Modbury
Modbury maps (2 available)
Modbury books (26 available)
Barnstaple Town Walk Guide
Paperback
Torbay Photographic Memories
Paperback
Exmoor Photographic Memories
Paperback
Modbury memories
War Years
Born in 1938 in Modbury, I can remember the latter years of World War II.
I remember vividly the nights during the months of the heavy blitz on Plymouth, with the beams from searchlights that were based just outside the town criss-crossing the sky as German bomber formations droned overhead.
The American forces had an army camp in a field across from Modbury School and as a youngster I used to wander through the camp and GIs would give us sweets or chewing gum. The roads were lined with trucks and tanks preparing for the build-up to the Normandy invasion and the villagers used to volunteer for rehearsals by lying in the streets as casualties to be carried off ...read more here
Contributed by Roger Stevens
Devon memories
War Years
Born in 1938 in Modbury, I can remember the latter years of World War II.
I remember vividly the nights during the months of the heavy blitz on Plymouth, with the beams from searchlights that were based just outside the town criss-crossing the sky as German bomber formations droned overhead.
The American forces had an army camp in a field across from Modbury School and as a youngster I used to wander through the camp and GIs would give us sweets or chewing gum. The roads were lined with trucks and tanks preparing for the build-up to the Normandy invasion and the villagers used to volunteer for rehearsals by lying in the streets as casualties to be carried off ...read more here
A memory of Modbury contributed by Roger Stevens
Recent visit to this spot
Recently we took my Dad's Canadian cousin to this spot. John Pine (her father) was born here at New Mills, Loddiswell in 1889. William Henry Pine (my great grandfather) was miller and parish overseer. In our family photos we have an identical photograph and family lore is that they remembered the photograph being taken. After working at New Mills my great grandfather moved to Garden Mills, Kingsbridge.
Today the scene across the River Avon is little altered - although the mill is no longer in operation. The village of Loddiswell is up at the top of the hill.
A memory of Loddiswell contributed by anne speight
Challaborough- late 1970s
I would be particularly interested in any photos depicting Delphine Cafe or Espresso Cafe on the beachfront whatever the year but particularly 1974-78 as I worked there for many years and have lost all photos.
A memory of Challaborough contributed by First name Last name
Extracts From Modbury & Devon books
Skirts and hair were shorter than ever before in the new decade! A two hour horse-drawn
carriage ride for four people cost two shillings (10p). A Spanish Oak planted as a cen-
trepiece when Victoria became Queen in 1837 was felled to make way for 1920s public
lavatories. Electric street lighting was in its infancy. The Belgian Urn on the Triangle was
presented by refugees in recognition of the town`s hospitality during the Great War.
An extract from from"Teignmouth Photographic Memories".
A more casual style
prevails in 1955. Now
the tower of St Michael`s
Church is more obvious,
following the destruc-
tion of
numbers 1 and 2
Esplanade (the Berkeley
and Esplanade Hotels) in
September 1942.
An extract from from"Teignmouth Photographic Memories".
Holidays at British resorts were thriving in the 1940s.
Large stacks of deck chairs punctuated the prom-
enade. Ice cream was delivered in aluminium boxes,
some can be seen beneath the serving hatch.
An extract from from"Teignmouth Photographic Memories".
Sweden. Small fish rejected by Icelanders
were brought to Teignmouth in Pike Ward`s
boat Elise. In 1900, 100 tons were brought in
for local consumption.
Over 20 ships were wrecked in the bay
between 1850 and 1917. A contemporary sign
near the Yacht Club HQ explains the legal
protection of Church Rocks Wreck, which was
discovered by local teenager Simon Burton
Frith’s Teignmouth The Promenade
during a snorkling expedition in 1975. A sig-
nificant bronze cannon lifted from the site led
to years of serious archaeological excavation,
revealing the scant remains of a 15th century
vessel embedded deep in the sand. Channel 4`s
`Time Team` have investigated the site, which is
restricted to designated divers. A host of fascinat-
ing relics recovered from the wreck can be seen
in Teignmouth Museum.
An extract from from"Teignmouth Photographic Memories".
By the 1960s, the glory days of the pier were coming to an end, with few of the talent
competitions, fashion parades, afternoon tea dances, charity balls and gala dinners of
late 1940s and 50s.
The following photographs taken from the pier benefit from close comparison.
An extract from from"Teignmouth Photographic Memories".







