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Sidmouth
Sidmouth maps
Historic maps of Sidmouth and the local area, hand-drawn by Ordnance Survey and Samuel Lewis. View all Sidmouth maps
Sidmouth area books
Displaying 1 of 26 books about Sidmouth and the local area. View all books for this area
You can read extracts and browse photos from these books.
Memories of Sidmouth
Displaying a selection of personal
memories of Sidmouth.
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or of a photo of Sidmouth.
Heather And Gorse Clog Dancers Busk at The Sidmouth Folk Festival
Each August huge numbers of dancers and musicians head to Sidmouth for the annual folk festival - a week long event which celebrates our national heritage of music, dance and song.
This year I was able to play my piano accordian at the festival for the first time for many years as our local morris side - the Heather and Gorse Clog Dancers from Combeinteignhead - went along to dance on the "prom" on the traditional Sunday outing for local performers.
We were so lucky with the weather as our dancers began at 11 am for a morning session, followed by a lunchtime break in the pubs, and then an early afternoon seesion soon after 1pm. It was lucky because soon after we finished playing our music and dancing on the prom around 3pm the heavens opened! The crowds put up their umbrellas and scattered for shelter in nearby cafes and ice cream parlours. Our dance spot was opposite the Bedford Hotel just a short... Read more
Whitethorn Morris Dance at Sidmouth
This view is little different from the one seen by Whitethorn Morris at the Sidmouth International Folk Festival on several occasions in the 1980's. We danced and I played my accordian for the Whitethorn Band on the prom and in "The Arena".
On the last Friday night of the festival we danced our way through the town in a torchlight procession and extinguished our flaming torches in the sea. Thousands of spectators lined both sides of the streets and it is a magical memory that I shall always treasure.
I revisited Sidmouth in August 2006 and watched dancers at the Festival performing on the prom more or less exactly where this picture was taken all those years ago. The steps down to the beach are different and there is now a high concrete kerb separating the road from the prom - very necessary as the prom was absolutely packed with festival goers crowding round the performers.
On this occasion Whitethorn Morris were not there... Read more
Wartime Evacuees
This memory is on behalf of a friend who was evacuated from London to Sidmouth in 1944. Her recollection is fairly vague but she was allocated to Brackendale, Ice House Lane which was owned by Mrs Elizabeth, Henriatta Jane Perryman (purchased in May 1934) and run by two ladies, Miss Hood and Miss Fitzgerald. Education was carried out in a local hall. It would be interesting if anyone remembers these two ladies who I fear by now will have passed away. On a recent Bowling tour to Torquay I managed to locate the property and I now Have a picture of the rear of the property taken from the garden in 1944. Can anyone give any information as to where these children were educated at that time (perhaps in a local Hall)
Devon memories
The Churchyard
I happened upon Salcombe Regis by chance late April and what a magic sight the churchyard was. The huge low-hanging white blossom tree was magnificent and yellow and white daffodils scattered among the old lichen encrusted tombstones completed the picture. I discovered that evening from long lost relatives, that several of my ancestors (Maeers and others) had been born in Salcombe Regis, and there would be many of them lying in that churchyard. So now I want to return and get to know the village and find out what it would have been like for my forbears who lived there. (I live in Australia so its quite a journey). This is a modern memory of Salcombe Regis, but its a magic one for me.
Harcombe 1829
My 3xG/Grandparents James and Mary Vincent lived in Harcombe according to the 1829 census and the children of which Elizabeth Vincent my 2xG/Grandmother was baptised at Sidbury and was buried at Cowick Street, St Thomas Parish, Exeter. I visited Harcombe some days ago and thoughts were running through my mind as to whether the building that they lived in was one of the buildings there today. I would appreciate any historical news and views of the area, some of the lovely thatched cottages and farmland where they might have lived as I believe they were farmers/labourers. john-bev@talktalk.net
My Grandfathers Cottage
Podburys Cottage was my Grandfathers cottage. (William Cooper). It was then named Ginko Cottage. My grandfather was a gardener at Harpford House and I believe that this was a "Tied" cottage.
I personally lived in Ginko cottage from birth in 1940 to my grandfathers death in 1946.
Carter Family of Harpford
My forebears came from the village of Harpford. In the Tithe schedule of 1839 Joel Carter rented the small cottage in the centre of the photo and also the cottage on the far right (which had a workshop at the back.) Joel was born at Podbury's Cottage (then a farm) which I think is at the back of this photo - certainly Podbury's is the main subject of the other Harpford photo. In the 21st century all these buildings are still there, little altered externally except that there is now more vegetation - trees/bushes etc. Joel Carter farmed at Harts which was on the outskirts of the village and has long been destroyed. Joel and his wife Mary (nee Paver) had 15 children of whom 9 lived to adulthood.
The lane is still very narrow and the area of the River Otter valley best appreciated on foot.
