{"id":19761,"date":"2022-01-20T10:41:16","date_gmt":"2022-01-20T15:41:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alanskeoch.ca\/?p=19761"},"modified":"2022-01-20T10:44:19","modified_gmt":"2022-01-20T15:44:19","slug":"episode-515-lower-wooton-farm-16th-century-herefordshire-england-cyril-and-nancy-grffiths-1960-and-1965","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alanskeoch.ca\/?p=19761","title":{"rendered":"EPISODE 515 LOWER WOOTON FARM, 16TH CENTURY, HEREFORDSHIRE, ENGLAND (CYRIL AND NANCY GRFFITHS 1960 AND 1965)"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Note: I feel this story is a little too ego centred\u2026.i.e. family history\u2026but there could<\/div>\n
be universal interest because it captures a place and a time that is long gone.<\/div>\n

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EPISODE  515   LOWER WOOTON FARM, 16TH CENTURY, HEREFORDSHIRE, ENGLAND (CYRIL AND NANCY GRIFFITHS 1960 AND 1965)<\/p>\n


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alanskeoch<\/div>\n
Jan. 18, 2022<\/div>\n

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Nancy and Cyril Griffiths in 1960<\/div>\n

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FINDING EYWOOD  IN 1960   ALONE<\/div>\n

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A stroke of good luck happened in Sept. 1950 as I stood befuddled on the rail platform in Hereford,<\/div>\n
England.  I had no idea where Lower Wooton Farm was located.  None whatever.  All I had was<\/div>\n
the name of the farm and the name of the farmer\u2026Cyril Griffiths.<\/div>\n

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A decent bank manager noticed my confusion and asked if he could help me.  By then the platform<\/div>\n
was empty.<\/div>\n

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\u201cYes, have you ever heard of Lower Wooton Farm?\u201d<\/div>\n
\u201cIndeed, yes, Cyril and Nancy Griffiths are the farmers.  I am the<\/div>\n
local bank manager.\u201d<\/div>\n
\u201cIs Lower Wooton Farm nearby?\u201d<\/div>\n
\u201cNo, it is some distance away.  Near Kington.  Can I give you a lift?\u201d<\/div>\n

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And so we drove down narrow country lanes with high hedges on each side.<\/div>\n
Roads for carts and horses in ancient times.  Single lane most of the way.<\/div>\n

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right to left: David, Nancy, Cyril Griffiths, Poly seated, unknown guest on right.  1960<\/div>\n

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\u201cHere we are.\u201d<\/div>\n
\u201cWhat a beautiful house\u2026ancient.\u201d<\/div>\n
\u201c16th century\u2026designated\u2026owned by local county council\u2026rented.\u201d<\/div>\n

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And all the stories you have read about Eywood, gardening, Capability Brown, Edward Freeman\u2026owe<\/div>\n
much to that bank manager\u2019s kindness.  And, of course, the warm greeting I received in 1960 from the Griffiths<\/div>\n
family who seemed to know more about me than I knew about them because my grandmother, Louisa<\/div>\n
Freeman, had been sending letters back and forth for decades.  Letters were sent to Polly who was either a distant<\/div>\n
relative or somehow connected with Eywood Court when it was a grand county house rather than a pile<\/div>\n
of smashed up bricks with the stubs of wall standing as if in an abandoned cemetery.<\/div>\n

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So today our story features LOWER WOOTON FARM\u2026full of life and joy on my first visit in 1960 and<\/div>\n
my second visit in 1965 when Marjorie, my brother Eric and I dropped in.<\/div>\n

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RETURN TO EYWOOD IN 1965\u2026WITH MARJORIE AND ERIC SKEOCH<\/div>\n

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WE decided to return to Eywood in 1965.  By then I was happily married to<\/div>\n
Marjorie and both my brother and I were teaching history at Parkdale Collegiate<\/div>\n
which meant we had free time in the summer of 1965.   For some silly reason <\/div>\n
I believed the propaganda that it was possible to tour England \u2018On Five Dollars<\/div>\n
a Day\u2019\u2026a belief that was false but we managed OK.<\/div>\n

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One of our first purchases at the Portobello Road Antique Market in London<\/div>\n
were these two bowler hats (below).  Some character behind a loose board fence<\/div>\n
offered us the bowlers for five or ten bucks each.   We bought them.  Mine had Harold McMillan\u2019s<\/div>\n
initials inside.  Stolen?  Maybe.  Made us Begin to <\/div>\n
look like British toffs.<\/div>\n

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Bowler hats were no use to us the moment we turned in to Lower Wooton<\/div>\n
Farm.<\/div>\n

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\u201cAlan, Eric… just in time \u2026 I need help with a cow\u2026.breached birth.\u201d<\/div>\n
\u201cTime to change clothes?\u201d<\/div>\n
\u201cNo time for that\u2026could lose the calf.,,,I\u2019ll reach inside and attached the rope.\u201d<\/div>\n
\u201cWhere should we be?\u201d<\/div>\n
\u201cWhere the rope ends.  Pull when I say\u2026pull steady and firm\u2026do not jerk the rope\u201d\u201d<\/div>\n
\u201cTimed to her contractions.\u201d<\/div>\n
\u201cYes,  Pull, now\u2026slow and steady\u2026.she will help.\u201d<\/div>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s coming\u2026feet first\u2026.not good.\u201d<\/div>\n

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\u201cBOOM!  Out came the calf.   Once clear of the cow the<\/div>\n
calf and afterbirth flew through the air and landed on<\/div>\n
Eric ..his only set of good clothes.<\/div>\n

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I can\u2019t remember whether the calf lived or died.  I think it was dead<\/div>\n
but that happened a long time ago\u202657 years ago.<\/div>\n

