Croyde

Read and share memories of Croyde and Devon inspired by Frith photos

'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 ...read more here
Contributed by Steve Cundy

'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 ...read more here
A memory of Croyde contributed by Steve Cundy

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 ...read more here
A memory of Saunton contributed by First Name Last Name

CASTLE ROCK

My Great Aunts Martha, Sarah & Elizabeth built the Castle Rock Hotel for around £3000. It then became a nursing home and somebody was heard to say that it was the closest place to Heaven as the view over the sea to Lundy was oustanding. I was very sad to see it demolished and apartments put in its place.

They also owned Blue Bay, Glenavon and the Cleeve. My father was brought up in Mortehoe in the 1920s and had to catch a train to Braunton every day to attend school. He always remembered that a bus used to crawl up the hill with chickens, the post and any merchandise that needed moving from Woolacombe to Mortehoe.

My Grandmother ...read more here
A memory of Mortehoe contributed by lesley field