Cheriton Bishop Community Primary School

Snippets from the Classroom and Beyond

No W 62 September 2007

As seems to be the norm during the summer holiday period, I have decided to use some photos from around the village, only, this time, they are quite dated photos. This first one, on the left, was taken in about September 1972, some 6 years before the dual carriageway was opened past Cheriton Bishop. If the printing process allows any clarity, various landmarks and buildings are visible. Dabby Lane is intact past Patience’s house and the big oak inside the first field of the current Dabby Lane sits there in all its glory in the middle of the field. Venbridge Lane is intact with Horselake Farm to the left. Venbridge House, beyond, is where the doctor’s surgery used to be. Cottage Lawns is there but the rest of the Cottage grounds are intact. The Rectory is in use and the new rectory has yet to be built. The two bungalows between Sunnyvale and Fallow End are built but there is little further infill of buildings down what is now Church Lane. The Devon General bus used to come down into the village, turning at the top by Croft Cottages, to go back to the main road. 35 years changes a place considerably

Next photograph up is a fairly well known one of the Cross, Cheriton Cross. How things have changed. Beyond the cross at the top of Church Lane , the Old Council Houses can be seen across the field and across the main road is the ivy clad Old Toll House and the Methodist Church. They are on the other side of the A30!

Then there was the New Inn which stood at the “confluence”(?) of the Yeoford Road and Church Lane. As can be seen from this 1968 photo, the pub jutted out well into the A30. The porch of the Old Toll House can be seen on the left of the photo. The pub was knocked down under a road straightening scheme once the “Sir John Devenish” was completed. Now we look towards traffic calming schemes to slow the traffic down – had the pub been left as it was, it could have acted as such in the modern day. Such is progress.

The Sir John appears below. I think the recent alterations to the building have considerably improved the looks of the pub. Of course, there was no Hescane Park or Woodpecker Way in existence. Some would say that Hescane Park was a suburban development dropped into the countryside. They are probably right. There were two garages at Cheriton Cross; Moorlands where SAS are situated, and Checkers garage where Chestnut Close is. The advent of the dual carriageway in 1978 saw to a drop in trade for them leading, ultimately, to closure.

In the meantime, the Post Office had come from Ash’s Tenements, down in the village opposite the Church, up to Checkers at Cheriton Cross and street lights, those symbols of urban development, had made an appearance down Church Lane.

Now we have “The Mulberry” with its scarlet parasols. I know quite a number of people don’t like them but are they really that bad? Don’t they bring a welcome splash of colour to the road past the cross. Cheriton Bishop is hardly the “Country Village” of yore.

Back to the school and the diary for next term:-

5^th September – Autumn Term Starts.

22^nd-26^th October – Half Term

14^th December – Carol Service – St Mary’s Church – 2pm

17^th December – Children’s Christmas Parties

18^th December – Pantomime, Northcott Theatre – Cinderella – Whole School

18^th December – Autumn Term Ends

I hope all the parentage and children have had a super summer holiday period and are primed ready for the fray that starts on 5^th September.

PGR