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Eric Skeoch and Cyril Griffiths moving loose straw to make room for wagon load of bailed hay.  The calf landed about<\/div>\n
where Eric is standing.  We now know how to handle breached births just like the vet in Creatures Great and Small by Harriott.<\/div>\n

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Wwe lived well in Herefordshire\u2026.not sure this was taken at Lower Wooton Farm..may<\/div>\n
have been taken in the kennedy house in Ireland.  No matter.  Marjorie\u2019s smile is indicative<\/div>\n
of just how we awee received in both England and Ireland.<\/div>\n

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This ram believed he was a cow.  When it was time for milking he wandered into the dairy barn and lined up<\/div>\n
with the cows.  Cyril gently led him out.<\/div>\n

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EPISODE  515   LOWER WOOTON FARM, 16TH CENTURY, HEREFORDSHIRE, ENGLAND (CYRIL AND NANCY GRFFITHS 1960 AND 1965)<\/div>\n

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Marjorie in 1965 petting the ram who thought he was a ow\u2026and nuzzled by the Welsh pony who <\/div>\n
was also a member of the family.<\/div>\n

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Two chickens had their lives shortened\u2026Marjorie and Nancy plucking feathers.  Note taps\u2026.water system considered<\/div>\n
an ‘add on’ to 16th century house\u2026so pipes on surface. Floors all seemed to have angle to them\u2026not flat.  Charming house.<\/div>\n

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Cyril and Nancy Griffiths on my first visit in 1960.   Nancy trained border collies for shepherds\u2026dogs responded to her voice\u2026rounded<\/div>\n
up sheep.  We went to several dog rials which were amazing.  The dogs were smarter than most humans, including ourselves.<\/div>\n
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This was the farm the Griffiths had rented from the estate\u2026when sold they <\/div>\n
moved to Lower Wooton Farm\u2026much smaller but big enough for dairy cattle\u2026<\/div>\n

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This portly gentleman had just  visited Askrig where All Creatures Great and Small was filmed.<\/div>\n
He was hoping to be hired as an \u2018extra\u2019 to give mood to the movie set.  No deal.<\/div>\n
He regrets he was not present when Eywood was sold back in1954. Photo was taken beside<\/div>\n
farm barn at Lower Wooton Farm\u2026really Alan Skeoch but looks like a local person I think…<\/div>\n

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In the 1960\u2019s and 1970\u2019s the Griffiths family farmed Lower Wooton Farm snd lived<\/div>\n
in this 17th century building which had to be kept looking as ;if it had stepped out of the past.<\/div>\n
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The Royal George \u2026 a pub in tiny village of Lyonshall was once home to the Freeman family\u202610 kids\u2026not a happy time it seems.<\/div>\n
A few years ago Found a post card sent from Canada to Freeman boys and girls\u2026granddad urged<\/div>\n
them all to come to Canada just to get away from their father.  Granddad loved his <\/div>\n
mother but did not have a good word to say about father.  Enough said.  Chris, Cliff and Anna all migrated to Toronto, Canada,  Others<\/div>\n
remained and are unknown to us now.<\/div>\n
(see progeny pic in next episode if you wish)<\/div>\n

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St Peter\u2019s church\u2026centre of Titley Village at entrance to Eywood\u2026historic<\/div>\n

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The Gardener\u2019s cottage where mom, Elsie Freeman was born in 1901\u2026house came with job of being<\/div>\n
head gardener.   Grandma and granddad lived in far less sumptuous homes in Canada.  Were they<\/div>\n
disappointed?  Never said so.<\/div>\n
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Tag in Eywood Gardens \u2026.nectarines planted by Edward Freeman\u2026espalier system.<\/div>\n

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Percy, may have been the little boy in picture of gardeners\u2026.bought walled gardens at sale\u2026gave us a giant clay flower pot<\/div>\n
which we brought to Canada as oversize luggage.<\/div>\n
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Nancy Griffith’s pony\u2026.best not to make comment<\/div>\n

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Dairy herd\u2026.not Cyril\u2019s but herd we met on a farm lane near Cyril home.<\/div>\n

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Terrible story of young woman whose death was associated with illegitimate birth of child\u2026I forget the exact circumstances<\/div>\n
which are incised into the tombstone.   If you have time you might decipher…<\/div>\n

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Another shot \u2026different year at Eywood Gardens<\/div>\n

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My favourite picture of the gardens at Eywood Court\u2026gardener\u2019s cottage, glass house attached to bricked garden wall,  decorative<\/div>\n
plantings gone a bit wild,  small kitchen garden nicely weeded.<\/div>\n
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Cyril Griffiths\u2026always made us feel wanted.  We visited Eywood several times at closing years of 20th century.  always a joy.<\/div>\n
Just looking in Cyril\u2019s eyes eveals how warmly we always received.<\/div>\n

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Next story will overlap with this story\u2026.focus on head gardener Edward Freeman, my<\/div>\n
grandfather who I never really knew until he was gone.<\/div>\n

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The story may remind you of your own grandparents.  <\/div>\n

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alan<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Note: I feel this story is a little too ego centred\u2026.i.e. family history\u2026but there could be universal interest because it captures a place and a time that is long gone. EPISODE  515   LOWER WOOTON FARM, 16TH CENTURY, HEREFORDSHIRE, ENGLAND (CYRIL AND NANCY GRIFFITHS 1960 AND 1965) alanskeoch Jan. 18, 2022 Nancy and Cyril Griffiths […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-19761","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/alanskeoch.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19761","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/alanskeoch.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/alanskeoch.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alanskeoch.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alanskeoch.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=19761"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/alanskeoch.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19761\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/alanskeoch.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=19761"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alanskeoch.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=19761"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alanskeoch.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=19761"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}