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No. 45

Spring 2013 Journal of the Ottery St. Mary Heritage Society Including... FROM THE CHAIRMAN

Operation Pied Piper Trustees SOS The members’ meeting programme A year ago, I emphasised the for 2013 started off in grand style. At importance of recruiting new Trustees the January 8 meeting, guest speaker who will bring new energy and a John Brasier’s talk was entitled fresh approach to the running of the “Operation Pied Piper”; it took his Society. It will soon be fourteen years audience back to the dark days of the since our inaugural meeting, and some East Devon History Workshop on Second World War and the mass of our leaders, who have been with us Cider and Orchards p3. evacuation of children from areas at since the start, feel that the time is risk from aerial attack in 1939. John’s now appropriate to step down. story was fascinating. As a nine-year- old child, he was himself an evacuee Chris Saunders resigned as Hon and spoke about his own experiences Secretary at last year’s AGM, and to when he and his younger brother date we have been unable to find a were hurriedly packed onto a train replacement for this vital role. Our with thousands of other youngsters – treasurer, Jim Woolley, is looking to destination unknown! step down at the next AGM (at present we do have someone who The attendance, however, was would eventually take up this post) – disappointing – little more than half and please bear in mind that for some our usual audience, which was a great time we have been looking for a New The long struggle for a playing pity. I’m confident that members will Chairman! field in Ottery St. Mary p7 rally for future meetings – Sylvia Wainwright has arranged an We need to broaden the base of interesting and varied programme for members’ responsibilities for running the rest of the year. certain aspects of the organisation, and we appeal for people to step forward. Membership We do have a strong committee at present, but we must not allow it to A huge thank you to everyone who stagnate – please give this some renewed their subscriptions so serious thought in the coming weeks. promptly, it helps to keep our administration costs to a minimum. Outings 2013 Membership numbers have remained Your committee are in the process of Lines in the landscape - constant – end of year figures show selecting venues for outings later in looking further afield. current membership of 199. Flemish Chimney in St Florence (photo: Humphrey Bolton, wikimedia Commons) Letters, articles or any other submissions to the Journal can be emailed to www.otteryheritage.org.uk [email protected]

