Keith Owen Fund

8

The Keith Owen Display Boards © Colin Walls

The Sid Valley Horticultural Society Show, held this year on Saturday 15August 2009, is an annual show and, since 1922, has had a tradition of

encouraging the local community to enter the various categories of art, craft,needlework, gardening and floral arrangements. This was their 81st AnnualGardening and Craft Show which, as always, was held on the Sidford SportsField in Byes Lane from 2pm to 6pm.

This year had an outstanding number of entries, 720, and over 500 visitors onthe day. Fortunately after a few years of rain, this year was a warm dry sunnyday, so completing a perfect day. To go inside the marquee was indeed to seeperfection ~ the flowers, crafts and arts were stunningly beautiful to behold.

The Keith Owen Grant Committee was delighted to award this Society £5,000in order for it to obtain, in March this year, purpose designed manufactureddisplay boards, for displaying local school children’s art work at their annualshows. The actual boards ended up costing less than expected due to the finemanagement of their Chair who obtained an excellent deal with themanufacturers.

In the past the exhibits were displayed on an old length of tennis court nettingattached to the inside of the marquee. This had proved barely adequate and

9

the presentation did not provide visual appeal for the show visitors ormotivation for the child artists. The photo above shows how well the art workcan now be displayed. In 2010, the KOF will, within the value of this award, beproviding an award cup for a new competition for students from SidmouthCollege aged 11-16 which will be in part horticulture-based as well asincorporating other talents in woodwork, cookery, art and needlework. TheCollege will have entries per House and the overall House winner will beawarded this Cup.

The Sid Valley Horticultural Society has the display boards in safe storage and,since April, has already loaned them to a wide variety of community users, forexample, to FORCE for their big Breakfast in September, the WI and the BritishLegion for Poppy Day. They have proved to be a wonderful bonus to many.

Karen AllenSecretary of the Keith Owen Grant Committee

Woodlands and Estates

Interested in joining a working party?Everyone welcome

Every Monday, except Bank Holidays09:30-12:00

And/or

Third Saturday of each month (except December)10:00-12:00

For details, contact Patrick Stubbs on 01395 513460

10

The Restoration of Sidbury Mill

In 1970 George Cole, the last miller of Sidbury Watermill, retired and the millwas sold. In the following years the buildings became derelict and it was

increasingly doubtful if the mill would ever be used again. For three decadesthe belts, pulleys and stones were silent, left to gather dust and cobwebs andmice made their nests in the crumbling machinery. Was Sidbury Mill part ofthe history of the village with no part to play in its future?

In 1995 John Stephens, a farmer from Hampshire and grandson of the millerof Headley Watermill, was searching for just such a mill which he could restoreto working order. By chance John and his wife Judith, discovered Sidbury Mill.

The restoration work gradually took shape. The turbine which had poweredthe mill for its last thirty working years, was beyond repair and the decision wastaken to revert to a waterwheel to provide the power. By great good fortune,a wheel of the right size was advertised for sale in the magazine of the Societyfor the Preservation of Ancient Buildings and even more miraculously it wassited near Exeter. Piece by piece, John took the wheel apart and transportedit back to Sidbury.

the water to the top of the wheel. At last the building stood ready for itsmachinery. First the wheel. The main centre shaft had to be replaced. A localengineering company in Topsham manufactured a new steel shaft measuring73 in. long and 5 in. in diameter. The bearings for each end of the shaft werere-cast in phosphor bronze at a foundry in Totnes. Timber from a saw mill inNewton Abbot was cut to form the spokes of the wheel using Douglas Fir. Staybars to keep the wheel aligned were made, heated and hammered into shapebefore cooling. Lastly the wooden buckets were formed.

However, before themachinery restorationcould begin, the millbuilding itself and thewater channel neededmuch attention. Joists,floors, ladders, grainhoppers, all damagedby the ravages of timeand woodworm, wereremoved and replaced.This followed repairs tothe roof and walls. Anew by-pass channelwas constructed to carry

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The restoration work has been lengthy and arduous at times, but looking back,it has certainly been rewarding. At one time in our history there were literallythousands of working watermills in England but now there are only about onehundred. The few remaining are to be cherished and cared for as an importantpart of our heritage. Above all, they must be used. The flour from Sidbury Millwhich finds its way onto the shelves of local shops is small in volume but greatin historical significance.

