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West Beckham
West Beckham maps
Historic maps of West Beckham and the local area, hand-drawn by Ordnance Survey and Samuel Lewis. View all West Beckham maps
West Beckham photos
We have no photos of West Beckham, although we do have photos of these nearby places:
Barningham| Sheringham| Weybourne| Barningham| Beeston Regis| West Runton| Holt| East Runton| Aldborough| Salthouse| Cromer| Letheringsett| Wiveton| Glandford| Cley| Melton Constable
West Beckham area books
Displaying 1 of 13 books about West Beckham and the local area. View all books for this area
You can read extracts and browse photos from these books.
Memories of West Beckham
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Norfolk memories
Childhood Years From 1948-58
I first saw Barningham Hall from the back of a removals van as we pulled into the yard along side, it looked enormous then, I was 3yrs old, my father,(later known as Mac by every one) was to become Major Mott-radcliffs( later to become Sir Charles) chauffer/handyman and mum was going to help in the kitchens, the first few years we lived in the small cottage in the yard then later moved into the flat above garage and stable where we could often hear the horses stamping around in the night. The gardens were huge and I often played in them with my sister when the "Motts" were away, The kitchen garden was superb with all sorts of fruit and veg that we could pick and eat, many times I hid amongst the fruit trees with my best friend Jimmy and watched as the head gardener Jack Fuller went by but didnt see us, in one of the greenhouses there were really nice grapes where we would hide on cold... Read more
The Second McKays
We have just read Anthony McKays memories of Barningham Hall. After they left my husbands family, also McKays, how about that for coincidence, moved in also as driver to Sir Charles. My husband Terry was nine at the time and lived there until he was fifteen.
His memories are exactley the same, and we have photographs of all the Mot Radcliffe family.
We called in to see Lady Mott Ratcliffe about ten years ago and she very kindly took us on a tour of the hall and gardens and it was exactly as my husband remembered.
Earlier this year we called again, she had retired to a cottage in the village at the age of ninety, and in residence now is the eldest daughters son, she also was extremely nice and reminisced with my husband.
He also says it was a wonderful childhood there, but I still cant get over the fact that consectutive drivers were called McKay.
More Childhood Memories
I was born in the cottage in the courtyard, the youngest of three. My brother, Tony, sister Sheila, who now lives not too far away from Matlask, and have some wonderful memories of the Hall. Summer days seemed endless, building houses out of the hay bales in the fields, playing on the old tree stumps down by the pond, opening the gate for the delivery man from Rusts and getting a 'wagon wheel' as a treat. They were enormous. As my brother mentioned, we used to go on the 'shoot'. I was to young to 'beat' so I rode with Dad in the jeep pulling the game cart, I always remember the sandwiches, smelly egg, wrapped in greaseproof paper that my Mum made,and a Penguin biscuit, lovely!!!
Being the younger ones, I remember my brother playing Robin Hood, down in 'the forest' and sending Sheila and I out across the fields to look for the bad men while he sat up a tree, watching us, while we traipsed all over... Read more
Names of Lifeboatmen....
The gentleman laying on the ground in the front is my great grandfather John 'Teapot' West. He was a fisherman and lifeboatman but also well known for being a 'Fisherman Evangelist'. Together with William Craske and William Long he was a Methodist Preacher for over 50 years. They travelled throughout the county preaching and after visitors heard them they appeared at rallies in such places as London, Birmingham and Liverpool. These fishermen/lifeboatmen were strong, brave and somewhat exceptional men. There is a phrase used which I think fits them beautifully - 'Iron Men in Wooden Boats'. Pictured from left: 1. Henry 'Joyful' West 2. Wilson Able (with pipe) 3. Grice (in the background - unsure of Christian name) 4. 'Brighams' Bishop 5. 'Joyful' West (father of Henry - No 1) 6. John 'Sparrow' Hardingham (Young Lad) 7. John 'Rook' Reynolds 8. 'Potter' Hardingham (leaning on boat - father of John - No 6) 9. 'Fiddy' West (seated) 10. John 'Teapot' West (laying on ground). Fishermen nearly all had nicknames.... Read more
The Beach
When I look at these old photos, Sheringham has not changed that much, it's very strange though seeing the old Grand Hotel. I used to take the ponies round the roundabout as a young child to earn money during the summer. The water trough is still there but full of flowers instead of horses' noses.
Grand Hotel
I have just obtained a print of Sheringham promenade with a building on the left on top of a hill. I searched through these photos and came across the Grand Hotel - and that is the building in my picture. The date is 1890s. Does anyone know if this building still stands and if so is it still a hotel, or something else?
Thank you.
OVER THE BUMP TO PLAY FOOTBALL
This photograph illustrates all too well the erosion of the cliffs. The profile of Beeston Bump seen in the background of this photograph compared with to day shows just how much land we have lost. My father used to speak of playing football as a boy on level ground beyond Beeston Bump, that is on the seaward side of the bump. Just off camera the Grand Hotel is under construction due for completion in 1896, two years after this photograph was taken. In fact the only Victorian purpose built hotel in the vilage at the time was Sheringham Hotel built in 1889. On the stones there are beach tents and some of these larger tents were constructed using four oars. There is only one breakwater visible in the photograph and then none at all for as far as the... Read more