1 Forthcoming Events Editorial Unless otherwise noted, all the Society's meetings are A prolific report from our Chairman in this edition of held in the Institute, Yonder Street, Ottery St. Mary. the Journal has shrunk the field of play for your 2013 editor’s customary historical circumlocutions. Briefly • 19th March 2013 (Tuesday) 7.30 pm then... Geology, Landscape & Scenery in SE Devon Dr Malcolm Hart Movement over the flood plain by the course of the • 16th April 2013 river Otter, which usually happens at a sedate and What did Women Do All Day unremarkable pace, has been whipped into near frenzy Dr Jane Whittle by the extravagant amounts of rain falling over the • 20th April 2013 past year. Take a trip over Cadhay Bridge and look DHS conference hosted by OSMHS 10am - 10.30: Registration / Tea / Coffee north. The sweep of the river towards the old crossing 10.30 - 10.40: Welcome and Introductions keepers cottage is now truly astonishing - completely 10.40 - 11.20: Betty Williams, “Thackeray and Larkbeare” 11.20 - 12.00: Richard Coley, “History of Ottery’s parish Church departing from its old course and looking set shortly 12.00 - 12.40: Chris Wakefield, “Landscape and History” to claw its way into the railway embankment. 12.40 - 2.00: LUNCH 2.00 - 3.30: Guided tour of Historic Ottery and (or) guided tour of Parish Church including briefings on the College of Canons and The same has happened a short way south of the town poet and philosopher Samuel Taylor Coleridge where the railway embankment, (now the footpath - 3.30 0 4.00: Afternoon Tea with scone / biscuits due to earlier wanderings of the river) is under siege 4.00pm Close OSMHS Members must book with DHS if they wish to attend from an ever more adjacent torrent. (contact Robert Neal or Chris Saunders - tel nos below). The meeting is free. Lunch, Tea and Coffee - £8.50 per person. Tea and I mention this because here’s a rare chance to witness coffee only £2 per person. a dramatic change in the environment without the • 21st May 2013 least inclination or hope or wish to take any action in Devon Inns response, beyond making a note of it. Robert Hesketh • 18th June 2013 Chris Wakefield AGM followed by Your Place in History - an opportunity for audience participation! Colin Dean ...from the Chairman. cont from page 1 • 16th July 2013 the year, so please let us have your suggestions for historic Subject to be confirmed places to visit. Chris Wakefield • 17th September 2013 The Old Cinema Powderham Castle Felicity Harper The old Ottery Cinema in Jesu Street has received a new lease of life. It is now a furniture shop trading as ‘The Stock • 15th October 2013 Exchange’, so whilst you’re looking at what they have on West Country Byways offer, you can also view what was once the cinema Lucy Channon auditorium, where the silver screen entertained countless • 19th November 2013 Ottregians with ‘moving pictures’ over a period of forty Devon Building Stones years. A Heritage Blue Plaque was recently unveiled to Stuart Blaylock commemorate the building’s former use – more details in the next edition of the Journal. Heritage Society Trustees Hon Chairman Robert Neal 813686 Devon History Society Acting Hon Secretary Chris Saunders 812962 Hon Treasurer Jim Woolley 812176 We have been invited to host the Devon History Society Hazel Abley members’ meeting, which will be held in the Institute on Vaughan Glanville 812628 John Pilsworth 812737 Saturday April 20th. Three of our members, Betty Williams, Chris Wakefield 815262 Richard Coley and Chris Wakefield will be guest speakers Betty Williams 814044 at this event. We shall be looking for volunteers to help Oliver Wilson 813021 with refreshments and also to escort delegates on guided Co-opted members tours of ‘Historic Ottery’ during the afternoon. Anyone Membership Sec. post vacant - see p8 Meetings Secretary Sylvia Wainwright 813041 keen to be involved please contact me on 01404 813686. Articles or letters can be emailed to the Journal at [email protected] Robert Neal www.otteryheritage.org.uk

