Alwington
Alwington maps (2 available)
Map of Devon
Beautifully hand-drawn and coloured, dating from around 1840
Personalised maps
Create an historic map centred directly on any postcode!
Alwington books (17 available)
Alwington memories
Read and share memories of Alwington and Devon inspired by Frith photos
Growing up in the 1960's
We lived in Headon's Cottage, Fairy Cross - it had been an old German doctor's cottage in the 1700s, a Doctor Wacerill who is buried in St. Andrew's churchyard, and his faded plaque was still above the front door - walls made of cob and thatched roof etc. We were just up the road from Portledge drive - my grandfather William George Harris was woodsman and forester on the Portledge Estate for the Pine-Coffin family for over 50 years and his grandfather before him had been the estate foreman. As a boy I very often walked our Rottweiler dog , Limbo, down Portledge drive turning into the woods halfway down and making our way over some wooden bridges and past a ...read more here
Contributed by Derek England
Church going in the 1960's
As local village children we used to walk from Fairy Cross meeting other children from the council houses along the way and wind our way through the narrow lane, sometimes picking wild strawberries in summer - moving out of the way of cars that needed to pass us - usually on their way to church also - untill we arrived at St. Andrews, Alwington. We always sat up in the choir stalls with Mrs. Elston (who had been my first teacher at Abbotsham school - Alwington school, where my mother had attended, had closed some years previously because of low numbers and all from our village then went by bus to Abbotsham). I can remember at special services - Christmas etc. ...read more here
Contributed by Derek England
Devon memories
Church going in the 1960's
As local village children we used to walk from Fairy Cross meeting other children from the council houses along the way and wind our way through the narrow lane, sometimes picking wild strawberries in summer - moving out of the way of cars that needed to pass us - usually on their way to church also - untill we arrived at St. Andrews, Alwington. We always sat up in the choir stalls with Mrs. Elston (who had been my first teacher at Abbotsham school - Alwington school, where my mother had attended, had closed some years previously because of low numbers and all from our village then went by bus to Abbotsham). I can remember at special services - Christmas etc. ...read more here
A memory of Alwington contributed by Derek England
Growing up in the 1960's
We lived in Headon's Cottage, Fairy Cross - it had been an old German doctor's cottage in the 1700s, a Doctor Wacerill who is buried in St. Andrew's churchyard, and his faded plaque was still above the front door - walls made of cob and thatched roof etc. We were just up the road from Portledge drive - my grandfather William George Harris was woodsman and forester on the Portledge Estate for the Pine-Coffin family for over 50 years and his grandfather before him had been the estate foreman. As a boy I very often walked our Rottweiler dog , Limbo, down Portledge drive turning into the woods halfway down and making our way over some wooden bridges and past a ...read more here
A memory of Alwington contributed by Derek England
Extracts From Alwington & Devon books
The Green is now built over. This picture shows the Union Workhouse. Subsequently, it would become the
Alexandra Hospital, which remained in business until 1978 when the new North Devon General hospital was
opened.
An extract from from"Barnstaple Photographic Memories".
This picture faces the opposite direction to the previous one. The cabman’s shelter seen in photographs 49616 &
64564 on pages 34 to 36 is still in place. On the left, The Golden Lion was a 17th century merchant’s house. Today
it is called The Bank inn. This district was known locally as The Hearts of Oak.
An extract from from"Barnstaple Photographic Memories".
By the time this picture was taken, the trees had gown to an enormous size and needed surgery. The river still pro-
vided scope for pleasure boating and Shapland & Petter’s factory had grown to its full size. Today, boating is but a memory.
An extract from from"Barnstaple Photographic Memories".
All is tranquil a couple of miles up-river of Barnstaple. The L&SW railway follows the river almost from the water-
shed at Copplestone near Crediton, 30 miles away. The houses on the left are at Bishops Tawton; the riverside walk
is still available for those who seek peace and solitude.
An extract from from"Barnstaple Photographic Memories".
This remarkable church, St Peter’s, is hidden in the Taw valley a couple of miles from Barnstaple. Cruciform in
plan, it is early 14th-century (one of only seven remaining in Devon) and contains the finest collection of
monuments in the county.
An extract from from"Barnstaple Photographic Memories".