Holford – Quantock Views

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“The Orchard”, by the Bowling Green and now(2013) replaced by a modern eco-house with the same name. Photographer Miss V M Grandfield

The Bowling Green, with “Bowling Green Cottage” mid picture, then “The Orchard” (the original and part hidden in the trees) and the small tower visible in the background became a popular tea room and is now…

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The Plough Hotel and (in the background) “Ford Cottage”, looking along the main road (A39 in 2016) north towards Minehead.

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The smithy and The Plough Hotel, on the A39.

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The waterfall in Holford Glen.

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Gate to the vicarage on the left, then “Briar Cottage”, “The Firs” and (in the background) “Quantock House”. “Winsor’s Farm”, which was then a tea room, on the right.

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The Plough Hotel and the smithy with Ernest Browning, the blacksmith, and a customer. The smithy was worked by the Browning family for five generations from the end of the 18th century to the mid 20th…

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Church of St. Mary Magdalene, Holford

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A watercolour from the Bowling Green towards what is now the car park and showing the ‘clump’ above.

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Holford parish church from the east end. Picture dated from the white memorial stone in the foreground.

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The ‘clump’ (of Scots pines) with the “Glenside” garden wall to the left and the wall around ‘silk mills’ to the right. Looking south west. There are several similar small groups of pines on the Quantocks…

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Holford Bowling Green with “Bowling Green Cottage” just visible on the left.

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Ponies on Holford Bowling Green. Until the new stock fence was installed (about 2011) the sheep and ponies on the hills had open access to the village and out onto the A39 road.

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The site that became the Bowling Green car park. “Hare Knap Cottage” is visible in the background.

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The site that became the Bowling Green car park.

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View of the Bowling Green showing “Bowling Green Cottage” in the foreground and the predecessor to “Hodderscombe Lodge” beyond.

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The annual roundup of Commoner’s ponies crossing the Bowling Green. “Glen Hayes” is now (2017) called “Mares Pool”.

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View towards the main road (A39) with “Winsors Farm” on the right and “Quantock House” straight down the lane.

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“Winsors Farm”. Originally a thatched farmhouse.

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The very small cottage on the left is “Briar Cottage” with “The Ferns” just beyond. “Winsors Farm” is on the right.

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“The Rectory” in Holford. The building is now divided into two dwellings, “The Old Rectory” and “Church End”.

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Holford Church from the eastern end.

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Eastern end of St Mary Magdalen Church

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Holford parish church. Note the white painted render which was later removed.

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St Mary Magdelen church, Holford, after the white render had been removed.

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Ancient cross in the churchyard of Holford Parish Church

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Parish church of St Mary Magdelen

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View along the A39 towards Kilve, with the Plough Inn on the left and “Ford Cottage” visible straight ahead.

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View of the Plough Inn on the A39 with the end of “Forge Cottage” on the left.

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A meeting of the Quantock Staghounds starting at the Plough Hotel

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The Plough Hotel on the main road. The small white building to the right of the hotel was the hotel stables. The man in the image is believed to be Mr Henry W Pollard.

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The Plough Hotel (now Inn) on the main A39 road. The sign, to the right of the building, reads W H Griffiths, Burnham, Celebrated Ales.

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The Plough Hotel on the main road.

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A hand-coloured postcard of a meet of the West Somerset Foxhounds at the Plough Hotel.

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A view of the smithy with the Plough Hotel behind and “Ford Cottage” further along the main A39 road.

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The Forge and Plough Inn on the A39.

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View up ‘Front Lane’ from the main road, with “Forge Cottage” on the right and the village shop (next to the garage) on the left. The Plough would be to the right of the photographer.

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‘Holford Glen Garage’ and shop on the main A39 road. The garage was demolished in 2002 and replaced with new housing.

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‘Holford Glen Garage’ and shop on the main A39 road. The garage was demolished in 2002 and replaced with new housing.

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“Forge Cottage” and the car park of the Plough Inn which is now the garden.

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The Plough Hotel with the car park (now the garden) on the left and “Ford Cottage” in the distance.

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View up ‘Front Lane’ with “Forge Cottage” on the right.

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The petrol station on the main A39 road.

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A postcard using a print (?) of Holford church by V (“Lettie”) A Dickinson who lived at “Weavers Cottage”.

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Inside Holford church.

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View of “Quantock House” in ‘Front Lane’.

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A view down ‘Front Lane’ towards the main A39 road and “Forge Cottage”, before bungalows were built on the left.

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A view down ‘Back Lane’ towards the main A39 road with Glen Cottage the first cottage on the left.

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“Glen Cottage” in ‘Back Lane’. The Glen is on the left, at the bottom of the garden.

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Houses in Green Close, built in 2002.

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Houses in Green Close, built in 2002.

