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Rudge
Rudge maps
Historic maps of Rudge and the local area, hand-drawn by Ordnance Survey and Samuel Lewis. View all Rudge maps
Rudge photos
We have no photos of Rudge, although we do have photos of these nearby places:
Ramsbury| Great Bedwyn| Chilton Foliat| Savernake| Chilton| Mildenhall| Hungerford| Durley| Aldbourne| Eddington| Wilton| Marlborough| Burbage| Ogbourne St George| Ogbourne St Andrew| Preshute| Wootton Rivers| Easton Royal| Lambourn| Milton Lilbourne
Rudge area books
Displaying 1 of 12 books about Rudge and the local area. View all books for this area
You can read extracts and browse photos from these books.
Memories of Rudge
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Wiltshire memories
Late 1950's
Some time in the late 1950's, my best school friend's family moved to Ramsbury and ran the Post office. I used to catch the coach from London every year to stay with them during the summer holidays, and we had fun playing in the stream that ran across the bottom of their garden. Sadly, I have lost touch with my friend, Pat Hill. She had a brother, Colin. I now live in Australia and wonder if anyone knows what happened to the Hill family. My memories of a true English village, are those of Ramsbury.
Another School 1959/63
I went to school in Ramsbury from about 1959/1961, I remember the head teacher being a Mr Eastoe, I liked Ramsbury because we all used to gather at the river to go swimmimg, we used to buy an inner tube of a car at the local garage for 6 pence (old money of course). I'm sure half of everybody who went to the river couldn't swim, but it was fun. We lived in Axford about 2 or 3 miles away towards Marlborough, our house was at the start of the village, it hasn't changed much. I went back to this area about 10 years ago, I used to live next door to the Kirby family. I also remember the Kings, Williams, Pontins and Mowlem familys. I finished my time at Ramsbury school in 1961 when I was 11 and then went to school in Marlborough, the army camp up on the hill, which I believe is now a golf course. It was very cold in winter up there at school... Read more
Good Times
My grandmother and grandfather lived in Oxford Street, and I remember how my mother would bring me to see and stay with them from time to time, I even remember going to the village school on one visit, I think I was about 8 or 9 yrs old, the year was about 1936. I'm 85yrs old now and live in Australia, but often take a walk down to the tree on a Thursday to buy a lardycake, or across the road to the bakers for bread, he would make me a small loaf just for me, I have very fond memories of Ramsbury and often still picture it in my mind's eye. My grandfolks' name was Cook, my mother's maiden name was Elizebeth Cook. She married my father Fredrick Williams from Hungerford.
When I Was A Child.
My father was born in Great Bedwyn, his name Arthur Maurice Hatter. When I was young in 1952 we were invited to stay with a member of his family in 47 High Street, I remember they had a wonderful garden, layered with full flower beds, also they had a summer house in the garden, today it may be called a conservatory, that is where we stayed.
Almost opposite number 47 was a garage that looked like a wooden barn and we had our old Humber repaired there.
In Church Street on the right hand side was a stonemason and the names of some of his family was engraved above the entance to the shop, these were from family killed in the first world war. In St Mary's Church there are headstones with the family name, I would dearly like to know more as I know very little of my father's family only that he had a brother named Raynor [not sure of the spelling] and his father was a preacher... Read more
My Childhood Days
My memories of Great Bedwyn are spending my holidays with my gran and grandad William and Beatrice Alderman in Castle Rd and my uncle Dennis. My uncle and grandad were both signalmen at Great Bedwyn and I used to go down to take their tea. It was lovely to watch the steam trains go by. My gran took me on lovely walks up through the forest where we would sit and I would make daisy chains with my cousin Shirley. We would go to the man who made baskets and I can still remember my gran buying me a little basket with orange weaved around it. I also loved going to the bakers where there was the lovely smell of bread and cakes especially the lardys which they still make. When I got older I used to spend nearly all my weekends there. Sadly my gran and grandad and uncle are no longer alive but I still visit the church yard where they are buried along with my uncle Bill.... Read more
My Gt. Bedwyn Family.
The Eastman Family lived in Gt. Bedwyn from 1735. My Grandad lived in Brook Street then later at Railway Terrace, until his death in 1934. My Grandad had died several years before I was born, but I have vivid memories of my Grandma Carrie; she died in 1951. She was a tiny woman about 5ft 2ins - I was taller than her when I was 10 years old. She had very long hair which she put up in a bun on the top of her head. She took it out to brush it at night and I remember it was not that grey even when she was 80. I think she used to say she put soda in the water. She wore long lace-up black boots when she was going out, her best dresses had long sleeves and were quite long with lace collars and bibs. She always wore a starched long white apron over her dresses when she was at home. Both my Grandparents are buried in the "new"... Read more
The Vicarage Boys
My two brothers, my sister and I were evacuated from London to Great Bedwyn at the begining of the Second World War.We were billeted in the vicarage opposite St Mary's Church, the vicar's name was Mr Phillips. My sister Joan was later billeted with Mrs Downton who lived next door to Police Sergeant Stokes. I have so many happy memories of life in the village. I worked for Farmer Kerr at harvest time, leading a huge Shire horse and cart to collect the threshed stooks of corn to where they were building a rick. My brother Christopher and I had our portraits painted by Mrs West, I would love to know if it still exists. Sadly Christopher died in 2008.
