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Swanwick
Swanwick maps
Historic maps of Swanwick and the local area, hand-drawn by Ordnance Survey and Samuel Lewis. View all Swanwick maps
Swanwick area books
Displaying 1 of 22 books about Swanwick and the local area. View all books for this area
You can read extracts and browse photos from these books.
Memories of Swanwick
Displaying a selection of personal
memories of Swanwick.
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I Lived on Mtb234, by John Dowsett
My parents bought this boat from a Mr and Mrs Bailey who had purchased it at Government auction and converted it into a houseboat. The Baileys later moved to Bursledon. When Dad and Mum got the boat the bows were turned to the sea, this was changed when she was put up on stocks for cleaning and now faces the shore. My life as a young lad revolved around this boat and the River Hamble, I have nothing but fond memories of adventures and fun, and often think of all my family and friends. I believe she was sold for preservation in 1980. I moved to Australia in 1966 with my wife Maureen, I would love to find out where my old home now lies.
Houseboat Mtb234
My aunt and uncle, Mr and Mrs Arthur Dowsett, moved to Lower Swanwick in 1958 when my uncle retired after working for many years as a signalman for BR. They bought a houseboat, a converted motor torpedo boat, mtb234, which at that time was moored at Swanwick Shore, a little way along from Moody's Boatyard. I spent some time staying with them during school holidays and from Jan 1968 until June 1970 I lived with them while studying at Southampton University. It was cold in winter and hot in summer, but was a fascinating place to live and a real experience! By the time I left in 1970, there were only 2 houseboats left, whereas in 1958 there had been a whole row of them moored along the foreshore. The boat itself had quite a history to it, having been the flagship of the fleet that sailed out of Lowestoft during the Second World WAr in the charge of Commander Peter Dickens DSO, MBE, DSC who wrote the book 'Night Action -... Read more
Hampshire memories
Swanwick Shore
This shows Swanwick Shore Road about 1 mile away from Sarisbury Green at the bottom of the hill. The road came off the A27 roughly opposite the Red Lion Inn at Lower Swanwick and followed the shore of the River Hamble through Moody's Boatyard. At spring tides, this road was often covered at this point at high tide. My aunt and uncle lived in a houseboat at the end of the road - about 150 yards from the point where the road disappears around the bend to the left. They moved there in 1958 and I lived with them from Jan 1968 until June 1970. I walked along the road everyday to and from either the station at Bursledon or the bus stop for buses to Woolston or Southampton opposite the Red Lion.
A SPECIAL DAY
I have fond memories of the church as I got married in May 1973. I will never ever forget the beautiful atmosphere inside.
I keep saying I will go back and visit it but I do not know if it still open and being used, can anyone tell me?
Kind regards
PAULEEN
Visits by The Family
I can remember that my family visited the Fox and Hounds frequently earlier than this date, but this was the first date I was legally allowed to partake of the amber fluid. I can remember the old artifacts, like biscuits from the Crimean War that hang from the rafters. Various pottery, clay pipes etc., a marvellous cross section and history of the river Hamble and the area. I was so sad when later in life I had migrated to Australia and subsequently visited in the 1970s and 1980s to see that the artifacts had been removed and quite frankly the whole ambience of the place had changed. It had become commercial. Now I do not blame the owners or the management, it was just a sad reflection on my part of a Britain that was no longer there, of childhood memories and feelings for history which seemed to be had been absorbed into the modern era.
The Fox And Hounds
This is how I remember "The Fox". I walked past it twice a day from 1966 to 1971 on my way to and from school. I remember the seats outside made from large beer barrels and the licencee's name, J. Taylor?, above the door. I also remember the Lone Barn being constructed from bits of old timber that arrived on lorries. Christine (nee Thompson)
1960s 1970s
My mum cleaned at the Vine for the mid 1960s into the 1970s and we would go with her in the school holidays. I used to stock the shelves with bottles of beer. The draught beer was poured straight from the barrels kept in the celler behind the bar. Billy and Molly Ellis were the publicans.
