Colebrooke Parish Devon

Category: colebrooke

Widecombe Fair

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WIDECOMBE FAIR According to legend, September is the month of the year when a gentleman enquired of his friend Tom Pearse if he could borrow his grey mare to enable him and some acquaintances, including Uncle Tom Cobley, to journey to Widecombe Fair. The disastrous result of this early Devonshire outing is well known to many in the song collected by Rev Baring Gould circa 1890. But who were these characters, and did they exist? Read more...

Old Houses of Colebrooke

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Several houses in Colebrooke have vanished almost without trace. Others were burnt down, but like the Phoenix arose again. Another group fell into disrepair but were rebuilt. Here is one of the latter. THE OLD VICARAGE, the present building, dates from 1912 and replaced a much older vicarage of which parts were estimated to have dated from the 14th century. A rather quaint description of the old house in 1821 describes it thus A Terrier of the Glebe House and Lands of the Parish of Colebrooke Taken May 18th 1821 The dwelling house contains two parlours, one vestibule and passage and a kitchen on the ground floor. Read more...

The Arscotts of Colebrooke

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During the 18th and 19th centuries, the Arscott family were integral to Colebrooke parish. Three generations had held the post of parish clerk. Two of the mills, Colebrooke and Ford, were run by Arscotts and shoemakers, a blacksmith, a carpenter, and a tailor. Today, the only tangible evidence of their existence is the sampler that used to hang in the committee room at the Village Hall, which was rescued from The Old School when it was sold in 1960 and the memorial to Frederick Arscott in the church the north wall. Read more...

Paschoe House Occupants 1870 - 1940

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Some Interesting Occupants of Paschoe House 1870 - 1940 After the Calmady-Hamlyn family ceased to live in the new house at Paschoe, it was occupied by various tenants until St Georges School arrived in 1940. An early occupier was Mr Robert Lodwick Esq. He was a sporting gentleman who, within a few weeks of his arrival, had invited the local hunt to breakfast at Paschoe. He was also something of an entertainer and, at local events, would delight the audience with humorous songs. Read more...