2 The East Devon Local History: Cider Workshop

The East Devon History group farms. Then with the advent of meeting (reported in the last railways cider became an export Journal), had some interesting industry from the Westcountry and by output on orchards. Vaughan the early twentieth century most Glanville has collected together Westcountry cider went to the some of the detail concerning growing cities and throughout the Empire. East Devon Farmer, Phil Pile, the cider making industry, and (now deceased) told me of the times added a few of his own when as a young man with his father recollections. while on the family farm at Talaton he Chris Woodruff told us that the area would take, “Several Hogsheads” of had been chosen as part of an English cider by horse and cart to Ottery St. There is much local interest in the cider Heritage project to produce Historic Mary Railway Station each week for a industry which used to employ many people tavern in London. Mrs. Burrough, in East Devon. Whiteways of Whimple were a Environment Action Plans (HEAPs). family run firm that was in production from The aim is to add a historic from the Whimple Heritage Society, 1892 to 1987. emphasized the importance Whiteways Image courtesy of www.historyworld.co.uk (excellent environmental dimension to existing site! - Ed) landscape maps. Concrete proposals Cyder Company played in East Devon. She told of the occasion when seeking rough cider as an experience are now ready, and he will bring the or challenging gift. East Devon Local History Workshop in the 1950’s as a young lady on up to date on these and the question holiday in the Far East she stayed in The group concluded that while the of how local history and heritage an hotel and asked for a Babycham end of 20th century rang the death societies might contribute by only to find it was from Whiteways of knell of our traditional orchards, the submitting local maps information and Whimple! By the 1960’s the majority New Millennium may yet see them personal accounts collected over the of the farm cider apples were being rise again but in a different form as a years. The various groups from the taken to the Whiteways factory. leisure drink. towns and villages will then submit By the end of the 1970’s the decline their work which will then be made Mrs. Burrough expressed the hope in the local cider industry was that a sympathetic tax regime would into a map characterising East Devon accelerating at a rapid rate. There were through the ages. be introduced to encourage the many reasons, the main one being the reintroduction of commercial Presentations were given by Margaret Common Agricultural Policy. Farmers orchards. It was also felt that Burrough (A personal account of the were being paid excessive subsidies to community orchards have a part to Whimple apple orchards), Sue and grub out their orchards and hedges in play in sustaining orchards for the Trevor Dymond (produced detailed order to add to the grain and butter future. A local example is the percentage figures showing the rise mountains. Then the British public Sustainable Ottery Group which has and decline of orchards in this area started taking their holidays across the taken over the use of an orchard at through the ages drawn from the channel and started a new relationship, Blacklake Farm on East Hill. They various local survey maps made at replacing their glass of cider on a intend to have community events such different periods of our history). There summer’s evening with a bottle of as pruning, picking and importantly, was also a detailed presentation from wine. The import of foreign apples pressing the apples for cider or apple the Woodbury Heritage Society and juice, together with building juice. Unfortunately 2012 was a poor showing the decline of orchards in development, (an example being in year for all fruit and the entire apple and around Woodbury from hundreds Whimple itself), has only added to the crop only amounted to four apples! of acres to just six acres today. Other pressure on our remaining orchards. But this could be a bumper year if the talks included speakers from The introduction of farm machinery weather stays clement during blossom Branscombe, Beer and Exmouth. and drink/drive laws while in charge time. Hopefully some of you have of machinery on pubic highways also interesting memories of the hey day of The general conclusion was that the put an end to the consumption of local cider making. Any articles and original cider industry was driven by cider on the farm. Modern farm photos on this subject will be the agricultural way of life and machinery led to the demise of the welcome. governed by local need. Cider was traditional farm worker and the need drunk by all agricultural workers and for cider disappeared completely apart became part of their wages on many from the few gate sales to tourists Vaughan Glanville

3 Landscape history is an Open Field Ottery’s field system tells us something important, but what is it?

A few days after a talk I gave to members but is none the less recognised as Figs 1). (below) The Landsker in 1901. The last March on the significance of landscape identifiable in the landscape, with Welsh boundary is not a physical one, but it is studies for historical research, I had a note speakers to the north and English speakers recognised locally as having a fairly well from Ruth Brown who lives in South to the south, facing each other across a defined geographical presence. It moves about Wales. Not that my repute stretches that ‘frontier zone’ of anything from 3 to 10Km as dictated by cultural change. (from wikipedia) far; it was merely that she was staying in width. The placenames are also divided Fig 2). (Bottom of page): The placenames locally and came along to the meeting for into Anglo Saxon style names in the containing “-ton”. The superabundance in lack of more fruitful distraction. Her note “English” area, which are entirely absent Devon has spread over the water to the fringes requested more information on the word over the “border” (see Fig 2 for the of South Wales. Map from Keith Briggs’ “landscore” which appears in Ottery’s dominant ‘-ton’ names). website http://keithbriggs.info/ Charter of 1061 (not as you would expect, in reference to Landscore Lane which I had noticed the unusual “-ton” forms the parish boundary northeast of distribution in my preparation for the talk Alfington village, but as the marker on East and I assumed that this reflected a further Hill for the start of an old division of the aspect of the more general westwards parish into north and south parts). spread of English influence in the 6th to 8th centuries. I have no reason to change My attention was drawn to the term that view - although there are alternatives. “Landsker” which, I learned, is a cultural A summary scan of some internet sources boundary dividing two distinct on the topic suggest that the Little England communities on the southern Welsh coastal colony took root after the Norman territory in Pembrokeshire: one “English” accession., but the evidence points more, I and the other “Welsh”. The English area is believe, to an earlier establishment and I known as Little England beyond Wales. and hope in the following to draw some the ‘boundary’ dividing it from the rest of introductory thoughts together to support Wales is not marked in any physical way

4 that view, and make one or two speculative suggestions along the way.