Judith Stephens

Our very first attempt atusing the flour we hadground. We were alllonging to see whetherthe flour would be goodenough forbreadmaking!!L to R: John Stephens,Jonathan Field, whohelped us with thecarpentry in the mill,and Richard Field, whohelped to sow the firstcrop of wheat!

The sluice gate was lowered and waterbegan to fill the channel. At last, afterover seventy years, a waterwheel wasturning again at Sidbury mill! Workcontinued. John manufactured the 151steel gear teeth and later the 18 woodengear teeth for the small pinion wheel. Themill stones were beyond repair butanother pair of stones was found.

It was always the intention to producewholemeal, stoneground flour but to doso a boulter, used for grading the flour,was needed. One was located inOxfordshire. Once this was repaired themill was ready to grind corn (grown onland adjoining the mill) and to produceflour.

12

Riding the Sidmouth Hopper

On Saturday September 26, I decided to try the free bus, the SidmouthHopper. As the SVA donates to the running of this amenity, I thought I

ought to see how it operates. I started from the Triangle at 10.55 a.m. and, witha few visitors, was helped aboard by the driver Jim Tucker. I had expected justa ride, but we had a commentary, informing us about Fortfield Terrace, and aswe turned down Salcombe Road, why the pineapple finials were on somebuildings. When we reached the Observatory at Salcombe Hill, Jim was a mineof information about the observatory (all correct). We descended the hill backto the Triangle where a few more passengers boarded, and proceeded alongthe seafront to the Ham car park. Then back along the seafront up toConnaught Gardens and Peak Hill Road where the late R.F. Delderfield’shouse was pointed out (The Gazebo), and on to the car park at the top of PeakHill. We admired the view towards the west; as it was a clear morning we couldsee for miles. Jim pointed out all the landmarks and ably answered questions.Descending the hill, we stopped at the Connaught Gardens to enable twopassengers to alight and visit the café. We toured the car park and picked upanother passenger. Jim pointed out Peak House and its history. Back alongthe sea front, Station Road and the Knowle car park, but no more passengers,and then to the Triangle. Altogether the round trip had taken about an hour,most enjoyable, especially the additional information provided by Jim.

A well worthwhile enterprise. I am so glad it is supported by the SVA. Long mayit continue. Anyone who hasn’t tried this trip doesn’t know what they havemissed.

Sheila LuxtonFor Information:The Sidmouth Hopper Busis run, on a voluntary basis,in partnership with anumber of organisations.The SVA has committed tofund the running of the Busfor a minimum of threeyears, and the Keith OwenFund made an award for2009. Pictured are some ofthe partners, from L to R:SVA Chairman, HandelBennett, Cllr John Dyson,Council Chairman PeterSullivan, Brian Black KOFGrants Committee, SVAPresident Denzil Taylor,Director of Fields TrevorRoberts and Chairman ofthe Sidmouth HospitalityAssociation Mark Seward

© Handel Bennett

13

LANDSCAPECALENDAR

2011If you would like to have one of yourphotographs included in the 2011edition, please submit them by theEND OF NOVEMBER 2009. This isto allow time for selection andprinting, prior to the calendar’savailability at Easter 2010.

Photographs should try to includeone or more of the following:

· Be taken in Sidmouth, the SidValley or Salcombe Regis

· People enjoying the naturallandscape

· Convey the beauty of the area· Floral or Historical aspects of

the area· Be unusual

Photos should be sent by e-mail toSue Harrod at yalis@btinternet.comand marked for use in the LandscapeCalendar. Photographers of photoschosen will be given a free copy ofthe Calendar.

Interested in Bats orMoths?

The SVA has a Bat Detector andIdentification card,

as well as a Moth Light Trapavailable to borrow.

No training is required.

For more details,contact Patrick Stubbs

on 01395 513460

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14

Come and watch the nextFISH RESCUE

at the weir behindthe Toll House,

Salcombe Road,on Saturday November 7

at 1.30pm.

Fancy Writingan Article?

We welcome any article thathas a relevance to the SidValley area and may interestour members. The maximumword count is about 800 words

and accompanying digitalpictures are much appreciated.

This newsletter is published twice ayear in July and November.

Articles are required two months priorto publication.

We cannot guarantee that all articlessubmitted will be published.