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Portway Lane with Green close to the right.

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Renovations to “Glen Cottage” in ‘Back Lane’.

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“Kilton Cottages” were four cottages, in Portway, built for agricultural labourers on a strip of land which led from the main part of Kilton parish up into the hills. Thus, although in the village of Holford,…

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The smithy was demolished and is now (2004) part of the pub car park. The cottage remains as “Forge Cottage”.

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St Mary’s church.

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Thatched cottages have a charm of their own, but fire is always a big risk. This fire at Ford Cottage, in Holford was the result of an electrical fault in the roof. The owner was woken…

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Thatched Cottages have a charm of their own, but fire is always a big risk. This fire at Ford Cottage, in Holford was the result of an electrical fault in the roof. Fortunately the damage was…

GE0079

Aerial oblique photograph with the A39 running through the lower third of the image and Holford Village. The photograph is looking in a south westerly direction and shows Longstone and Hodders Combe in the background

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A view of Holford from near the church, with “Winsors Farm” on the right and what is now “The Firs” on the left.

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A view looking down from Lower Hare Knap, at the thatched cottages and (right) the “Hare Knap Cottages” (now Lady Charles House).

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A view down from Lower Hare Knap. The white cottage in the background is “Whistlers Hollow” (once the post office) with ‘Stowey Lane’ behind (leading over the hill to the A39).

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View down from Lower Hare Knap.

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Mr & Mrs Pollard with their children, chauffeur and, presumably new, car outside The Plough Hotel. They lived at Kilton.

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The garage at Holford.

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Ford Cottage on the main road (A39) at Holford, opposite Portway.

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An aerial view looking seaward from Holford in a north east direction. The nearest cluster of building is “Ge-Mare Farm” with “Moorhouse Farm” and its caravan park off to the right. The other houses (above “GE-Mare”)…

GE0092

St. Mary’s Church.

GE0093

Now The Plough Inn, looking north towards Kilve.

GE0094

Looking north along the main road with “Ford Cottage” in the distance.

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The lych gate to St Mary’s Church.

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View with the church behind and looking towards Winsors Farm on the right and “Quantock House” where the road disappears.

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Holford Village

GE0098

Fire damaged cottage in Holford

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The Silk Mills wall (to the right) and sign post in Holford.

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Snow on the thatched cottages in Holford on 03 March 2018. The Bowling Green is behind the photographer.

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St Mary’s Church, Holford.

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The original thatched cottages, now “Brookside” and “Glenside” (2005). These cottages were burnt to the ground in 1996 and (as listed buildings) subsequently rebuilt. One of the cottages is believed to have been “The Fox and…

GF0002

Picture taken from Lower Hare Knap looking down on the area of the triangle. Note the absence of “Copse Cottage” to the left of these houses. The small cottage behind “Longstone” (on the right) is now…

GF0003

Picture of the triangle area taken from Lower Hare Knap showing the thatched cottages, “Copse Cottage” (left), “Whistler’s Hollow” (white cottage at the back and the “Hare Knap Cottages” now “Lady Charles’ House” (2016) on the…

GF0004

‘Triangle’ area taken from Lower Hare Knap (looking NE) and showing the ‘clump’ (of Scots Pine trees), the thatched cottages, “Lee Cottage”, “The Cottage” and Ramblers”.

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Holford Combe from above Combe House Hotel and showing “Garden Reach” which was later demolished and replaced with a house of the same name, in the foreground. Beyond that are “Bourne Cottage” and “Bourne Stream”.

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Cottages in Holford Combe, including “Bourne Cottage”, “Bourne Stream” and “Brackenside”

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“Whistler’s Hollow” by the triangle in Holford, when it was the village post office.

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The thatched cottages, “Glenside” and “Brookside”near the ‘triangle’. Entry to “Copse Cottage” on the left.

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Combe House Hotel, with Lower Hare Knap behind. Shows the tennis court (new?) and, on the right hand end of the building a wooden shed where a new wing was later added.

GF0016

Combe House Hotel showing the tennis court and a garage on the left which is now “Dove Cottage”. Initially “Dove Cottage” was probably a ventilated drying house for the tannery skins, rather than a dovecote as…

GF0019

View of Holford from Lower Hare Knap showing “Heathercot”, “Brackenside” and “Bourne Stream”

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A man standing above “White Cottage” with the orchard below and “Whistler’s Hollow” the white cottage in the background.

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Aview of Lower Hare Knap with Higher Hare Knap to the left. The house towards the right is “White Cottage” and the one towards the left, with a double roof is “The Spinney” which was once…

GF0058

“White Cottage” in Holford Combe with Lower Hare Knap behind.

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“Lee Cottage”, “The Cottage” and “Ramblers” on the right and the back of “Glenside” and “Brookside” on the left

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“Honeymead”. Before this photo was taken, this house had been the village post office.

