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Offton

Offton maps

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

Offton photos

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

Barking Tye| Nedging| Nedging Tye| Needham Market| Bildeston| Semer| Claydon| Hadleigh| Sproughton| Hitcham| Chelsworth| Kersey| Stowmarket| Monks Eleigh| Boxford

Offton area books

Displaying 1 of 13 books about Offton and the local area.   View all books for this area

Memories of Offton

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Suffolk memories

Shepherds Hut

My father Eric Welham is still living in Barking Tye and will be 90 this year. A 'Shepherd's Hut' which was originally from a farm on Barking Tye around the early 1900s was bought by my Grandad Welham and he moved it across the tye to 'Mill Cottage' along the top of Barking Tye. It was then moved again across the Tye in 1950 to where my father still lives in Fox Meadow and used as a work shop. I have great memories of this old shepherd's hut where many family photos were taken. The shepherd's hut is now at the 'The Museum of East Anglian Life' in Stowmarket. This time it was moved using a tractor and trailer with help from a local farmer, through the adjoining fields, having waited for the harvest to be gathered in. We are trying to trace any history of shepherds that may have used this hut! This picture could very well be that shepherd.

Crowcroft Road Nedging

The Village c1965
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I remember the old buildings that were once part of Wattisham Airfield in Crowcroft Road. This area was occupied by the 4th Strategic Air Depot USAAF during the second world war. In the 60's Mrs Gant was the shopkeeper, and Mr Mowles from Whatfield would deliver groceries. My grandparents Leonard and Clara Pryke lived in Crowcroft Road from 1939- 1971.

Robert James

My great great great grandfather Robert James was born in Darmsden in 1816. He married Maria ? when. They had a daughter Emily b.1852. Is there anyone in the area with the surname James that may be able to help me with my geneology search? Others in my family were born in and around Bosmere, Needham Market. Looks like a lovely part of the country that I will have to visit soon.

Nedging Tye

I well remember having to make my first telephone call from the telephone box here at the age of eight. I was staying with my grandparents Leonard and Clara Pryke at No 3 Crowcroft Road, when my grandmother fell and sustained a bad cut to her head. The box has recently been removed, such a shame and I am sure will one day be regreted. I often stayed with my grandparents and remember playing in the deserted wartime buildings which stood to the left of this photograph. The USAAF hospital, mess huts and Red Cross Club, all demolished, I believe, around 1958 along with the Air Depot and surrounding accommodation sites.

Happy Days

this is only one  of  many wonderful memories i went to school in needham market the junior school and lived at darmsden we were picked up and taken to school by a mini bus we lived in three places in  darmsden the 2nd place was right next door  to a strawberry  field one of many owned by tarston farms further up our road .When it  was time for  picking strawberrys a lot of my friends were bought up in a lorry   and  i  was put  in  charge   to  make  sure  they  picked properly and  didnt  mess about  i was  the  first  one  picking  and  the  last  one  to  finish  i  was  as  brown  as  a  berry  and  loved  it .  one  day  my  mum  came  over  and  and  said  shhs she  then laid  this  very  real  looking  grass snake  amongst  the  strawberrys  well you  should  have  seen  my  mates run  they  screamed   with laughter when  they  saw  what  it  was.  mum used to  litTereally  drag  me  of  i  loved  it... Read more

My Early Years in Bramford

My family moved to Bramford in 1935 when I was 5 years old when my father became the Station Master there, and we lived in the station house which is still there. My mum and Dad had two boys and two girls, although after a year my brother Ernest was away in the army [7th HUSSARS]. I have many happy memeries there. Across the road was the Station Garage where my best friend Bertie lived, Mr Francisco Smith was the garage owner and a First World War army veteran. He was a great guy, and used to take us lads out on trips in his 1938 Hillman to Ipswich to the cinema, Felixstowe and all around. Sadly, and ironicaly, he was the only one to be killed in Bramford, I believe, and as the Air Raid Warden, when a German bomb fell close to the garage during an air raid in 1943. Bertie and I attended the junior school which was situated just beyond the village church on the left... Read more

My Early Years

The Village c1965
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Hi, I guess it's one of those things you do as you get older, to take a walk down memory lane and to do a little bit of reminiscing. I was doing such a thing when I came across this photo of the village in Bildeston and saw the old house in the High Street that as a child and also in my early teens I lived in with my parents. When we lived there it was the local fish and chip shop. We also had a mobile shop that my dad used to take around to the outlying areas, to Watisham and Lavenham, I believe. Those were good days. There are many memories of my years in the primary school but none more than when my teacher (I can't remember his name) attempted to get me to go to an assembly. I had no idea what that was then and wasn't going to go so when he picked me up to take me in to the hall I kicked... Read more

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