You are here:
Putsborough
Putsborough maps
Historic maps of Putsborough and the local area, hand-drawn by Ordnance Survey and Samuel Lewis. View all Putsborough maps
Putsborough area books
Displaying 1 of 26 books about Putsborough and the local area. View all books for this area
You can read extracts and browse photos from these books.
Memories of Putsborough
No memories of Putsborough have been shared yet - be the first!
Add your memory of Putsborough
or of a photo of Putsborough.
Devon memories
'Holiday House'.
I was born and lived the early years of my life in South Molton. My father had his own building firm there. In 1958 we moved to Croyde Bay my father having bought this large house on the cliffs above the bay for £1800. This photo shows it before it became a motel. He put a new roof on the property in tiles rather than the slates which were normally used at that time. He then converted the top floor into our new home and then still had the two floors below spare. He had seen films about the American motels and set about converting these floors into one bedroom units with combined living area to let to holidaymakers. He invented a system where a double bed base and mattress would fold up into a wall cupboard so creating more space for daytime living. The single beds were the forerunner to bed settees. The families who rented them were mainly from the Midlands and some from London. They absolutely loved... Read more
School in Georgeham
I was evacuated to Croyde and would walk to school in Georgeham every day. I stayed at a house called Watersmeet with a family named Rogers, daughter Pat. I remember at school we would listen to the radio. I particularly remember Bunyon's 'Pilgrim's Progress' being read on the BBC. The introductory music was 'The Trumpet Voluntary' by Purcell. I do not remember the name of the school.
Saunton Sands Hotel in WW2
The hotel was used by the Duke of York's Military School which had been evacuated from Dover - on the cliff tops. Wooden huts were erected along the cliff in front and alongside the hotel to be used as classrooms - each with coke-operated stoves leading to outside chimneys.
All doors were taken off the hotel rooms [to create space?]. Bunk beds were installed. The sands had been used for Commando training and, since we were allowed down, we were able to acquire large stocks of discarded or lost ammunition from cartridges to grenades and 'gelly'!! A small amount of gelegnite and a hot coke-stove chimney makes a satisfactory bang!! Since we were mostly Army 'brats' whose fathers were serving or had been killed we were 'aux-fait' with the use of such as we found. Grenades were a little too noisy, causing school staff to react so were rarely used! Little booby traps -found on the beach. These could have a rifle round fitted and be delicately placed.
The House I Lived in
I lived in the white bungalow on the right of the picture with my parents from 1953 until 1959. My father was Secretary of the Saunton Golf Club and the house was owned by the Christie Estates at that time. I have many happy memories of holidays at Saunton during that time.
This Farm I Worked on as A Student
I worked on this farm as a young lad before going to Agricultural College. I lodged with a family in the cottage in the picture.
Childhood Holidays
My family started to have our annual holiday in Ilfracombe in 1964, and virtually every day we made the trip to Woolacombe to sit on the beach and have a go at surfing. After years of south coast beaches, Woolacombe was a revelation and everything was so clean. The beach was owned by Parkins Entertainments, and I believe it was Mr Moon who used to go round in a land rover, trying to re-unite lost children with their parents. There was one occasion in the late 60s when someone was taken ill on the beach and a surgeon who happened to be on holiday, performed some sort of operation with a pen knife before the helicopter arrived from Chivenor to take the person to the North Devon Infirmary (as it was then called). Many happy memories, and not a year has gone past since 1964 when I haven't visited again. Wonderful place!
First Camp Site
Does anyone remember the old camp site run by Mr and Mrs Dymond? It was roughly where Woolacombe Sands is now, near the riding stables. I can recall it was a steep field (no terracing then!) and we used to walk down to the old farmhouse kitchen every morning to get our milk. Mrs Dymond used to ladle the still warm milk into our jug. The facilities were basic - just a couple of toilets on the opposite side of the farm yard. How different it all is now with 'Elf and Safety'!
We had a small 4-berth caravan called Celia for some reason which my dad and my uncle built together.
When that site closed we moved Celia to Cleevewood (now the huge Golden Sands) which was the last place she resided until the 1970s when Dad was asked to move her as she wasn't what they wanted any more. So she came to rest after 20 years good service in... Read more
