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Stowford
Stowford maps
Historic maps of Stowford and the local area, hand-drawn by Ordnance Survey and Samuel Lewis. View all Stowford maps
Stowford photos
We have no photos of Stowford, although we do have photos of these nearby places:
Sidmouth| Sidford| Harpford| Tipton St John| Newton Poppleford| Sidbury| Salcombe Regis| Colaton Raleigh| Ladram Bay| Otterton| Ottery St Mary| East Budleigh| Hayes Barton| Branscombe| Alfington| Budleigh Salterton| Gittisham| Feniton| Rockbeare| Talaton| Offwell
Stowford area books
Displaying 1 of 26 books about Stowford and the local area. View all books for this area
You can read extracts and browse photos from these books.
Memories of Stowford
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Devon memories
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
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
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)
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.
A Lovely Devon Village
We moved to No. 6 Tipton Vale in 1950. Maureen a baby, myself (Valerie) and parents Eric and Joan White fom Fenny Bridges. The house was a new council house, pink and blue. Dad dug out a bank at the rear and we found hundreds of flint arrow heads, knives and tools which we collected in Oster Milk tins and left in the garage. They should have gone to Exeter museum. I started at the school in November 1950. We played in the big trees of the Angela Home where children with T.B. were sent for treatment and took them comics and toys. In springtime the whole school would walk up to the hills above the Sidmouth Road and pick primroses, violets and bluebells to send to schoolchildren in London. I loved these beautiful days. I remember making the Easter Garden in the church. One day I found a hissing adder in the school sandpit. Miss West took the Infant Class and Miss Richardson the senior's. She was... Read more
Evacuee
My name was Evelyn Smith "Eve". I was evacuated to my uncle and aunt's home during the war. My uncle was Sidney Smith - he was station master. We lived at 3 Coombe Lea. Miss Richardson was our school teacher - a really beautiful lady and an excellent teacher. My best friend was Nancy Leach - she lived in Dawes Cottage. I remember the gypsies who came through the village - the eldest girl was named Caroline. There were twin boys who lived on a farm - can't remember their names. Skinner's farm was just down the lane from 3 Coombe Lea - they brought fresh milk to our house every day - or maybe we fetched it from the farm in our little churn - not sure - but it was always warm from the cow - LOVERLY!! My cousin Josie and another cousin from London (Ettie) were land girls in Tipton.
Buster (last name skips my memory at the moment - was connected with the Great Train Robbery... Read more
