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Shirwell
Shirwell maps
Historic maps of Shirwell and the local area, hand-drawn by Ordnance Survey and Samuel Lewis. View all Shirwell maps
Shirwell area books
Displaying 1 of 26 books about Shirwell and the local area. View all books for this area
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Memories of Shirwell
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Devon memories
A Day Out With my Granddaughter at Arlington Court
Easter Sunday 2009 was a gloriously fine and sunny day - just right for a family outing so my son David drove us all in my car to Arlington Court which is an enormous National Trust property not far from Barnstaple.
Granddaughter Anna sat on the back seat next to Grandma and sang nursery rhymes for nearly all the journey of an hour from our home in Tiverton. When we arrived we found they were organising an Easter Egg Trail so that was fun following the clues.
We also went inside the grand house - Anna who is only just three years old loved the big wide staircase and the display cabinets of sea shells. We walked around the lake and took some photos to remind ourselves later of our outing. We walked up to the stables and saw the carriage museum and the horses which fascinated young Anna. By this time she was hungry so Grandma went back to the car park to fetch... Read more
Railway Info.
This view shows the junction line which linked the GWR Victoria station with the Junction station - running from left to right and opened in 1887. It must have been almost new when the photo was taken and the earthworks are still bare.
Railway Info.
The building on the left is a carriage shed, used for holding spare passenger vehicles under cover. It is from the North Devon Railway in the 1850s and still appears to have broad gauge track (7ft gauge - not removed until 1877) laid into it. Access was by means of a small turntable just off the picture to the left. The Ilfracombe Railway is being built - the low embankment can just be seen with what appears to be temporary track on it - and the girders of the river bridge are in place but work is continuing on the line - see the works yard at this end of the bridge. There are no signals in place, so the line is not open, and the Quay station has been built but looks unfinished. This means that the photo was probably taken in about May 1874 - 13 of the viaduct girders were undelivered in February and the first engine did not cross the river... Read more
Railway Info.
Date of this photograph is c1874/75 as the railway viaduct is complete.
Railway Info.
The furniture van to the left will have been carried to Barnstaple by rail. There were special low 'road vehicle trucks' onto which these vans could be loaded and moved long distances around the country. and it is standing next to the end loading docks at this end of the station.
The parked car is outside my great uncle's cobbler and shoe shop. When I was eight, I spent time 'working' in the shop for a few pennies The church opposite was where the local Brownies met weekly of which I was one.
School Swimming Lessons
I remember well going to the swimming baths once a week during the summer for swimming lessons. We used to walk from Pilton School to Rock Park, or those of us with bikes were allowed to cycle and wait at the park for the others. I cannot imagine that being allowed today. By the time we gained access to the pool it was about 9.30 a.m. and it would be like a mill pond, but being so early it had not had time for the sun to work its magic, so it was also very cold. Many a weekend was also spent here when it would be packed with people who were unable to get to nearby beaches.
