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Ponsworthy
Ponsworthy maps
Historic maps of Ponsworthy and the local area, hand-drawn by Ordnance Survey and Samuel Lewis. View all Ponsworthy maps
Ponsworthy area books
Displaying 1 of 26 books about Ponsworthy and the local area. View all books for this area
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Memories of Ponsworthy
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Devon memories
Heather And Gorse Clog Morris Entertain at Widecombe-In-The-Moor
It was a fine summer evening in June and the dancers and musicians of the Heather and Gorse Clog Morris team met at The Old Inn at Widecombe to put on an entertainment of morris dancing and music.
Although the village appeared quiet this was deceptive as no sooner had we all struck up some lively tunes in front of the Inn than a very large party of school children appeared! They were visiting from their junior school in Shaftesbury and gathered round along with their teachers to watch the dancing. The clog dancers looked splendid in their blue and white dresses and shiny black clogs and put on a good display of garland and stick dances. The Heather and Gorse band provided a medley of toe tapping jigs and polkas and I joined in the music making with my small piano accordian.
The school children applauded and asked to join in so we showed them the moves for a dance to include them all and... Read more
My Early Years
When I think of Devon, and in particularly Bellever I think of home.
I lived in Bellever from the age of 4 to 13, after moving with my family (dad Denis, mum Gracie, sisters Cyndy, Alison and Elaine, and brothers Bill and Steve). The thing I enjoyed most was swimming in the river, and going for walks on the moors and through the woods. In the summer my family used to spend every Sunday by the river. It's where my dad taught me to swim, I can remember saying to him "look I'm swimming" but secretly having my hands on the bottom. Our extended families used to come for visits. and we would pack a picnic and go whortleberry picking, up on Bellever Tor, and my mum and aunts would make pies and jam with the fruit. I can also remember going into bluebell wood with my sisters and brothers to pick bluebells and primroses for our mum.
We all enjoyed the snow, I think the main reason... Read more
Sparnham House, 36 West Street
I was living in Sparnham House in 1960, but don't recall the umber mine you mention, though my father (Brian Baker) did say there had been one, once. Outside Sparnham there used to be a tap which was supplied by a natural spring and during the long winter of 1963 it was, at times, the only piece of plumbing that wasn't frozen. There was a tunnel under the garden which I was never allowed to explore; I always assumed it was something to do with this spring, but perhaps it was the umber mine? My father died when I was nine, and we moved away from Ashburton shortly afterwards, so that tunnel has always been a tantalising mystery to me.
The house had been a coaching inn many years before. When my father bought it there were evidently huge numbers of old bottles in the back garden. He levelled the heap and planted a lawn on top, so there's probably an interesting experience awaiting anyone who cares to dig a... Read more
Sparnham House
Whether or not Sparnham House was an old coaching inn (I doubt it) or not, it is noteworthy of being the long-time residence of John Hannibal (or sometimes Henry) Foaden and his wife Elizabeth nee Husson. They were married in the summer of 1867 and moved to Sparnham House shortly after. They had at least six children; two sons and four daughters. John lived in the house till after the First World War and died in 1924 at the age of 87. John was a builder and will be remembered as the constructor of the first grandstand at Buckfastleigh (Dean Court Farm) racecourse (1883).
An Interlude in Buckfastleigh And Buckfast
I remember being a pupil at the little Buckfast school, now St Mary's primary. I presume it was the same then but can't remember. It was in the early to mid 1950s and I have a photo of what I think is a school play there. I think that I am in the photo but cannot be sure. Anyone remember milk tablets? We lived in Buckfastleigh at the time, my mother, my sister and me. It was a very dark and pokey little terrace cottage at the western end of the town. I can remember we had a copper basin in the backyard that mother used to do the washing in. As far as I recall she filled it with water and lit a fire underneath it. For a while too, we lived in a caravan in the small park by the bridge near the railway station. Not sure what's there now.
I Worked There!
It was a Trust House Hotel when I worked there in the bar for a few years up to 1964. By that time it was very much larger than the photograph shows. The manager was Mr. Trew. It never made any money due to the short season. When it burnt down about 1967/8 it was left almost derelict for many years until purchased by a wealthy businessman from Torbay who restored part of it and ran it more or less as a hobby.
The stables in the grounds were in use as a separate business most of this time until the buildings were converted to a Craft Centre about 1980.
Kitchen Staff
I worked at Moorlands with Chef Freddie Davis, a Basque Chef, great man, brandy and a garlic clove before we started the day, had a pastry cook who drove an Austin Champ.
I believe the manager was called Smith.
Freddie gave me a Chefs recommendation to the Kitchens of the Dorchester, where i spent several great years under Chef Eugene Kauffman.
Klinkenberg i seem to remember was the name of the stable owner, we used to ride down to his stables with the horses every night we could, great days.
