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Little Coate

Little Coate maps

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

Little Coate photos

We have no photos of Little Coate, although we do have photos of these nearby places:

Devizes| Potterne| Rowde| All Cannings| Bromham| Lavington| Seend| Quemerford| Cherhill| Erlestoke| Woodborough| Beckhampton| Calne| Derry Hill| Avebury| Edington

Little Coate area books

Displaying 1 of 12 books about Little Coate and the local area.   View all books for this area

Memories of Little Coate

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Wiltshire memories

Prison Buildings by Side of Canal

Quakers Walk 1898
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Hello,

My name is John Ryan and I can remember Devizes when I was evacuated there in 1940 from Tilbury Essex. I was 11 years old.

I can remember where we all assembled in what I think was the Catholic school, which I believe was St Joseph's. There was about 40 of us and I happened to be the last to be picked for accommodation with a local family.

I remember the lady, her name was Phyllis Hillier and she was very kind to me as the rest of the family were. I remember going down a big hill towards the canal and crossing a small bridge and turning left down into the building which was originally a prison but it was converted into flats. It was a ground floor flat which was very nice and comfortable. After settling into my new home, I remember starting school where we had to walk along the canal or back up the hill to the town where the school was... Read more

Notes From The Frith Files.

The Fountain, Market Place c1955
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During WW2 the hut at the top of the building provided shelter from the weather for members of the Observer Corps later known as The Royal Observer Corps.

Quaker's Walk

Quakers Walk 1898
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I was employed to fell the elm trees lining the walk during the Dutch Elm disease crisis that cleared so many beautiful trees from a lovely area. My only consolation was the glorious view up to Oliver's Castle which is now sadly blocked by housing estates.

The Roundway I Remember

In 1954 Roundway was the site of the Royal Army Pay Corps Training Centre. Nothing now remains of this except a plaque erected by the local council to commemorate the fact that thousands of young men conscripted for National Service were trained there. Most were only there for ten weeks and were then posted elsewhere to complete their 18 months (later increased to 2 years) service.

I arrived in nearby Devizes on 7th January,1954,and after my basic training spent the remainder of my 2 years there. The training was very hard but it turned boys into men (and soldiers). The camp was spread over a large area of Roundway and straddled the road to Devizes. During the day a Regimental Policeman was always on duty where the road divided the camp,the guardroom being close by. The camp was actually two units, the Training Centre and the Regimental Pay Office for the R.E.M.E. There were 2 drill squares, a sports field, dining halls and a large number of buildings... Read more

Personal Reflections

I was born in Sandleaze, Worton in 1957. I was brought up at 1 Mill Road near the Marston boundary. I remember many things about the village especially the Rose and Crown Pub and the Mill. I remember with pride the war memorial which stood outside the library hall proudly dispalying the name of my uncle Raymond Glen Whitton Henly who died during WWII. The church was quaint if I recall correctly with an archway gate of iron. I remember once my brother returning home on leave one late summers evening and walked home past the church following the brook and weir. On passing the church he swore to his dying day he saw a lady in Victorian costume laying flowers on a grave near a wall when he said good evening to her she disappeared and when he looked there were no flowers on the grave either. The same brother left his mark on the local school too he once kicked a... Read more

Coronation Day

My mother took short term housekeeping positions and in 1953 we lived in Westbrook House in Westbrook village, looking after Sir Edgar and Lady Ludlow Hewitt. He was a gentleman farmer and I sometimes drove around his land with him in his Landrover. I remember beautiful fields with so many wild flowers, I would come home with armfuls. Cowslips are still my favourite. They went to London for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, her Ladyship sat up for all of the night before they left so that her hair did not get ruined. I was allowed to see the long blue velvet gown that she was to wear. There was a cook (she made me the most delicious porridge which arrived at the house in hessian sacks), she lived in a small cottage opposite the pub, then called the New Inn, and a cowman who lived a few doors down from the pub. He would sometimes let me go with hin to fetch in the cows for milking,... Read more

The Brinkworths.

Recently I have been researching my family history. The Brinkworth family are my great grandmother's ancestors, going back further, they were from Lacock. The Brinkworths lived at Sandy Lane, and at the cabin, Chittoe. I have information on this family, but need more. Not sure of address as on census it only states Sandy Lane, Wiltshire.

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