HOLWAY COTTAGE
Our cottage and probably all the four or five in the same group originally belonged
to Sadborow Settled Estates prior to 1923. When we bought our cottage in 1937 we
were advised we were entitled to a 30-year title; but that a 'search' would be expensive
in relation to the freehold price - £300! and as the Sadborrow title was well known
locally we could forgo it.
Before 1935 it was lived in by a Mrs Potter, whose husband came from a farming
family. She died in the cottage which was inherited by her daughter, Mrs Sibley wife
of the thatcher of Saddle Street.
About 1935 it was sold to McIlwain, a developer In a small way who made some small
alterations, such as false ceilings over the old oak beams, new internal Joists,
and a small south window in the parlour, which was the handiwork of Ernie Henson,
from next door. Mcllwain sold the cottage to a woman relative of Monica Browning
(late of Upper Synderford Farm), who kept dogs there. Later she sold to a family
from Australia who were only there a short time, and from whom we bought - through
Lawrences in Crewkerne, then newly established. There was a well with pump in the
kitchen; outdoor Elsan closet; iron kitchen range and courtier stove, oil lamps and
oil cooker when we came. Thatched roof too; so was Madge Henson's In 1937. The chronology
of our improvements might interest.
The local builder, Mr Hickford, reinforced the upstairs bedroom walls for soundproofing.
There were three small rooms up a very narrow winding stair, and the thatch was repaired
by Sibley in the first few years. In 1948 the kitchen floor was dug out and lowered
by 4 inches and tiled. New windows were drawn upstairs to the south-east, and in
the kitchen to the north. In 1951 electricity was connected, and In 1955 an extension
to the west was built with bathroom and W.C. and a septic tank dug in the garden.
We had a small Sadie water heater, but all the water had to be hand-pumped into the
cistern upstairs (two hundred pumps twice daily!) until 1968 when water was laid
on direct and the hand pump removed. In 1963 we removed the ceilings to uncover original
oak beams, in good condition in the parlour, but rather oddly awry in the kitchen
- they still are! In 1964 we regretfully removed the thatched roof which was in
poor condition; we had found it - at that time - impossible to find a thatcher to
work for us. Our son, Hugh, took careful photos from various angles of the old roof
and of the new. Old tiles were put on by Woodland of Taunton. In 1969 we had nightstore
electric heaters installed; The parlour floor was resurfaced in 1969, and another
window drawn to the south-west in the 'spare' bedroom upstairs, meaning four new
windows drawn since 1935. About 1973 we installed a telephone, which at first was
on a party line due to shortage of equipment in those days! In 1974 fitted wooden
sink and cupboard units were built into the kitchen under the south window; carpet
tiles laid in the lobby and bathroom; In 1978 a Jotul Scandinavian wood burning
stove put in the parlour; in 1982 the cottage was completely rewired.
Of course improvements like snowcemming and wire-cladding of outside walls, some
Rentokil work and normal interior decoration has since gonre on alongside all this,
and I have actually kept a record of every penny spent since WE came. In the ironic
light of present inflated house prices, the combined total cost of all that we have
spent on improvements and maintenance has only amounted to just under £20,000 to
date!
Services used to be three, then two, then no pubs on the village; two bakers,
and a general store. A bus service ran from Winsham to Lyme Regis once a week, picking
up at the Squirrel, I think; and there was a return service in the evening. The village
also ran a bus for shopping to Bridpont and Chard once a week. There was a butcher
in Winsham. A van with fish and vegetables called once a week from Crewkerne, also
a salesman with brushes and kitchen gadgets several times a year. And of course,
the Warrens sold milk into our own tin can first from their farm at Glebe Farm (now
Glebe Cottage). At one time I bought farm butter at Southcombe, and nearly all farms
sold vegetables from time to time. We could manage quite well without a car, walking
field paths from Chard Station.
RAYMOND FIRTH
First published in TVT News, February 1991. Reproduced by kind permission of Hugh
Firth
