Category: coleford

Ship Inn Brawl

SHIP INN - COLEFORD PUBLIC HOUSE BRAWL During the early 1850s, when the North Devon Railway was being extended from Crediton to Barnstaple, large numbers of men known as navvies (navigators) were to be found working on the huge cutting which lies to the east of Coleford. Many of these men were billeted at The Ship Inn (now Browns Farm) in the middle of Coleford. It is said that Thomas Peters, who was the landlord of the Ship at that time, would charge the navvies one penny a night to sleep on clean straw in the stone building which adjoins the road to Copplestone. Read more...

V E Day in Coleford 1945

V E DAY 1945 Memories of an eight-year old of V E Day in Coleford by Neville Enderson On Tuesday, May 8th, after Victory in Europe was declared early in the morning, Colebrooke Sports Committee, sadly no longer in existence, swiftly organised a day of sports and a tea for the children. No doubt, with hostilities gradually coming to an end, there had been meetings before this to make arrangements for the big day when it arrived. Read more...

Spencer Cottage

Painting of Spencer Cottage - Post office SPENCERS COLEFORD Most people are familiar with various guide books and estate agents telling us how Charles 1st either reviewed his troops, stabled his horse or even slept in the porch at Spencers in 1644. Charles indeed passed through Coleford on July 29th 1644, having spent the previous night at Crediton and was at Bow by the night of the 29th. Read more...

Mabel Lee Landlady of The New Inn

Mabel, Mary & Bill Lee with their Mother The end of an era. Based on the obituary I wrote for the Crediton Courier after Mabel’s death in 1998 With the death of Mabel Kathleen Lee at the age of 96 on Jan 18th 1998, Coleford lost one of its last links with the Victorian era. Mabel was born on July 31st 1901 at the New Inn Coleford. She used to love to impart to her friends at Redvers House Crediton, where she spent her last few years when introducing me. Read more...