Near and Farr

• Frank Farr

Eighty-eight–year-old Frank Farr is a familiar face in East Budleigh. Apart from 1939-45, when he was in the army, he has lived and worked in the village all his life. Over the years, Frank has jotted down memories of what village life was like during the past century, and over the coming months he will be writing about his recollections for your Journal .

AFTER Lady Rolle passed away in 1885, for short time Bicton house, land and shooting rights were let to an American millionaire call McMilland.

He brought dozens of servants with him - he was a very stout gentleman and used to sit in a pony and trap when he went shooting, while someone held the pony’s head.

Lord Rolle had built some fine buildings including farm houses, cottages and barns on the land.

My aunt lived in Flint Lodge on the estate and was paid one shilling and six pence a week to feed the ducks on the lake, and the same amount again to open the gates to let horses and carriages in and out of the drive.

There were more than 100 deer in the parkland, and each year they were culled by the gamekeeper.

The carcasses were then taken to the slaughterhouse to be skinned and dressed, and much of the meat was given to people in the parishes of Colaton Raleigh, Otterton, East Budleigh and Yettington, while the skins were sent away to be cured.

I remember a party was thrown in honour of the late Lord and Lady Clinton’s golden wedding anniversary, which went on for three days. Guests included Sir Winston Churchill and his wife - staff and residents of the surrounding villages were all invited.

Nearly everyone in the villages kept chickens, geese and some even had bee hives to make honey.

There were always horses and carts going up and down the village, and at that time there were 15 different shops in East Budleigh, and they all made a good living.

Now there are none at all.

The population of the village in the 1920s and 30s was about 850 people, and the shops were also meeting places were people would have a chat and catch up on news.

Today it’s a dead village.

The blacksmiths were always busy, their anvils ringing from 7am to 7pm every day.

The late Lord Clinton‘s smithy is still there today.

It was a happy village and you knew that everyone from the bottom to the top.

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