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Semley
Semley maps
Historic maps of Semley and the local area, hand-drawn by Ordnance Survey and Samuel Lewis. View all Semley maps
Semley photos
We have no photos of Semley, although we do have photos of these nearby places:
East Knoyle| Shaftesbury| Ludwell| Gillingham| Berwick St John| Compton Abbas| Mere| Ashmore| Fontmell Magna
Semley area books
Displaying 1 of 12 books about Semley and the local area. View all books for this area
You can read extracts and browse photos from these books.
Memories of Semley
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Wiltshire memories
A Brief Interlude
I have little knowledge of Ludwell, other than my grandparents, and a few aunts and uncles lived there for an unknown number of years in the 1910s. The cottage they occupied stands on the left at the foot of the hill coming from Shaftesbury. It is recognisable due to the front door being situated at the side of the cottage. Several of my aunts attended the school on the brow of the hill. I can imagine the 'gripes and grumbles' at having to climb the hill on school days, of course the trip home would not be so arduous. I believe the pub almost opposite was utilised as a local courtroom in the mid 1800s, and as such would have seen an ancestor of my late wife hearing the penalties handed out to the father of her base-born' daughter. Her family were living in Tisbury, Wardour, Semley and the Donheads area. It was on a trip to Shaftesbury that we decided to seek out the cottage, [location advised by a cousin whose mother... Read more
Big Babies
Mum (May Scott) and Dad (Harry) from Eastleigh had a friend who was born in Tisbury and we would all accompany him to his home town for a local 'Carnival' in I think the late autumn, he was Artie Thick (R T Thick) and he and his brothers dressed up in nappies and oversized safety pins and they took it in turns to sit in the pram. Fireworks and bonfires followed until the crowd decided it was time for bed. I believe he passed on at the turn of the century, he owned and drove a succession of Wolseleys, changing models every two years or so, his hobby was building and riding grass track/trials motorbikes sometimes selling his latest creation before he had a chance to enter it in a race. As an engine driver for the railways he never married.
Years Ago.
My grandparents lived in the old rectory which was a few hundred yards from the Beckford Arms. I spent many happy holidays there with my cousins. We had wonderful Christmases, lots of snow and in the better weather long bike rides. Idyllic days. Shopping in Tisbury, and going to Wardour Castle, also my grandfather liked to go to Scats.
Home Sweet Home
The house on the right of the photo was my childhood home. My family lived there until 1991.
Denes Avenue
I used to live in Denes Aveue which was lined with alternate apple and cherry trees. I lived at no 4 with the Pike family. I went to the infant's school which was split into two or three sections. There was one at the bottom of a lane, a second halfway up and a third towards the top, I believe. I also went to the secondary school. My surname was Oliver. Although I had lots of friends my memories are not good ones.
Auntie Vi in 1952
My mother, Evelyn (Evie) Smith and my sister Susan(14) and I ( Polly aged 9) visited for about a month with my Auntie Vi in Sutton Mandeville on our way back to the USA after living in Egypt for a year. Auntie Vi had a thatched cottage quite near the road with a lovely hill in back of the house, a vegetable garden and a cow. We were still on food rations but a number of neighbours were very generous in sharing what food they had. One such person named his calf after me which just delighted me. His cow barn was pristine as he had trained the cows to do their business out of the barn. The whole visit was magical and remains sharp in my memories.
AN ANCESTOR FOUND
A recent discovery that my great-great-great-grandparents lived in Tollard Royal, where 3 times gt grandfather Francis Faris was the (black)smith, drew me to the village out of curiosity and in search of any tangible evidence. To my amazement the grave of this ancestor is literally just outside the church door! (It also appears on the photograph of the church on Wikipaedia.) An amazing find on a simply amazing day. A beautiful village bathed in winter sunshine. What a lovely day out. Just need to know more now!
