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South Knighton photos

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South Knighton maps

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

South Knighton area books

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Memories of South Knighton

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Devon memories

Morris Dancing at The Star Inn

It was a lovely warm August evening and a small gathering of 'bikers' stood around in the car park of the Star Inn - a typical Devon pub in Old Liverton.  They were enjoying looking at each others bikes but soon got a surprise when the Morris dancers arrived!

We met for the dance performance at 8pm. I brought my piano accordian along and played in the band for Heather and Gorse Clog Dancers and also enjoyed a pint of lovely Bombardier Ale from Wells Brewery.

There were probably no more than twenty folks gathered around the front of the Inn but all seemed to be enjoying the show. It was lovely dancing and playing in the twilight as the pub's illuminations switched on. I wished I had a camera but these words will remind me!

Black Bess Border Morris Entertain With Heather & Gorse Clog Dancers


You really couldn't make this up!   The Star Inn is an attractive old Devon village pub and on any normal July mid-week evening you might have expected a handful of local beer and cider drinkers here in Liverton.  But, on this particular occasion when my wife drove us into the pub car park we found it was full.

All along one side of the car park were old sports cars. On the other side a succession of motorbikes roared up and parked.  And immediately in front of the  entrance to this pretty pub were half a dozen attractive women wearing Dick Turpin highwaymen masks!

We had arrived as part of the Heather & Gorse Clog Dancers side and expected to play our usual accordian tunes for the dancers and perhaps half a dozen bystanders. Instead, the lovely summer's evening passed in a seamless hour and a half of entertaining music and dancing from two good morris dancing sides and appreciated by the members of the Triumph... Read more

May Fayre on Denbury Village Green 5th May 2008


Denbury May Fayre started with a procession in fancy dress from the local school children led by the May Queen and May King. All the entertainments took place on the village green and in front of the Union Inn. There were plant stalls, traditional village games, a Romany caravan, teas and a display of clog morris dancing by the Heather and Gorse Clog Dancers from Combeinteignhead.

Elsewhere on the Village Green there was a collection of vintage cars to admire. This was a really enjoyable day out and although I was busy playing my accordian for the morris dancers, I still found time to look round the other entertainments. I thought the maypole dancing by the older village school children was excellent. Who knows – maybe one day they will become morris dancers!

Morris Dancing at The Union Inn, Denbury


It was a stormy July evening with heavy showers bucketing down so the Union Inn on the village green at Denbury was absolutely bursting with people crowded around the bars. We should all have been outside the pub enjoying a display of Cotswold Morris and North-West Clog Dancing by two local Morris sides. More than a dozen musicians and dancers from "Harberton Navy" and "Heather & Gorse Clog Dancers" had arrived to spend a hoped for balmy summer's evening at this lovely pub! The crowd also included the local pub quiz teams so it was a packed pub!
Every now and again there was a brief lull in the fierce rain outside so the musicians and dancers would dash outside for a couple of minutes dancing.
This was an evening to remember!

Heather And Gorse Clog Dancers Outside Austins in Newton Abbot

Globe Hotel And St Leonard's Tower 1906
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I had never been to Newton Abbot until today but the excuse for my visit this afternoon was an invitation to bring my accordian and play some music for the lovely Heather and Gorse Clog Dancers.  

First we tucked into a healthy lunch and coffee at the nearby veggie restaurant called Country Tables and then having packed away some calories we put on an hour long display of vigorous dancing on the pedestrian precinct outside Austins department store - right opposite the former Globe Hotel in this 1906 street view.

People stopped to watch, take photographs and ask questions which we were pleased to answer as a way of attracting new dancers and musicians. The team's attractive kit of blue skirts with coloured ribbons, black waistcoats and shiny clogs soon drew lots of friendly comments including the local police who applauded at the end of a dance! The sun shone and it was a really enjoyable first visit to Newton Abbot.

Whyte Family

Haccombe House 1890
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I am researching family history and have established that the wife of my 2nd Great-Grand Uncle lived at Haccombe House in 1881. His name was James Richard Whyte, he married Janet Bogle in 1874. she was his second wife, his first wife died in 1870. He was aged 71 when he died in 1880. On the 1881 census there are only 4 people shown as having lived there at the time, Janet Whyte (nee Bogle), a cook, a servant and a coachman. I understand he was a Vicar when he lived in Cornwall, which is shown on the 1871 census. Please contact me via this site if anyone has any information on this family and house.

Family Ties

Wolborough Church 1890
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I am at present looking into my family history and have discovered today that my maternal grandmother Mrs Beatrice Maud White was married in this church on the 3rd July 1920.

I have not been to the church before but on my next visit to Newton Abbot I shall certainly give it a visit.

Elizabeth Brown Plymouth.

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