If you wanted to get out and about:
Unfortunately those on a tight budget might have to make do with being pulled by a goat.
Here is a miscellany of local places and people
EDITHMEAD
Photo at top of page, and below, dates unknown.
MIDDLE BURNHAM
Middle Burnham Farm with K. Knight (L) & C. Butt (R).
BERROW RD
Brunswick Terrace.
‘The Hall’, now the Community Centre
Entrance to Ellen’s Cottages & High Lighthouse, note benches opposite.
BERROW
Post Office, dates unknown.
Old cottage and church
Charles Pearson card, date unknown.
Paradise Farm and Dairy
Paradise Stores
BREAN
BREAN SANDS HOLIDAY RESORT
RECTORY RD
Henry Young and his men building Rectory Rd 1904.
THE GROVE
The large house known as ‘The Grove’ stood in extensive wooded grounds where the road Gardenhurst now runs, north of Rectory Rd. The house later became known as Hart House and during the early part of the 20th century was enlarged to become the Manor Hotel. The Rectory, to the south, later became known as Gardenhurst and served as a school. It eventually expanded to take in the Manor Hotel.
Map below is from o.s. 1844-88.
The area was developed for housing during the early years of the 20th century.
POPLE’S BUILDERS
ST ANN’S VILLA
One time home of Lord Cave and of John Saunders
The map shows the course of St Ann’s lane, leading between the high and low lighthouses, it is interesting to speculate whether this is a remnant of the course of the ancient River Siger. There is anecdotal evidence that trows would at one time land coal directly onto the beach near the low lighthouse and that it was transported to the road by a narrow gauge horse railway. Was this down St Ann’s Lane?
Low lighthouse from St Ann’s Lane
The Villa
Map (o.s. 1921- 43) showing the relative positions of St Ann’s Villa, Ellen’s Cottages, The Mount, The Towans and The Colony.
THE COLONY
This appears from the engraving to originally have been a handsome building. It is shown, in census information and trade directories from 1848 to 1939, to have been occupied by a series of families mostly of business owners, clergy, ‘gentry’ or other people of independent means. Occupants included John Prior Estlin (1866) brick manufacturer, merchant and member of the Local Board Committee (later of ‘Tregunter‘ and Marine House on the Esplanade).
The Colony Lodge, still standing on the Berrow Rd
LOVE LANE
At beginning of works for new road to the A38 (Queens Drive).
HARVEST HOME
Farm carts were decorated for the celebrations.
COX & COX REMOVALS
Cox & Cox had premises at the north end of Victoria St but their warehouse was near to the brewery on Highbridge Rd. Their wagons would no doubt have been a familiar site on the local roads.
BROWN BROTHERS
The Weston grocery company had a shop at No. 51 High St, Burnham during the first half of the 20th century. At one time, probably during World War I fuel shortages, they operated a fleet of gas powered delivery vehicles (see comment from Des Parsons below).
DELIVERIES
WEARE’S BAKERY
Weare’s shop was in Victoria St. Their delivery van is here seen making a delivery to ‘Osra’, the house on the corner ofGolf Links Road. The date is not known but the vehicle appears to be of 1920’s vintage.
DAWSON’S VICTORIA DAIRY
Dawson’s Dairy & Grocery occupied No 41 Victoria St in the early years of the 20th century
WEST HUNTSPILL
The Globe Hotel (now the Pimpernel, previously the Huntspill Arms and before that the Scarlet Pimpernel). The date is unknown but is sometime after 1916, when the Derham family took over the hotel for Holts Brewery (until 1949). The sign at right has a pendant marked R.A.O.B. which probably indicates a meeting place for the Royal Antediluvian Order of Buffaloes, a fraternal organisation started in 1822.
Below: charabanc excursion at the Crossways Inn.
P.C. HILLMAN
Perambulating around and about one might no doubt have come across P.C. Hillman on his beat, but when???
Does anyone know more about this robust looking gentleman?
BOB’S ICES
This mobile business was run by a member of the Marchent family who ran bakery and tea-room businesses in Burnham for many years. It was the first to start up in Burnham after World War II.
The Brown Brothers Gas vans were converted to run on uncompressed “Town” or “Street” gas. This gas was available as a by product from turning coal into coke. Our local Burnham Gas Company (and Weston) probably supplied the gas for these vehicles, making the conversion worthwhile. Fuel was often in short supply during the war periods for obvious reasons. Vans and buses were more suited for the conversion because of the size of their roof. Cars were often converted but looked hideous with the large balloon on the roof, but what did it matter, there was a war on. These look like WW1 vehicles but many more were also converted and used during WW2. The Dutch, French and German’s also had their versions of gas vehicles. I am led to believe that 1 litre of fuel had to be replaced with 2-3 cubic metres of gas? Petrol engines would run easily on gas but Diesel engines still need diesel to start, then switch over to gas.
Thanks for the information Des. I have signposted in the text by the picture.