into the Post Office, on the left hand side of your picture, to collect the allotment money. There was much to see on the way. The garage owner was an expert on restoring vintage vehicles, I can recall a shillibeer omnibus for example. Many young wives used to swear that the pig farmer whose premises you had to walk past at the beginning of the village, would wait until Thursdays before clearing out his charges. Be that as it may, many the baby had its face covered as a precaution. Mind you it was not as busy as pay nights when the Bull (not pictured) became equally swamped by their husbands. There were in fact three pubs. On a good... Read more
South Street
My dad was stationed at no 1 South Street (old police house) in the year I was born, he was a PC. Then I believe we moved to 1 Almshouse Lane. My mum died in 1952,leaving behind my young sister and me and my dad. Dad eventually hired a nanny and then married her in the church next to what is now the italian restaurant. That's about all I remember, perhaps others will remember me.
I Used to Live Here
I grew up living in a cottage on West Street (just out of shot on the left) Next door to Mr and Mrs Vincent. Mr Vincent had the garage over the road... I remember that he had a penny farthing bike in the window.
The Cooper's had a fish shop in the Triangle there was a marble slab in the middle of the shop and they also sold fruit and vegetables. I think Mr Cooper (Ron) also had a van and delivered fish to the surrounding villages.
One the left you can see Leonard Hughes Shop - my friend Phillip Mitchell lived there. They were next door to Mr and Mrs (Bill and Joyce) Chapman who were farmers.
Next door to the Vincent's on the left was Mr Law's shop - he was a Cobbler and also sold shoes. Mum used to buy our school daps there.
Next to that was Mr and... Read more
Gran And Grandpa Lazenby's Shop
Gran and Grandpa Lazenby had a grocery shop here. I believe they also had a café next door but I can’t remember that. I do remember looking through the window in the back of the shop and seeing my Mum slicing bacon on a big red machine.
Mum tells me her worst job was to turn the handle of the coffee roasting machine – she hated the smell of roasting coffee and to this day only ever drinks tea.
My other memory is having my lunch in the garden at the back… I used to sit in Grandpa’s lovely garden on a little flower pot and use a bigger one as a table.
I’m told Mum used to cycle out to all the farms to collect the grocery orders and then Grandpa Lazenby used to deliver them in his grey van. I can remember looking through the windows in the shop door and watching them leaving –... Read more
Post Office And Boy's School
The Red Lion Building used to be a Post Office run by Mr and Mrs Salter. Next door to was the Boy's School. The boys and girls went to separate schools in those days – the girls were taught by Miss Bibby at Monteclefe and the boys by Miss Lacy at the Boy’s School. I think I’d been at Monteclefe for a year when they moved us all up to the Boys School. We were crammed in together while they modernised Monteclefe. When we eventually moved back Monteclefe became co-ed and we were taught by Mr Davis and Miss Swain – Miss Lacy was our head mistress. Miss Lacy was very creative and I loved our art classes. I loved going to school but my worst memory is of school milk. We used to be given 1/3 pint every day. In winter the frozen milk was brought in and placed near the big stoves in the class rooms to thaw out. I... Read more
The Market Square
The Library was in the building on the left – I was a real book worm so I loved being able borrow new books every week. We used to go to Sunday school at the church. Reverend Hayter was our vicar (daughters Pauline and Janet) and Mrs Leach used to teach us. She had children about my age Jonathon and Rachel. Behind the Church next to the vicarage was a hall where we went to Brownies… I was a Gnome Sixer! Our Brown Owl was called Mrs Stocker and she had a daughter called Jill.
Next door to the Church (the house with the bay window) was Mrs Witty’s wool shop. I particularly remember she had a beautiful curtain made from glass beads that separated the shop from her living room. I was SO envious of that curtain and always wished we could have one too.
Next door to the Wool Shop was Mr Pattimore’s antique shop, and next to that... Read more
Langport Road And The School
Mr Bryant had a hardware shop (on the right) I seem to remember Mrs Bryant had a Corgi dog (I was always quite scared of it) Up the road a bit on the right I’m sure Mr Garland had a little shop – he was a boot maker.
On the corner you can see the Infant’s School. Mrs Williams ran the school and she had a lovely Labrador dog called Sally. The school became a bit crowded so the little ones were sent around to the Drill Hall Behind Berry. Mrs Lareham was our teacher. We had to walk round the corner to the school two by two holding hands. It was a different era in those days if you were naughty Mrs Lareham hung a notice around your neck with things like “Keep away from me I bite” or “Keep away from me I tell lies” written on a board on strings. In those... Read more
