Barcote In 1960’s

A Memory of Barcote Manor.

I visited and stayed at Barcote Manor twice in the 60’s and certainly in 1964. At the time it was owned by Mercantile Bank of India, who had purchased it prior or during WW2 to house their bank documentation. My father took over for a week in the summer, to allow the resident caretaker, Mr Bowley, to take a holiday and my Mother and brother and myself, aged 14 in 1964, went with him.
I recall my father receiving telephone calls from London and he had to search for various documents. The house had its own telephone exchange and a snooker room. In the main large living room, there was an organ which played tunes provided by individual rotating cylinders.
The house had a resident black labrador named Duke and the walled garden was tended by gardener, George Halleybone. I remember the stables had steps to assist in mounting the horses in the courtyard. The drive from the lodge was said to be 3/4 mile long and the trees along the route had wild branches and were quite frightening in the dark for youngsters. I have great memories from that time and I’m pleased that the building has been retained.

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