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Woolavington
Woolavington photos
Displaying the first of 3 old photos of Woolavington. View all Woolavington photos
Woolavington maps
Historic maps of Woolavington and the local area, hand-drawn by Ordnance Survey and Samuel Lewis. View all Woolavington maps
Woolavington area books
Displaying 1 of 11 books about Woolavington and the local area. View all books for this area
You can read extracts and browse photos from these books.
Memories of Woolavington
Displaying a selection of personal
memories of Woolavington.
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Woolavington Post Office And Stores
In 1968 my Dad became the Post Master for Woolavington and with Mum ran the PO and the stores until 1973/4. I have so many memories... the school (Mrs Hardcastle and Mr Moncrief) and the village, the farms and our neighbour taking potshots at us as we 'borrowed' apples from his trees! I was 8 when we moved in and found it difficult to settle to 'country' life - coming from the bustling metro of Bridgwater as we did! :) Loved the house with its thick walls and the main roof beam, still with bark on it and a date from the 1600s (not sure if it was valid though!). Walking down the hill and right on the corner - up to the back gate to the school and down the gully to the old school house - what history!
Memories of Stockland, Bristol
My mother's father and mother Mr & Mrs Tom Dibble lived in the Cooperage, Stockland. Thomas's parents Thomas snr and Jane (nee) Palmer had children
Sam, George from the Old Oak pub on the Cornhill, Mary + Mrs Hunt previous Larson, others I can't remember names.
I remember sleeping in the Cooperage in a four poster bed, when Mary lived there, going across the road to fetch water from a pump, her store of milk, cream, eggs, ham and pork, jams and pickles. Having to curtsey to Miss Daniels as she rode by.
All Thomas's brothers and sisters worked at the Manor House, which I loved to go and see, sitting in the kitcen while Mary prepared the food for the manor. My grandfather was the carpenter, Sam worked in the forge, Mary as the cook, another as the housemaid.
I remember the farm next to the Cooperage, Daniels.
Most of the family are buried in Stogursey church, Sam lived opposite with his daughter... Read more
Evacuation to Woolavington
My family (name of Marsh) evacuated to Woolavington to escape the continual bombing of London. We lived in 2, Church Street and my aunt and her family lived in No 1. At the vicarage, which I believe was just over the road from our house, there were two young boys whom my parents spoke of as 'the evacuees' which seemed strange to me as they looked like ordinary boys - I was three years old at the time. The vicarage also had apple trees in its garden and my brother Ray would pinch as many apples as he could reach.
The photo of Woolavington, the village, looks like the stores at the crossroads where Church Street met another more important road. If I'm correct then this is where Ray, aged five was knocked down by a car and injured his ankle, the scar of which he still carries today.
Ray was enrolled at the village school until we returned home in 1943.
Somerset memories
Holidays
We used to park our caravan in the last field along the lane, near the River Brue. One holiday we arrived in the early morning and just parked up in the field. We were awakened by our caravan rocking and looked out to see the cows coming in for their milking. We had parked where they usually walked 'home' and couldn't understand why we were in the way. We had to go out and shoo them round the caravan. We had lovely fishing in the River Brue and some lovely holidays.
Another year we arrived to find the cows had been eating the fallen apples in the orchard and were a bit tipsy!
Happy Holidays
My husband and I had many a happy day fishing in Merry Lane. Well, he fished and I read a book! We stayed in a caravan in the field at the last farm down the end of Merry Lane. One holiday we arrived early and parked our caravan and had a sleep. We awoke to the caravan wobbling about. On looking outside we saw a herd of cows pushing the caravan. We had parked on their accustomed route to be milked. They didn't know they could walk round the caravan until the farmer shouted at them. Another time we parked in the apple orchard and through the week we watched cows eating fallen apples. Wonder what the milk tasted like?
We also had the experience of being parked in the field and there was a thunder storm. The panels of the caravan banged with the wind and we decided not to go back on the motorway until the winds died down. When we first went to... Read more
Memories of my Childhood
I was born in 1956, in Wiltshire, but my first memories are of Pawlett, where we moved, when I was very small. It was a smaller, quiter village than it is even now. I went to the village school, on the village green, next to the church. I believe it's now someone's home. My first memories there are of making paper lanterns, and the Christmas decorations hanging from the ceiling, I don't know why. I had to walk there, via a long but very narrow lane, which led from the 'main' road, to the school door, locally called 'The Drain'. I recall our school meals having been cooked off site, being delivered to us, through the brick gateway, into the playground, in large metal churns. I also recall the toilet block at the bottom of the playground. When we were kids, we used to go down to the river Parrett, past Cooks farm, with no restrictions on where we could go, and sit on the riverbank, watching Dad fish for eels... Read more
My Great Great Grandmother
Hannah Pursey born November 23, 1828, Catcott was my great great grandmother. she married Robert Barnett on February 14, 1850 at Moorlinch, Somerset.
