From the old rec

Once upon a time, the recreation field in Market Lavington was behind what is now Shires Close. This view is taken from that field.

Market Lavington from the old recreation ground on The Spring

Our caption tells us that this was before the garage was built. But of course, the garage, built in about 1967, is now long gone itself and the houses of Shires Close stand there. But let’s take a look at what we have got in the picture.

Grove Farm

This is the Grove Farmhouse which, for many years was the home of the Francis family. Amongst other activities they milked cows and had a milk round – buckets and bicycle style – in the village.

Grove Farm has vanished under the Grove Farm estate and the Community Hall now stands just in front of where the farm house once stood.

St Mary’s Church – unchanging over the years (unless you look at older photos and sketches).  The area in the foreground of this part of the photo was once occupied by mobile classrooms for Market Lavington School and is now occupied by a pair of houses.

St Mary’s Church

Meadow Cottage

Meadow Cottage is still in place and looks much the same except that the thatched roof is now tiled. This was the birthplace, back in 1921, of our museum founder, Peggy Gye although, of course, she was Peggy Welch then. We can just see one corner of our museum, peeping between Meadow Cottage and the church.

We don’t have a date for this photo but the complete absence of TV aerials makes us think it is actually pre 1953. But maybe somebody out there can advise us with more accuracy.

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Tags: 1950s, church, cottage, farm, Market Lavington, The Spring