The appearance of English placenames in the southernmost reaches of Wales is most logically explained as a seaborne incursion from North Devon across the Bristol Channel to the most available southern Welsh territories as a further movement of the general westward push of immigrant English settlement. Travel by sea was easier and quicker than the overland route, and especially so in the case of the journey from lands on the east of the Severn to the settlement sites in Pembrokeshire, if ever that was considered an option by English colonists.

If the Normans were responsible for Little England it might be expected that the spread of ownership and new infrastructure redeployed from elsewhere in England to Fig 3). (above): The coaxial field pattern of into Pembrokeshire which followed the stimulate the woollen industry. But there is Manobier parish in Pembrokeshire. (Google maps) invasion of 1066 will show some congruity little supporting evidence of a Flemish cultural legacy. “Flemish Chimneys” are a with the Landsker. That’s not the case Fig 4), (below): Extent of Norman Castle however (see Fig 4) On the other hand it possible exception - an interesting building in Pembrokeshire (wikipedia). may be that the extent of Norman architectural feature, although not vastly influence reflected in their castle buildings, different to those found on some 15th and Fig 5). (bottom of page, left): Field pattern shows an extended area of English 16th century farmhouses in Devon (see south of Ottery St Mary 1843 (courtesy East influence already existing in the 11th photo on front cover). There may have Devon AONB) been a small scale influx of Flemish century, which has since been reduced Fig 6). (bottom of page, right): Field pattern at from the north, and places renamed, by the craftsmen but this would most probably Cosheston, Pembrokeshire Welsh. have been in the 14th and 15th centuries too late and unlikely to have produced the Early Norman influence in Wales was abundant Anglo Saxon placenames. established in ‘frontier’ areas where there was a plausible pre-existing English claim - A new angle on the age of the English the Welsh Marches and along the south settlements might be sought in the field Wales coast. These areas became the most patterns that accompany them. A much densely castellated area of the UK lengthier article is needed to make a full reflecting the significance of these frontier description of these features and the zones where English and Welsh interests problems associated with this aspect of collided. Taken together it looks very much landscape history, but it is immediately clear as if the Normans were moving into an that the parallel arrangement of long strip already Anglicised countryside on arrival in shaped fields is a prominent feature south 11th century Pembrokeshire. of the Landsker and far less so north of it. In one case there is a striking similarity Another story has the English area settled between the settlement pattern of Ottery by Flemish weavers - immigrants St Mary and that of Cocheston in

5 Pembrokeshire (see figs 5 and 6 previous page). It is too large a leap to assume a common provenance on this basis alone Robin Stanes but with the placename evidence in The death of Robin Stanes in mid January is support, a little more study may reveal an a matter of great sadness - for his family, of 8th or 9th century English landscape course - but also for anyone in Devon who dominant in this area. cares for local history

