Running Free
A Memory of Winterborne Stickland.
During the 70's my family moved to Winterborne Stickland,. We moved into the 'new houses', Downfield Close, shown in one of the pictures. Life was idyllic: the village had the Post Office, a butchers, two shops, a garage with 2 fuel pumps (full lead and 2 star) as known then and a public house. The summers always seemed so warm and the winters so cold, but as a child it did not matter, all we looked forward to was the longer days to continue our quests of discovery, what was beyond the next field, over a hedge, through a wood or under a bridge; of an evening after school and throughout the holidays, all children of the area would meet at the sloping football field, split into teams to play a games, whether it was football, tag or some other game, but most favourite of all was foxes and hounds, a couple of individuals would be the foxes and the rest the hounds. The game could last for hours chasing them across footpaths, bridal ways and tracks meeting up at the hollow at the far end of the village. To have that freedom as a child, we were so lucky, unaware of the troubles of the world from the 3 day week, to wars in Dhofar which my father had served in.
Living in Northern Ireland I had always described these adventures to my children. Last year we went back in the summer, in a touring van, pulled up at the village green, it was as if nothing had changed. There was no noise from vehicles, animals could be heard in the distance, the air was fresh and warm and the charm of the village had not been lost. There was an old lady sat with her great grand children at the edge of what used to be a flowing stream (born in the winter but dried up in the summer) but sadly totally dried up, which in my time I had never seen. The lady was the mother of one of my good friends. We sat and talked for a while, she expressed her sadness that the children of the village had lost what we had, she put it down to television, computers and a lifestyle of over parental protection.
My children were delighted to walk around the village and see first hand all the things I had described were true and still to this day intact
C Daniels
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Houghton had at that time a Post office run by a Mrs Hall. But there wasn't a pub or village hall. So everyone gravitated the mile down the lane following the stream to Winterborne Stickland.
The 'Winterborne stream' rises in Houghton's springs and are the main source of water feeding a trout farm that took over from dis-used cress beds in the 70's.
Stickland was the larger village with a Pub, The Crown Inn which was a Devenish brewery owned establishment. it was like so many village pubs then, well patronised by locals. There were darts and shove halfpenny teams who took their sport seriously playing in local leagues across the North Dorset area.
There was also a 'British Legion' up a small lane in behind North Street. This was obviously only frequented by 'Legion' members.
The village had two garages, both who served petrol. One was opposite the Post office and church. It was taken over in the 70's by two brothers, Jack and Gerald. I can't remember their surname. They had moved from the Midlands. Their accents being of some amusement to us locals. The business was 'Stickland Mower Services'. They also had a keen interest in motorbikes, and had a couple of pristine old British classics in their workshop. The garage closed some years later and reverted to a residential property.
Just around the corner from them was 'Clover Bodyshop' owned by a Mr. Nicky Clover. It was a car repair panel and paint shop with a low bake oven, which was quite something at that time. A lot of the work came by way of the garages in Blandford. Both accident repairs and Sales work sprucing up vehicles to be sold on the forecourts.
The village shop was owned and run by the 'Young' family who moved into the village in or around 1972. They stayed there until about 1980 maybe but I'm not entirely sure, apologies if this isn't the case. I know they did move to Ferndown though as I was a good friend of their Son Mike.
There was also a Butchers on North Street run by a Mr and Mrs Gent. This was right next to the other garage in the village run and owned by Lenny Jenner. The garage is still there. (2026)
The village hall (The Pamela Hambro hall) which is still there (2026) always had something going on in it. Friday night youth clubs which we took part in the usual table tennis games or just listening to music. Jumble sales and bingo were also regular occurrences.
Stickland had a strong interest in football and had 2 teams play on Saturdays albeit in separate leagues. The original pitch did had quite a slope to say the least much to the annoyance of some visiting teams for the first time. The pitch was move onto the a level playing area after a lot of work by the club's committee with machines. But once done in around the late seventies early eighties, it proved a nightmare to play on as the ground just below the grass was smothered in flint stone.
All in all Winterborne Houghton and W. Stickland have remained relatively un-changed in the time I have known it in regard of it's people and the general vibe of the villages. Long may it continue.