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Somerwood

Somerwood maps

Historic maps of Somerwood and the local area, hand-drawn by Ordnance Survey and Samuel Lewis.   View all Somerwood maps

Somerwood photos

We have no photos of Somerwood, although we do have photos of these nearby places:

Haughmond| Atcham| Shawbury| Wroxeter| Shrewsbury| Wellington| Albrighton| Berrington| Cound| Peplow

Somerwood area books

Displaying 1 of 4 books about Somerwood and the local area.   View all books for this area

Memories of Somerwood

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Shropshire memories

Atcham Schoolhouse

I only knew Atcham as the place where my grandfather's family lived in 1901. My grandfather lived there with the rest of his family in the Atcham Schoolhouse because his dad was the local School Master at that time. I recently crossed the globe and visited that same house in the beautiful setting that is Atcham. In doing that I finally feel I've in some way touched a part of my grandfather's life even if he was only a little boy there at the time.

Hanmer Family

My grandmother, Sarah Jane Hanmer, was born a twin in Eyton in 1910, her mother, also Sarah Jane Hanmer, is buried there. They were a large family, and my great-grandfather was a farmer. All the children went to school there. Their house is still standing, near the church in Eyton. My grandmother was a chamber maid in a big house near there, possibly Wellington. My great-grand mother was married twice, after the death of her first husband who had the surname Lewis.

The Dingle And Percy Thrower

My frandfather, Ernest Thomas Sloane, was the Editor of the Shrewsberry Chronicle for many years. During this time he was approached by someone from the BBC who asked if he had a local story of interest. Grandad mentioned how a young gardener by the name of Percy Thrower whho had designed and made The Dingle the place of beauty it is today. As Ernest Sloane was unavailable on the day, my father, Ernest Patrick Sloane, was sent to interview My Thrower, who agreed to the interview which in turn led to his fame.

Expensive Christmas

My great grandfather Edward Harris was arrested outside this public house on Christmas Eve 1904 trying to rescue his stepson from the strong arm of the law. He was subsequently fined 50 shillings!

Renewing The Farmers' Overdrafts at The Bank!

The Lion Hotel c1955
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I spent a couple of weeks as a relief manager during the 1980 summer holidays for branches of Williams & Glyn's Bank and have happy memories of my time in Shrewsbury. The bank accommodated me at the Lion Hotel where the old coaching inn ambience was really lovely.

However the word got round the farming community that the manager was away so several farmers took their chance to come and see me instead to renew their annual overdrafts facilities! They didn't do anything quite so crude as to bribe me but their hospitality was magnificent! I loved the place and the town but the farmers kept me so busy I hardly had enough time for sightseeing.

Hornimans Tea

Abbey Foregate 1896
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I used to live at No 52 on the left of the picture, in a flat on the 4th floor. I was only 7, I remember the first night while lying in bed I heard a screech of brakes and a dog yelping. The next morning my mum told me that a dog had got killed on the road. I can remember wanting to go back to my old house, but I was very cautious of that main road, especially after having moved from a quiet country lane, but as I grew up, I was allowed to cross that road to go to the little grocer's shop, where I couldn't wait to buy the Hornimans tea for another free card inside to stick in my book.  The trees always looked pretty and heavy with leaves, and it did block a lot of views, but when they were cut down because of disease, we could look right out over to the hills of Church Stretton.  I remember across the road and... Read more

Fish And Chips

My nan used to live in Darwin Street, just up from this picture. I always used to stay at her house on school holidays, and she used to send me down into Frankwell to buy fish and chips and mushy peas, from one of the houses left of the road which was converted to a chip shop. There used to be another chip shop on the other side of the road, but I wasn't allowed to cross the road.  I always used to spend the change on 1d sweets, in Everyman's, the shop which seemed to stay open for ever, or just around the bend in the photo, to the paper shop to buy a comic, you used to have to go down a couple of steps to get into the shop, which was always the first to get flooded out when the river burst its banks. I remember loads of times having to walk the planks with my nan......scary stuff then.

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