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Peasenhall
Peasenhall maps
Historic maps of Peasenhall and the local area, hand-drawn by Ordnance Survey and Samuel Lewis. View all Peasenhall maps
Peasenhall area books
Displaying 1 of 13 books about Peasenhall and the local area. View all books for this area
You can read extracts and browse photos from these books.
Memories of Peasenhall
Displaying a selection of personal
memories of Peasenhall.
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The Vicar
The vicar for many years was the Rev Jack Thickett. As well as his cleric duties he was a part-time farmer, he had a field in Sipton where he kept pigs and as two of his sons had a butchers shop in Peasenhall, he kept them supplied with meat. In fact they still have the shop today (2006). I lived in Church Road for many years and I can still remember waking one morning to find a flock of sheep grazing in the churchyard at the back of my house. A novel way for the vicar to combine both of his jobs. There was I think an article on him in the eadt. He also grew runner beans on his field in Sipton and he had a field next to Peasenhall Primary school which gave work to some of the women of the village, first in late spring to twist the growing up the supports and later thoughout the summer picking the beans. I used to help my mother do... Read more
Suffolk memories
The Seat That Ezra Built
This shelter/seat was built by my grandfather, Ezra Dowsing Cotton, in I believe the 1930s to commemorate the Silver Jubilee of George V. At least I think so. As a child I thought it was in memory of those who fell in the First World War . Ezra Cotton was a carpenter, builder, and importantly the village undertaker, in the early years of the 20th century, and possibly the late 19th century. His daughters Cicely, Violet and Winifred were given the task of embroidering the pillows on which the heads of the deceased lay. He originally lived in Verandah House in the High Street, now an antiques shop (?), and subsequently in a cottage in Brook Street, not far from The King's Head. My cousin Jean and I were sent there on occasions, in his retirement, to bring him home at lunchtime. His son Ezra was also an undertaker in St Albans. His other son Douglas, a schoolmaster, died in Japanese captivity on the Burma Railway, and is commemorated on the... Read more
The Hut
The village club, always known in my family (the Colletts and the Cottons) as 'The Hut', was where all the young people of that time, and probably earlier, met, since that particularly was the venue for village dances. Inevitably permanent relationships were made there. My mother Violet Cotton and her sister Winifred, daughters of Ezra Cotton, village carpenter and undertaker, met my father William Collett and his brother Charles, sons of William Collett, at one time Head Gardener at Cockfield Hall, at such dances. Their marriages in 1929 and 1928 respectively were at the village church. Charles had a haulage business on the site now covered by Cullcott Close, called that in memory of the firm 'Cullingford and Collett'.
Childhood Memories of Rookery Park
My grandparents were William and Ruby Balls who worked at Rookery Park and lived there all their lives. The Hamblings were very good to them and they retired in peace through to the 1980s. As a kid I had many happy memories helping my grandad with the chickens and exploring the extensive grounds. Does anyone remember them?
Bank House, Yoxford
When I was a child, my great-aunt, Mrs Judith Pheby, lived in Bank House, Yoxford, and was its caretaker. The bank only visited the village once a week, I think, and the rest of the time the bank was closed. The house is on the corner, immediately opposite the Jubilee Seat, and I remember visiting there as a child. In those days, there was just one cold tap in the back kitchen, and the stairs were in a kind of cupboard. The beds had feather mattresses, and there were basins and ewers in each of the bedrooms, and a tin bath in the outside loo. The tiny garden was full of hollyhocks and other flowers, and the sun always seemed to be shining. Mrs Pheby's sister, Violet, also lived in Yoxford with her husband, John Bradbrook, and daughter, Connie. They initially lived in a tied house on one of the estates (I think it was Rookery Park, but am not yet certain) where John Bradbrook was chauffeur (one of the few... Read more
My Summer Holidays
It is great to see this scene again, 47 years later. My family and I spent our holidays in this village with my grandparents (Russell), and my auntie & uncle and cousins (Shawcross). They all lived in the cottage shown to the far right of the photo. We used to travel from Leeds (overnight) in an old Commer Express Delivery van (normally used by my dad in his work as a radio & tv engineer). We did live in this house for a while before moving to Sweffling in 1962.
My dad (Denis Horne) did work at G.A Hubbard as a radio & tv engineer in 1963, before moving work to Orford Ness (A.W.R.E SECRET SITE) from 1964/67. My uncle, George Shawcross worked as an electrician at G.A Hubbard at Saxmundham.
My relatives have long left this area, and so have my family by 1967.
I often enjoy travelling back to Suffolk to see it all again !
Rendham White Horse Pub & Village Shop
The White Horse Pub used to be owned by a brewery in Ipswich, and the name of the former brewery can just be seen on the l.h side of the building. There was once an entrance to an off-license on that side. My uncle wired up a coloured lighting system outside the pub in the early 1960's when he worked as an electrician at G.A Hubbard of Saxmundham.
The building to the left is the former village shop, which I believe, was run by Tyrells. Their speciality was sliced boiled ham. I also remember all the many jars of sweets that they had on sale. When Tyrells left, another owner changed the shop to a MACE stores, and also incorporated a post office in the shop (this had previously been in a cottage just behind the viewer). The shop no longer exists, and is a private dwelling.
