Gatehouse

A Memory of Denton.

As a child I spent many happy holidays in Denton. My Grandparents lived in the right-hand side of the gatehouse; their names were James and Jane Howell. He was a gardener at the Hall. I remember at the age of about five years old, rushing out to open the big gates for horses or vehicles to come through on their way to the Hall. When my Grandfather retired, they went to live in one of the houses that were set back from the road, halfway down the village street. Later Gran and one of her daughters lived in the almshouses in the park. At that time I had to stay with them for some weeks, owing to illness at home. I went to the village school, I think the headmaster's name was Mr Geeson. Mostly I remember the wonderful walk back home to Gran's, up the lane through a spinney of trees and into the park. There were wild strawberries in the grass, and violets, sweet chestnuts and conkers of course; and the constant cooing of the wood pigeons. Some days I went with my Aunt 'sticking' or collecting firewood in a truck. We would go right across the park, some times going down to the Ponds and to the Well, other times we went up some steps and over the park wall, across the road and into the eight acre field, where we were allowed to collect mushrooms if we were lucky enough to find any. What an idyllic way of life, though my Gran and my Aunt were very poor we were very happy. There was one snag, not that I was worried by it then, it was just how things were; the 'privy' (or toilets today) were about 100 yards from the houses, underground near some trees. Just two wooden seats for all the six almshouses. I never had to queue!  It was a wonderful, gentle way of life, the memories stay with me through all these years.

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