The Manorbier field pattern is an unusual Robin set out to become a historian, and went to Oxford in 1941 to do just that, but example of the ‘strip field’ genus, and has left in 1942 to join the Royal Naval Volunteer much in common, in appearance at least, Reserve to help out with the war effort, with the reaves on Holne Moor and service which included time on the infamous elsewhere on Dartmoor’s eastern fringe. Artic convoys to Russia. Returning to Oxford These have been discussed at length by after the war, he was still driven by immediate concerns about the future of the who wanted to share his pleasure in history Andrew Fleming in a widely known and country, and switched his course to as widely as he could. lengthy investigation that suggested they Agriculture in order to be able to help with were the result of a global revision of the the post war recovery. I can’t claim close acquaintance with him, landscape in the 2nd millenium BC. but I met Robin a number of times, In 1952 he bought Scarswell farm in Slapton beginning in the early 1980s on East Devon Fleming’s evidence has subsequently been in South Devon, and began life as a farmer, CND marches when he championed the closely scrutinised, and the jury is now discovering history all around him, even in cause of history in the face of nuclear back out on the provenance of the reaves, the new ‘cutting edge’ farming techniques he annihilation with his unique placard so it is hardly ground-breaking to suggest had learned at Oxford (which turned out to “Historians Demand No End of History”. be centuries old standard practise in Devon). He was an honourary life member of there may be a match with Manorbier. I Even as a full time farmer, it was difficult for OSMHS and our guest speaker on a couple hasten to add that I haven’t looked at all him to resist some rekindling of historical of occasions, when he held forth on the the the literature critical of Dr Fleming’s activities. Prayer Book Rebellion and the English Civil position (or read the new edition of his War, both of these from notes that occupied, ‘reaves’ book) so I can’t set out a more For fifteen years he tried to combine farming I recall, a scrap of paper the size of a post-it and history, but eventually the farming had to sticker. I also had a couple of extended considered view, but the prospect is a be left behind, with considerable regret I discussions with him in 2008 about the tempting one, and the ease of surveying the suspect. Although history became his life, he preparations for and results of our modern landscape in Google Maps gives an never lost the kinship and interest he felt for archaeological investigation at Goveton immediate way into this kind of research, the Devon farming community. As recently Farm. When I got up to leave at the end of as 2005, with hands-on farming forty years the second of these sessions, I thanked him even if a more resiliant outcome often behind him, he could write in the for making time for me. “That’s alright” he requires much additional historical research. introduction to ‘Old Farming Days”: replied “ I love history, and I love talking The similarity of appearance might point about it. Come again!”. to either a survival of a Bronze age field “Like so many farmers before me, I have ploughed system into the modern period, or a and harrowed, spread dung, sown grass and kale There are plenty of people who have similar seed from a fiddle, cut hay stooked corn, made ricks tales. Ask for help and you get it. On one different age for the reaves. and thrashed them and shifted many thousands of occasion he said “you have to DO history as bales and struggled with heavy sacks of barley. I well as read about it” and if you were trying The difficulty of distinguishing and have dug sheep out of snowdrifts, tended lambing to do it, he would offer and unconditional defining the variety of shapes and patterns eyes at midnight in winter and delivered entangled helping hand. That was Robin’s trademark - which are described by the terms ‘open’, lambs and calves. I have had cows and sheep die he wanted to collaborate, for the sake of the on me without warning. I have been knocked for history - nothing else. That philosophy set ‘subdivided’, ‘co-axial’ and so on has not six by a newly calved heiffer, and once I had to the tone and is still the driving force at DHS been properly tackled yet. There are restrain an angry Jersey Bull by his nose ring for - its 40th anniversary celebratory publication considerable variations among the forms of an hour or so. This is what farmers have been says as much. surviving ridge and furrow, and even doing for centuries and they still do it today; it is not just a job, it is a way of life” I am not properly qualified to offer a full greater variation it seems among enclosures appreciation of Robin’s own work as a presumed to have had open field origins, of In the mid 1960s, having rediscovered his historian, but I suggest the following. If you which Ottery offers an example. The true metier, the rest of his life is... well... study Devon local and landscape history, you picture is a complex one (well there’s a history. He went into teaching, doing his cannot avoid W G Hoskins and Harold Fox; surprise) and variations to suit local own local historical research, publishing his two Devonians who tower over the work and promoting the cause of local discipline. Although I’m sure he would resist customs of tenure, topography and history in Devon. the idea, I think Robin should be agriculture must all have played a role. The remembered as being of equal stature. His easy part of solving this question is offering This last is worthy of a closer look. It was closely textured appreciation of the daily a view on how to do it. The hard part is our great good fortune that Robin came to realities of farming, set out so lucidly in his Devon to farm in 1952 and fell in love with books and articles, should be clearly in mind the inexorable slog through mountains of its romantic landscapes and its distinctive while reading the work of the other two. data, which, with new technology, is history, much of it characterised by cultural Brilliant though they were, neither Hoskins possible but still requires the work of many dislocation from the rest of the country. At nor Fox were farmers, and their hands. the same time he found it lacking a county pronouncements on farming matters will wide body fostering research into that history inevitably suffer as a result. The issue of strip fields, their appearance, - a situation he set about rectifying. The passing of a historian is a double loss. locations and origins, has been around That proved to be easier said than done and We lose the person and we lose the history since the early years of the last century it took many years of work before the they haven’t been able to tell us. Robin when H.L. Gray published his “English Devonshire Association could be persuaded Stanes’ legacy is substantial though - a series Field Systems” (1915). Speculation that local history would be better served by a of thoughtful and absorbing publications and new and different kind of organisation which an organisation to move local history continues on this topic (cf. this article!) but would operate along different lines and forward in the way that Robin thought it the evidence, although compelling in attract different people. It would also have a should - as a shared enterprise in which certain instances, is still lacking in fine stronger educational role, which reached everyone contributes what they can and detail, and has not yet found its silver outwards to recruit new supporters doing everyone benefits from the outcome. bullet. new local historical work. The DHS, I believe, is Robin’s crowning Chris Wakefield Chris Wakefield glory and fitting testimony for a historian

