Kingston St Mary
Kingston St Mary maps (2 available)
Map of Somerset
Beautifully hand-drawn and coloured, dating from around 1840
Personalised maps
Create an historic map centred directly on any postcode!
Kingston St Mary books (15 available)
Kingston St Mary memories
Read and share memories of Kingston St Mary and Somerset inspired by Frith photos
maternal family history and onwards dictated by my mum age 84
My name is Hilda Mary Fenn nee Hurman. I was born at Yarford in 1924. My father was William Thomas Hurman, my mother Caroline Elizabeth nee Tucker. They are buried in the village churchyard. My two sisters and I were all married in the village church in 1952 and had receptions in the village hall. As children we attended the village school - Mr Hawkins was the headmaster - we attended youth club, brownies, guides, choir, Kingston players drama group. My best friend was Margaret Mead of The Bungalow, Fulford, she lives there still. We spent our days roaming the fields, collecting milk, harvesting, riding on the hay carts. When it was the Silver Jubilee of George V and Queen Mary, ...read more here
Contributed by Rosie Robinson
Somerset memories
maternal family history and onwards dictated by my mum age 84
My name is Hilda Mary Fenn nee Hurman. I was born at Yarford in 1924. My father was William Thomas Hurman, my mother Caroline Elizabeth nee Tucker. They are buried in the village churchyard. My two sisters and I were all married in the village church in 1952 and had receptions in the village hall. As children we attended the village school - Mr Hawkins was the headmaster - we attended youth club, brownies, guides, choir, Kingston players drama group. My best friend was Margaret Mead of The Bungalow, Fulford, she lives there still. We spent our days roaming the fields, collecting milk, harvesting, riding on the hay carts. When it was the Silver Jubilee of George V and Queen Mary, ...read more here
A memory of Kingston St Mary contributed by Rosie Robinson
narrow escape (probably between 1958 and 1961)
a few years after this photo was taken WH Smiths which was located to the bottom left of this photo completely collapsed following a prolonged spell of wet weather. This happened very early one saturday morning in the run up to christmas, prior to staff arriving for work. I don't think anyone was injured - a few hours later and the store would have been crowded with christmas shoppers!
A memory of Taunton contributed by cherry james
Combe Florey Primary School
The village school in Combe Florey closed in about 1958 I believe, it exists as a private house now, but I can still remember the mile long walk to and from it, through the lanes every morning and afternoon. Mum would accompany us with younger siblings in a big green metal pushchair, so for her it was twice the distance. I remember little of the actual school, except that it was one big room with tall windows and a wood burning stove in it. The playground was on the other side of the road, so we were all hearded across at playtime and shut in, and then hearded back afterwards. I dont remember how many were at ...read more here
A memory of Combe Florey contributed by Kathy Farmer
Extracts From Kingston St Mary & Somerset books
Travellers from Taunton
to the Quantock Hills
usually go by way of
Kingston - and a very
picturesque route it is.
In the village church is
the tomb of John de la
Warre, whose family
home was at nearby
Hestercombe. This
doughty warrior helped
capture the king of
France at the battle of
Poitiers in 1356.
An extract from from"Taunton Photographic Memories".
Taunton is a town surrounded by water, with the Tone passing through its heart and the marshes not far away. It is
still possible to walk along the banks of the local waterways, just as these Edwardian children did nearly a century
ago. A canal to Tiverton once started from near French Weir.
An extract from from"Taunton Photographic Memories".
A splendid view over the heart of Taunton town. In late Victorian times many of the old buildings of Taunton were
demolished and new streets were created. Notice the early marked parking spaces in the street below.
An extract from from"Taunton Photographic Memories".
A fine example of a village stocks is to be seen at West Monkton, sheltered beneath the yews of the churchyard.
Notice the whipping post on the right. The shelter above is of a later date, for miscreants were seldom protected
from the vagaries of the English weather.
An extract from from"Taunton Photographic Memories".
Once much feared as a punishment, village stocks are now just a picturesque part of our history. They were mostly
used for minor offences such as drunkenness and petty theft. An Act of 1376 decreed that stocks should be set
up in every village as a way of controlling unruly labourers.
An extract from from"Taunton Photographic Memories".