Send your articles toPam Eves:

pandbsarumcottage@tiscali.co.uk

Liz Owen:liz_owen20@hotmail.com

Roulade of S

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Tickets are £24.50 per person

15

Taunton Civic Society visits Sidmouth

Around the South West there are a large number of civic societies. Theywork with great zeal to protect and conserve their heritage and

countryside, and we are the richer for it. Some of these meet regularly to shareboth frustrations common to many of them, and solutions some have found.They look at the pressures caused by government targets to build more flatsand houses, the need to protect verdant countryside from propertydevelopers, and the conservation required to sustain historical heritage towns.

The SVA is a member of the South West Association of Civic Societies. Afellow member is Taunton Civic Society, which asked if it could visit us inSidmouth. They asked to meet with members and see for themselves whatthe oldest civic society in Britain (the SVA), had achieved over the last 163years. They arrived in September on a day of clear blue skies and warmsunshine. Their programme commenced with refreshments provided by ourSocial Committee in the Methodist Church Hall, and a welcome from Hon.Secretary Alan Darrant.

The party split into two groups which visited Margaret’s Meadow, and were metby Patrick Stubbs (Chairman, Woodlands & Estates) and his volunteers. Theysaw how the Association’s woods and grasslands are being managed, andvisited the Golden Copse. Then they walked through the Byes where they metour River Warden Mike Flynn. He described how, (with others), he monitorsthe state of the River Sid, its banks and pollution; and how we engage in a ‘fishrescue’ to enable migrating fish to spawn in higher levels. In the afternoon, ourMuseum team led by curator Dr. Bob Symes, took the parties on our standardweekly walks around Sidmouth. Also on a tour of Sidmouth’s heritage in theMuseum.

Fran Pitt of Taunton C.S. said “Allthe comments . . . have been morethan favourable. The walk alongthe river was so lovely and we wereblessed with glorious weather. Inow realise there is more to thetown than the shops and theesplanade! Many thanks to youand your team, each of whom did asplendid job: the refreshmentswere much appreciated, and thecomplicated arrangements wentwithout a hitch.”

My thanks to everyone who helped to make this visit a great success!Handel Bennett, Chairman

Museum Walk round Sidmouth led by Mike Till© F Pitt

16

Mr Richard Henry Wood and his wife ElizabethHatton Wood ~ Benefactors of Sidmouth

The Woods were the couple who purchased for us what was then known asFort House, now Kennaway House. They were millionaires of their day

and in their short stay in Sidmouth ~10 years ~ they did a great deal of goodfor the town. Much of which, we are still the beneficiaries of.

So who were the Woods?

When I first became involved with the Church House project in 2005 I becameaware of Mr and Mrs Wood due to the huge deed copy in our office and thismarble plaque above the door. But I was puzzled that nothing else was known.I looked in the excellent Blue Plaque book produced by the Sid ValeAssociation and written by Julia Creeke and was delighted to read about theWoods under the Belmont House heading and Church House. Thanks to JuliaCreeke, I was able to see that they had come from Rugby as they had foundedthe Hospital of St Cross. I contacted the library and of course the Woods arewell known there as the library and museum were their gift, besides thehospital. So begins the story…

Mr and Mrs Wood came to Sidmouth in December 1896 and moved into theirhome in Belmont (now the hotel). They moved to Sidmouth because of MrsWood’s delicate health, as Sidmouth was well known as a health resort andalready a popular retirement place for the wealthy. At this time they wouldhave been 74 and 77, so already elderly. On becoming acquainted withSidmouth life, Mrs Wood was concerned that the Parish Church did not havea place for social activities and visiting vicars and made it known to herhusband that she would like to purchase a property for that purpose. Also liketoday, society has always had an issue with youth and what to do with boredyoung men. In the Sidmouth Observer of the day there was often an article rethe problem of troublesome youth. She would have been aware of Fort Housebeing up for sale and on her sudden death of heart failure after breakfast on14th July 1904, her devoted husband worked hard to fulfil her wish.

