The Fire At Pinchaford Farm

A Memory of Haytor Vale.

This has been writen by my 90 year old mother Amber Lloyd who stayed several times at Pinchaford farm in the 1930-40s: I was at Pinchaford Farm in 1944 when it burnt down. We were having lunch when someone said "the thatch is on fire!" This was later blamed on an electrical fault in the roof.
Beacause of the strains of the Blitz, the London Fire Brigade was being sent to the country for respite and the local brigades sent to London. Unfortunately, the Londoners were confused by the narrow, twisting country lanes and took a while to find the farm, then the only water available was from the swimming pool.
Pinchaford was owned then by the Bradford family. The male members were away fighting and it was being run by Mrs Peta Bradford. Her husband was in the army and posted missing on D.Day. This was one of the cruelest things to bear as one is torn between grief and hope. In fact he was killed in the invasion and never saw his younger daughter with whom Peta was pregnant at the time.