Lower Road looking east in the 1950s. This photo formed a series of black and white postcards of the village. The houses on the left have not changed significantly in the last 60 years apart from the addition of a house (no 18A) in place of the outbuilding and large pear tree between nos 18 and 20.
In 1960 - no 24 (Rosemary) was occupied by mother and daughter, Esme Katherine and Margaret Dorothy Wright, no 22 (South View) by John Harry and Ena Alice (Sue) Poole, no 20 (The Nook) was about to be occupied by Ian Alfred and Audrey White - who later emigrated to Australia and Albert and Mary Power lived at no 18 (The Laurels)
Ash Tree Court has now been built on the site of the former farmyard at Ash Tree Farm and four bungalows are now to the right with parking bays replacing the wide grass verge.
A view of The Square in the 1950s. The houses shown are nos 3 and 4 and were formerly part of the White Lion Inn. No 3 was occupied by Joseph and Gladys Smith from 1945. Joseph died in 1973 and Gladys continued to live there into the late 1980s before entering residential care before her death in early 1994 at the age of 89. No 4 was occupied by Wilfred Reginald and Irene Kent from 1939. Mr Kent died in March 1961 and Mrs Kent continued to live there for many more years before moving to a smaller bungalow in the late 1980s and then into residential care before her death in June 2000.
The photo also shows "Halt" road markings and a halt sign on the pavement. The fingerpost directional sign has recently been restored by the Parish Council. In the distance the red public telephone call box can be seen between nos 3 and 5 Lower Road and wire and post fencing which has now been replaced by walls.
A view of The Batch at Hectorstones probably in the 1930s. The cottage to the left is Tossells Cottage. It was purchased by Arnold and Clara Wilson in 1937 who moved to the village from Halifax. They were joined by Mrs Wilson's mother Elizabeth Sugden in 1945/6 until her death in November 1947 at the age of 74. She is buried in the south section of the churchyard. Mr Wilson died in 1953 aged 66 but Mrs Wilson continued to live there until moving to residential care in Burnham on Sea in the late 1970s. She died in February 1986 aged 93 and they now rest together near the east path in the churchyard.
The house to the left was known as Mortimers and was one of the village bakeries for many years. Harry and Margaret Darch were known to be baking there in 1913 and continued to do so into the 1940s. Margaret died in 1948 aged 61 and after Harry's death at the age of 80 in 1964 the property remained empty for many years and apart from the listed boundary walls was eventually replaced by a modern dwelling by their son Randolph and his wife Helen when they retired from running the village shop which was then known as Darch's Stores.
Another view of The Batch at Hectorstones. On the right is the listed boundary wall of Mortimers above which a chimney of Tossells Cottage can just be seen. The village well can be seen behind the geese. The well was restored in the 1990s. The cottage in the centre of the picture was known as Hectorstones.
Hectorstones was owned by the Pitman family from the 1920s and was occupied for many years by two sisters, Emily and Laura. They were joined by a friend Ethel Rose in 1946. Emily died in July 1954 aged 63 but Laura and Ethel Rose continued to live there until they had a property now known as 37 Higher Road built in 1955. Hectorstones was then occupied by Marjorie Meaker until shortly before her death in 1983.
To the left, large walnut trees can be seen behind the stone wall boundary of the orchard of Nut Tree Farm. These were removed in the early 1950s.
The properties along the northern edge of The Batch from a different angle - this time from Nut Tree Farm in 1954. Silas Bawden is holding his grandson - later to become the Parish Clerk!
This picture shows, in the background, the two cottages then known as 1 and 2 Hectorstones in 1955. No 1 was occupied by Dick and Gladys Cox from 1931 to 1971 and No 2 by Samuel and Louisa Haggett from 1930 to 1967.
In the foreground Silas and Norah Bawden are showing their grandson the contents of the milking pail!
This is The Lodge, now 27 Lower Road.
In the parish records Arthur Oscar Clement John Hillier was born to Clement William Herbert John and Alice Mary Hillier on 6th January 1911.
I expect he is the little boy in the cap by the gate who looks about 5 or 6 so that dates the photo at 1916/17. There is a maid by the front door. The porch looks very similar as it does today.
Clement Hillier is described as a "gentleman" in the baptism records!
The Hilliers had moved by 1928 as it was then occupied by the Cook family who eventually built the single storey extension on the front to house the shop/post office and the extension to the east which was later a hairdressing salon.