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Woolley
Woolley maps
Historic maps of Woolley and the local area, hand-drawn by Ordnance Survey and Samuel Lewis. View all Woolley maps
Woolley photos
We have no photos of Woolley, although we do have photos of these nearby places:
Ellington| Spaldwick| Brampton| Old Weston| Buckden| Kimbolton| Abbots Ripton| Huntingdon| Offord Cluny| Hartford| Godmanchester| Offord D'arcy
Woolley area books
Displaying 1 of 10 books about Woolley and the local area. View all books for this area
You can read extracts and browse photos from these books.
Memories of Woolley
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Cambridgeshire memories
Spaldwick Windmill & The Belton Family
The Belton family has a long association with Spaldwick as millers, witnessed by a hill being in the family name, (O.S. map 153), just north of the village.
My mother's sister Violet Bass, from nearby Kimbolton, was married to John Belton.
John, my uncle, inherited the windmill as well as a further windmill at Alconbury and a *water driven mill at Houghton, now owned by the National Trust. The Belton family had a very healthy corn milling business in this area of Huntingdonshire, (sad that it had to be gobbled up by Cambs.). I have documents associated with the business as well as John's 'verge' pocket watch, which formerly belonged to a "Charles" Belton, (father?). I have also, letters written to John's mother when he was in France in WW1 and a number of French embroidered postcards which were popular with soldiers.
Why 1955? Well it was around this time that I visited the mill as a teenager and was saddened to see it in its dilapidated state. The... Read more
The Cooper Family
My family, the Coopers, lived in Spaldwick from 1800-1900 if not before.
My great-great-grandfather, Daniel Cooper, was a baker, corn seed merchant and the registrar for births, deaths and marriages in the Spaldwick area.
There are stained glass windows in Spaldwick church dedicated to him and his wife, Susan Jellis, and their children and four very prominent gravestones in the churchyard.
His son married Ann Horsford in 1881. Her father, James, a land owner, had a brother John who married Ann Belton.
In the 1857 census there was a three-year-old John Belton living with my great-great-great-grandfather John Horsford and his wife Ann Griffin. It was their son John who married Ann Belton.
John Belton
John Belton who wrote the postcards was the son of John (Horsford) Belton who was master at Spaldwick mill in the 1901 census, he was my G.G.G Uncle. John H was the son of my G.G.G.Grandfather Benjamin Belton who's father was Charles and he had a brother Charles he was born in Spaldwick approx 1818. I have lots more details. G.Chandler111@btinternet.com
Ghosts in Spaldwick!
I only lived in Spaldwick for about 6 months from December 1968 to May 1969. Just married, with a baby, we rented a farm cottage to the west (?) of the village green, the lane leading to the church was next to it. One night in January or February all was quiet on a very cold and frosty night. We were both fast asleep until my wife woke me and said "Someone's knocking on the back door!". We both crept downstairs and indeed there was a loud knocking on the door. I picked up a poker and moved to the door,I was more angry than scared and as quick as I could I threw the bolt and opened the door, there was nothing there. I went out and had a good look round but there was not a sign of anyone. Our garden backed onto the cemetery! I cannot explain this at all and it never occurred again while we were there but I never forgot! I think about this... Read more
War Years
My name is Pamela Alston, nee Earley. I lived in Alconbury village from the age of 5 in 1943 till the age of 15 in 1953. I went to the village school and had an exellent education, much better than my college educated children. We lived at the Globe House and my father Walter Earley transported prisoners of war to work, I remember the Italian prisoners made lovely jewellery from plexi glass and all hand painted. I remember the convoys on the Great North Road, Mr Thompson's bakery, Last's shop, the post office and Constable Everett. I have loads of good memories, and would love to share them with other Alconburians.
Pam Alston.
Bell Lane
My memories are of living at Bell Lane, Alconbury with my parents and granny. My parents, Ivy and Charlie Gillings, went to school there, and I so want some photos of Bell Lane as it was in those days.
From 1940, But Historically Long Before.
Along with my mother Ruby, I was evacuated to Alconbury on my birthday, 23 September 1940. Unknown to me, my paternal grandparents had already moved there and were in residence in Chapel Street. My Mum and I rented Granny Baxter’s cottage off Bell Lane, where we lived until moving to Corner Farm, Buckworth, in 1942. Philip Birch ran the Post Office in his shop at the bottom of Bell Lane.
Returning to Chapel Street, Alconbury in 1946, my Dad opened a small business doing plumbing and general repairs for a while, before concentrating on motor cars and bodywork. We lived behind what was Ganderton’s Butcher Shop, and I was their Saturday delivery boy for some time. One of Dad’s good friends was Walter Earley, father to Pam who has written here. Dad’s Saturday boy was Kelvin Cooper, who has gone on to own his own workshop in Sawtry, and to become a well-known and successful stock car racing driver.
Bell Lane Cottages, as they were known, are long since... Read more