6 The Battle for the Land of Canaan

The current upsurge in concern over development in and around Ottery is nothing new. If we look back just a few years into local history, we find the same scenario - local people fighting the bureaucrats to achieve something worthwhile for their community.

Our story of Ottery’s ‘Land of Canaan’ begins with this photograph (right), taken c.1906 in Silver Street, Ottery. The London Inn and the Devon & Cornwall Bank (now Lloyds TSB) are on the right of the picture. Where the NatWest bank stands today is the shop-front of Manleys printers, and we see the owner Edward Manley on the steps with his infant daughter Mary Choral Society. His committees, and by the 1970s she and Dorothy, who would grow up to granddaughter Valerie Venner was also Peter had become founder-members become the mother of Valerie Venner. a member for many years. of ‘The Amenities Association’, an action group which was to play a Valerie remembered her grandfather After a life-time of service to the huge part in the acquisition of the Edward Manley telling her that from community, Valerie passed away in Land of Canaan as a recreation area the late 1890s he, and other local 2011. for the town. worthies and businessmen, Her husband, Peter, recalls playing By the mid 1970s, this field was ripe campaigned for many years to acquire games with his young pals on the land land at the end of Hind Street as a for development. It was acquired by at the end of Hind Street in the 1930s. Devon County Council who planned recreation field and Public Park for The field was popular with youngsters the town. to develop part of it as a much- who more or less adopted it as their needed car park. The rest of the land No one can be sure exactly when this recreation area. There was no other was earmarked for social housing. area first became known as the biblical facility within the town for children’s ‘promised land’, the ‘land of Canaan’. games, and many townsfolk felt it Was the town about to lose its The name appears in an indenture of would be the ideal place for a public promised land after all? park. 1756, but is probably much older than Not if the Amenities Association had that. There is mention of it in Dalton’s It was owned by the Coleridge family anything to do with it! book on the College as one of the who rented it to a local butcher. He sites for the two annual fairs held in was not over-fond of the young By 1977 revised plans, supported by Ottery (the other was at Paradise). trespassers who, when they spotted East Devon Council, proposed selling These were medieval in origin. him approaching, would quickly 1.9 acres for housing development, 0.4 scarper across the mill stream until it acres for a car-park, plus a small area What we do know is that from the of mainly flooded land for public turn of the last century until his death was safe to return. In fact, the name in 1935, Edward Manley, together with ‘Land of Canaan’ became meaningless fellow businessmen, initiated clubs and to generations of youngsters who had organisations for the wellbeing of the tagged this popular plot ‘landy-canon.’ Letters, articles or any other people of Ottery. During those years, Valerie and Peter continued the family submissions to the Journal can be there was hardly a fete, concert or tradition, devoting their lives for the social event which was not linked to betterment of Ottery.Valerie was a emailed to the name E. J. Manley. In 1904 he was Town Councillor for some years, [email protected] a founder member of the Ottery St sitting on a number of steering

