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Wharley End

Wharley End maps

Historic maps of Wharley End and the local area, hand-drawn by Ordnance Survey and Samuel Lewis.   View all Wharley End maps

Wharley End photos

We have no photos of Wharley End, although we do have photos of these nearby places:

Sherington| Aspley Guise| Newport Pagnell| Woburn Sands| Bow Brickhill| Great Linford| Simpson| Turvey| Woburn| Woburn| Kempston| Olney| Steppingley| Milton Keynes| Ampthill| Fenny Stratford| Weston Underwood| Bletchley| Ravenstone| Flitwick

Wharley End area books

Displaying 1 of 6 books about Wharley End and the local area.   View all books for this area

Memories of Wharley End

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Bedfordshire memories

My First Visit to Marston

The first time I went to Marston my boyfriend was taking me to visit his parents. I was 15 and he was 17. We caught a train from Bedford St John's and got off at Milbrook Halt. His family lived in a Brickyard home in "Jubilee Cottages". It wasn't as modern as my parents' council house as it had no hot water and an outside non-flush toilet. He thought that I was posh because we had two flushing toilets, one inside the house and one outside. His house had no bathroom either.
Back then the Brickyards were still working and I remember all of the chimneys in the skyline.
His family moved to Peterborough a few months later and we have only been back a few times since.

The Square at Christmas

The Square c1955
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The Square was lit up throughout Chrismas 2006. A Christmas Tree was installed in the centre and the surrounding buildings were adorned with gentle Chritmas lights. The day of 'lighting up' was attended by a large part of the community from the youngest to the most senior, and it was two of the latter who performed the grand switch on.

On The Way to School

Old Houses c1955
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This is the junction of Woburn Lane (straight on) and Spinney Lane (turn left). The Primary School I attended was along Spinney Lane, which at that time was completely un-metalled and rutted, so getting to school with clean shoes was a challenge in wet weather.

Small Prison Cell Where John Bunyon Stayed

I was born in Tithe Barn Road in 1953. When I was about 9 and 12 some mates and me noticed this small building that looked like a small house. A pointed house with no windows, just a solid oak door with 3 bars at top of door, always very dark inside & nobody told us nothing - only it was a jail. As it had woodern beams we could see writing carved in the wood, so after a lot of work and time we managed to make a hole though one corner. After we got the courage to enter, we noticed the poems carved out on the beams were written by John Bunyon. I would love to see some photos of the prison, it went many years ago. It was in Hall End Road, next to church, in the corner, under trees.

Fishing in The Great Ouse

Turvey House And The Great Ouse c1955
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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!!

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... Read more

Buildings.

Bedford Street c1955
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The buildings featured from left to right - (I do not know the history of the white house), then there are the pillars which are the entrance to the churchyard and mortuary chapel. The church, built in 1865, was used until 1980 for funerals only. It was then declared redundant and turned into a Heritage Centre. In the churchyard which is still used are the graves of several Second World War Canadian, Polish and English soldiers. Woburn Primary School is just around the curve in this photo. The entrance door is set in a wall and can be missed unless you know it is the school. Woburn School has a very long history having been built in 1582 by Francis, Earl of Bedford. Thirty five boys were to be taught reading, writing and accounts. In 1825 a school was started for girls and they were taught needlework and lacemaking. The school is still flourishing. The white house on the right... Read more

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