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Smallfield
Smallfield maps
Historic maps of Smallfield and the local area, hand-drawn by Ordnance Survey and Samuel Lewis. View all Smallfield maps
Smallfield area books
Displaying 1 of 16 books about Smallfield and the local area. View all books for this area
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Memories of Smallfield
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memories of Smallfield.
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Small Boys''toys And Other Pastimes. 1930s
bill.haylor@btinternet.com Resident in and around Smallfield for 81 yrs
A large number of our toys were made from wood, dependant on what tools were available in fathers shed, if it was unlocked! The only tools needed were a saw, a hammer and some nails. There were two basic things a home made wooden toy was required to do: (1) Be able to be pulled along by a string, provided it had wheels; (2) To float in a pond or stream. The shape was unimportant, imagination made it realistic.
Our play area was usually the road surface itself, footpaths for pedestrians were only just becoming necessary, car movements were reasonably slow which gave plenty of time to move out of the way. Few footpaths meant more ditches with running water so floating boats along them was popular. A boat consisted of any shaped object that would float from the smallest twig to a chunky piece of wood; penknives were popular in order to shape the wood so that... Read more
Smallfield Prepares For War 1939-45
bill.haylor@btinternet.com Resident in and around Smallfield for 81 yrs.
One of the first indications in the village relating to war was the erection of a telegraph pole, on the top of which was a platform and a circular metal object about the size of two buckets, called a siren, at each end was a circular slotted opening out of which came the creepy but familiar wailing sound. This siren was placed opposite the (old) school in School Road (Redehall Road) and just within the entrance to Gonville Laundry. During use the indication of an imminent air raid was a warbling sound, when all danger had passed a single tone was sounded. During the war all church bells were silent, the sound that everyone most feared were the church bells ringing again for this meant England was being invaded.
During 1940 and to counter enemy movements across Southern England deep gullies were excavated and referred to as Tank Traps. Smallfield had its own section; they crossed Chapel Road... Read more
Shops And Services in Smallfield During The 1930s
bill.haylor@btinternet.com Resident in and around Smallfield for 81 yrs.
Shops and services were limited but adequate. Village hierarchy although unwritten was arranged in a manner that suited most people; the traders held most sway by the nature of their businesses, builders and farmers controlled most of the land.
Starting from the centre of the village. The first shop in Smallfield was on the corner of Wheelers Lane, in the 1930s it was owned by McKenzie the Grocer, the Post Office was first located here. Outside the shop on the wall were machines for Nestles Chocolate and Woodbine cigarettes in thin green packets of fives. The next shop going upwards and south was Warnett the Butcher, the daughter was cashier in the small office to the rear, the men would select a carcase of meat from a large walk in fridge which they sawed, chopped and cut on a large wooden bench. During the summer there were flies!
The Church Hall was next, then across the drive... Read more
Canadian Hospital
My husband and I moved to Smallfield nearly two years ago. The noise on Redehall Road is quite a change from the peace and quiet of Cumbria!
I am presently writing a book about Veteran's Memoirs' of the Italy Campaign (the Forgotton Campaign) 1943-46 and as Canadians entered the War with us in 1939, several have now contacted me and are telling me about the Canadian Hospital in Smallfield.
Is there anyone in the village who that might be able to give me any details of this hospital.
Many thanks
Ann Hamlet
Redehall Road.
Days Gone by
We moved to Smallfield in the late 1960s. I remember my little brother Gary Biddles putting his best suit on and knocking at the door of Smallfield Place asking if he could have a look around as he found it very interesting. The lady thought he was so sweet that she invited him for a tour. At a latter date, I was also a regular visitor. I used to do my brother Glenn's milkround so he could go to football so I got to go there every week.
My grandchildren live in Smallfield these days, how hectic the roads are compared to 40 years ago.
Sandra Biddles
Undertakers in Smallfield?
Please can anyone tell me about the history and location of the undertakers in Smallfield? Also does anyone know what used to be where Churchill Rd (off Chapel Rd) was, Careys Wood and Gorse Drive, a relatively new housing estate?
Kingsmead
Hello Bill, my mum went a very fetching shade of red when I read her the mesage about you calling your daughter after her and that you 'liked' her... All of the things you have added to this site have brought back lots of memories for my parents and I am trying to get Dad (Peter) to write some of them down for me to add to the site. Thanks to everyone who is contributing. Anne Waller
Keepers Corner
I lived in No. 8 Council Cottages (now Firbank), several children in the cottages, Potters No 4, Arnolds No 1, Apps No 2, Burtenshaw No 3, this was before the war. I was born 1929. Mr Harris of Redeham Hall Farm let us have the run of all his fields to play in, we would go away for hours and our mothers would never worry where we were. About 1937 they were training pilots in Tiger Moths and Miles Magisters, they practiced landing and taking off coming from Gatwick and using Mr Harris's 49 acre field, we watched them. We also had the bank with all the fir trees around the houses, this was made in 1931 by then owner of Rede Hall, Mr Fisher, so that he would not be able to see the council houses from Rede Hall. The soil came from the lake dug in the gardens of Rede Hall, this bank was lovely to play in. The army took over Rede Hall in 1940 from the... Read more