7 amenity. Again the locals voiced their anger about the plans, yet within months new plans were announced to sell to a private developer. The Amenities Association became the pressure group within the town to rescue the Land of Canaan from proposed housing development. Petitions were signed, letters addressed to the local MP, numerous council meetings were held at local, district, county and regional level – which in turn generated mountains of correspondence. Argument and counter-argument identified a need for a children’s playground close to the town centre, against a strong case for the much needed housing. There was dismay amongst many at the potential loss of the town’s park land, which needed to be weighed against the requirement Photo: Edward J. Manley. As his printing and stationery business prospered, Edward moved to for a medical centre to serve the wider larger premises further down Silver Street. He died in 1935, a highly respected Ottregian and community, plus the urgent need for a lifetime campaigner for ‘The Land of Canaan’. The newsagents shop still carried the name ‘Manleys’ until very recently. purpose-built fire station. system to alleviate a growing traffic 1984 had built their new medical There was also the problem of access problem. centre with open-plan reception and to the new development which could waiting areas, seven consulting and only be approached via the Square What of the battle to rescue the examination rooms, separate and Hind Street. The earlier ‘promised land’ for the people of demolition of the Five Bells pub in Ottery? In the end common sense accommodation for nurses and health Mill Street, close to Raleigh House, prevailed. Thanks in no small way to a visitors, and with its own car park. had opened up the prospect of a link huge amount of public pressure co- Ottery’s Retained Firemen have their road through to Hind Street across the ordinated by the Amenities fire station which houses their Land of Canaan with its planned car Association, the hard-fought campaign park. was successful. appliance, training and recreation facilities, and their own vehicle park. Both Mill Street and Hind Street A new Coleridge Medical Centre in carried two-way traffic at this time, Canaan Way is a testament to the The town has its long-stay car park, and the new link road to be known as determination of five doctors in the tree-lined and expertly landscaped, ‘Canaan Way’ would present the Ottery practice. They purchased their and has achieved at last its long- town’s first opportunity for a one-way portion of the ‘promised land’ and by awaited Public Park which now provides a landscaped open amenity space for relaxation, contemplation of Gerard Coleridge Anthony Deeming poetic splendour on Coleridge’s We are sorry to record the passing of We are saddened by the news that ‘Tony’ Poetry Stones and at the far end in a Gerard Coleridge, for some years a Deeming has passed away; he was a loyal quiet corner of their ‘promised land’, a member of the Society, and a direct member of the Society who regularly Children’s Recreation and Play Area descendant of Samuel Taylor Coleridge. attended our meetings and functions He had been unwell for some time. We until he fell ill some months ago. The for the safe, supervised, enjoyment of send our deepest sympathy to his wife funeral service took place at St our young persons. Lila and family, and to his sister Anthony’s church, Ottery, on Wednesday Rosemary Middleton, a long time January 16. We send our deepest Mission accomplished! member and keen supporter of Ottery sympathy to his wife Sandra and their Heritage. family. ROBERT NEAL

Articles or letters to the editor can be posted to Chris Wakefield, “Melbury” Longdogs Lane, Ottery St Mary EX11 1HX or emailed to [email protected]. Published by The Ottery St Mary Heritage Society. Printed by John Gaffney Design and Print, Ottery St. Mary tel 01404 815111

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