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Although the emphasis of this picture is on the white building, the modern (2004) building called “The Lodge” is the rather strange stone building on the left, which at some point after this photo had another…

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The modern (2004) building called “The Lodge” is the rather strange stone building on the left. At some point after this photo the left end of this building was added to so that it met the…

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“The Lodge” after it had been modified and modernised from the rather strange building with a small tower at the right hand end.

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A hand coloured photo of “Whistlers Hollow” on the ‘triangle’ at the bottom of ‘stowey lane’. It was the village post office at that time.

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“Ramblers” in Holford, taken from the ‘triangle’.

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“Ramblers” taken from the ‘triangle’.

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View towards the main road, with “Lady Charles House” on the left and the ‘triangle’ on the right. “Ramblers” is straight ahead. Note that at this time the ‘triangle’ had both a flag pole and an…

GF0070

A view of the ‘triangle’ from the bottom of ‘Stowey Lane’. Houses on the right are Hare Knap Cottages (now “Lady Charles House”), “Longstone” and “The Lodge”. The building on the left is now (2017) a…

GF0071

View of the ‘triangle’. Note shell on plinth, but without a flagpole, and the garage in front of “Longstone”

GF0072

View from ‘Stowey Lane’ towards the ‘triangle’ with the ‘clump’ (scots pine group) and “Hare Knap Cottage” on Lower Hare Knap.

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View of the ‘triangle’ showing “Hare Knap Cottages” (now “Lady Charles House”) “Longstone” and “The Lodge”. Both the ‘clump’ (extreme right) and the second group of scots pines can be seen on Lower Hare Knap. Note…

GF0074

View from ‘Stowey Lane’ towards Lower Hare Knap and with Longstone Hill in the background.

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View down to the ‘triangle’ which had a flagpole and an artillery shell on a plinth.

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A view showing “Brookside” on the left and the two “Hare Knap Cottages” in the centre.

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Thatched cottages in Holford.

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A hunting party by the thatched cottages.The wall on the right which is above the Glen is still (2017) sometimes referred to as the ‘factory wall’. This is believed to be after the silk mills and…

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The thatched cottages (now “Glenside” and “Brookside”) with two young children. The wall on the right is sometimes called the ‘factory wall’.

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A view of the thatched cottages with signs for “Teas & Homemade Cakes” (in “Glenside”?) and for the Holford Youth Hostel. These original cottages were severely damaged by a thatch fire in the early 1990’s.

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The original thatched cottages in Holford.

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The thatched cottages

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Picture showing thatched cottage on the left and “Hare Knap Cottages” (now “Lady Charles House” 2014) left of centre.

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A hand coloured postcard of the thatched cottages.

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The thatched cottages in Holford

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The thatched cottages in Holford. The entry to “Copse Cottage” can be seen on the left.

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The thatched cottages in Holford. The stream on the left was was an open drain for the cottages in Holford Combe which crossed the road, into the Glen, somewhere behind the photographer. Note the absence of…

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The thatched cottages in Holford

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A view of the thatched cottages in Holford, with a distant car and a man who appears to be a chauffeur.

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A view of the ‘triangle’ in Holford from ‘stowey lane’. The house on the right is “Whistlers Hollow”. Note the flagpole on the ‘triangle’.

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“Bourne Stream”, left and centre, and “Bourne Cottage”.

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View down from Lower Hare Knap showing “Brookside” (thatched), “Ramblers” and “Lady Charles House” (front right).

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View down on the ‘triangle’ area of Holford. Note the new looking “Copse Cottage” on the far left.

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View of the four thatched cottages which were burnt down in the 1990’s. They were replaced with just two cottage, “Glenside” and “Brookside”.

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This view clearly shows that there were four thatched cottages (with a rather worn thatch). They must have been very small inside.

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A view of the four attached, thatched, cottages from Lower Hare Knap. The message from the sender gives an interesting insight into the tourist industry in a small Somerset village at the end of World War…

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A view of ‘The Triangle’ at the bottom of Holford Combe, showing “Longstone” (grey roof) and “Hare Knap Cottage” (now called “Lady Charles House”) with Lady Charles standing at the gate.

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An aerial view looking in a southerly direction with part of the village of Holford is in the bottom left corner. The white building near the centre of the photo is Combe House Hotel (in Holford…

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A view looking north, with the church in the foreground and the village hall (on the A39) just visible behind the hedge to the right of centre.

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A view of Holford from ‘Stowey Lane’ with the church in the foreground and the A39 and village hall to the right.

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An aerial view showing almost all of the village of Holford. The road is the A39 leading to Kilve off to the right. The cluster of buildings just left of the orchard is “Woodlands Barton”.