Turvey, Bedfordshire

The war years and just afterwards

Turvey Abbey was owned in those days by Rupert Allen who owned an engineering factory in Bedford. My father was employed on the estate as gardener/general factotum (and was paid a pittance for the privilege). The Abbey had a few cows, pigs, geese and chickens. It was often my job to go out at dusk to shut up the chickens to stop the foxes getting them. I remember it was quite spooky as it got dark (I was only 10 or 11 at the time) and I used to run as fast as I could to get the job done. When I think back to those times I wonder what the Health and Safety people of today would have said about some of the things I helped Dad do - like operating the big chaff-cutter or the machine that chopped up mangle-wurzels for the cattle.  We always had a goose for Christmas and whenever a pig was killed we had the offal (chitterlings etc). My favourite thing was after a cow had calved and having some of the first very rich milk made up into a lovely milk pudding. Happy days!!

Fishing in the Great Ouse

I remember fishing for endless hours just about the spot shown in the photograph. There were many perch there and on one occasion I caught a fair sized pike. Just upstream from this location was a sort of peninsular accessed by climbing down steps set in the wall of Turvey Bridge. This was called Sam's Island for some reason. Brings back many happy memories of over half a century ago!!

English Villages

Turvey village owes its character to estate building, much of it by the Higgins family, whose Castle Ashby-style mausoleum of about 1847 is in the churchyard. The tall terraced cottages on the right are in their simpler vernacular style, while the school and halls are Tudor in style, with stone mullioned and transomed windows.

Bedfordshire Photographic Memories

At the time of the photograph the building was known as Abbey Farm; it had been the home of the Higgins family since 1786. At the end of the 18th century, much of the village was in disrepair because the previous owners, the Mordaunt family, were unable to afford the upkeep towards the end of their tenure. Cousins Charles and John Higgins rebuilt much of Turvey in the style we see today.

Bedfordshire Photographic Memories

The building style established by Cecil Higgins is very much in evidence on the hotel. Note the old Cyclists Touring Club seal of approval carried above the front entrance. Birds figure strongly in the coats of arms for many old Bedfordshire families, and it is likely that the cranes of the hotel’s title refer to one of these.