It is not a common name in thehistory of Sidmouth and in fact likeso many people ~ I went in and outof Kennaway House without noticingthe marble plaque above the innerfront door ~ quite clearly saying TheChurch House ~ The gift of MrsHatton Wood of Belmont toSidmouth 1904. Kennaway House Entrance

17

It is recorded in the Sidmouth Observer 17th August 1904 that Mrs ElizabethWood of Belmont left £83,478 in cash!! A nice sum even today ~ so one canappreciate just how wealthy they were. Mr and Mrs Wood were considered thesecond biggest land owners in Sidmouth to the Manor. It is thereforesignificant to note that it was Mr Wood’s wish that the Trust be formed and theproperty of Fort House renamed ‘The Church House’ after his wife’s wishes inlife. Little did Mr Wood realise that by naming the house ‘The Church House’,by the end of WW1 most people would assume that the property belonged tothe Church of England, causing many funding problems that have lasted to thiscentury.

set up a trust fund to maintain the property. In theory this was to be achievedfrom the rents of Aurora and Barton Cottage which he purchased in 1906. Hehad left the property in excellent repair both inside and out and furnishedcompletely ~ a caretaker was put in charge from day one ~ the first being MrTrick. The Trustees of the Trust fund were to be people who lived within a 15mile radius, and the chair had to be the vicar of the Parish Church. The Parishrecords from 1915 to about mid 1990s are an excellent record of the life ofChurch House in the 20th Century.

Mr Wood died in April 1908 in his 90th year due to exhaustion, having caughta cold which then developed into pneumonia, after almost four years ofintensive work following out his wife’s dream of a Church House andpurchasing adjacent land for the benefit of the town. He gave Sidmouth theland that is now the putting green and he purchased the three acres from MrsScott of Blackmore Hall for meadow land that later became Blackmoregardens, bowling green and tennis courts. The Woods were wonderfulVictorian benefactors and Sidmouth gained from their purse not onlyBlackmore gardens, Kennaway House, but the Drill Hall, the first steam fireengine in 1902, and the window and font cover and steps in the ParishChurch.

Karen AllenHistory Researcher for Kennaway House

Mr Wood cared greatly about the history and heritageof his beloved England and used his wealth topurchase churches and buildings for the good ofsociety and to preserve the landscape. It was noted atthe opening of Church House in April 1906 by Sir JohnH Kennaway (Mary Kennaway’s grandfather) that thehouse had always been a great feature of Sidmouth,and if it had been pulled down to make way for rows ofmodern houses, it would have been a great loss to thetown.

Fort House had been up for sale for many years and inOctober 1905 he purchased the house for £3170 and Mr R H Wood

18

Minor Explorers in the Sid Valein the Nineteen Fifties

Although born and bred in the West Country – and with relatives living inDevon on the other side of the Exe – I did not set foot in the Sid Vale until

1957. After the Second World War I went to Worcestershire for nearly threedecades, then after a ten year sojourn near Bath, fate brought us to Sidmouthto live in 1985. Our first family holiday here was in September 1957, when werented a cottage for a fortnight, and enjoyed delightful weather. We had no carthen and came down by train.

In my young days in east Dorset I had been accustomed to sandy beaches anddouble tides. In 1957 there was no walkway to Jacob’s Ladder Beach, so it wasa case of tidal awareness if we wished to build a sandcastle. The Byes werethen a very quiet place and my small son – always a river lover – preferred tobe taken there, and armed with an empty jam jar on a piece of string, trawledthe Sid shallows for minnows. One or two unwary little fish would enter the jar,and after rapt inspection, were returned to their comrades. Kingfishersoccasionally darted past, and once at the beginning of our stay I glimpsed aPurple Emperor butterfly high in the branches of a group of oaks.

Sometimes we dedicated a morning or afternoon to minor explorations. Thesewere of no great distance and we relied on the ‘toastracks’ or Devon Generalbuses for our transport. However these outings were not without incident andthree episodes, well remembered, may be of interest, as reflections of local lifeat that time.

One sunny weekday morning we found ourselves in the Bickwell Valley. Wewent up towards Muttersmoor and noticed a signpost pointing to the publicfootpath across the golf course. There were no golfers to be seen, and weentered. I recollect that I had strolled on ahead slightly, having left the path(which I should not have done) and walked along by a tall hedge. The othershad stopped to look at a bush of fine rose hips. I had told them that rose hipshad been gathered by school children in wartime because they were neededto make rose hip syrup, rich in vitamin C.

Suddenly, from the other side of the hedge a voice said “Hello, darling!” severaltimes. Indignant at such unexpected familiarity I called my husband, whoparted the hedge branches and exclaimed “It’s just a garden aviary, with amynah bird!” For a few years in the fifties imported mynah birds became quitefashionable. The craze for them died out presumably, but I know little aboutaviary birds, talking or otherwise.