Before I drove over to the village of Weare Giffard, I made a detour, going north from Torrington toward Bideford on A386. A few minutes away from town I turned right into the driveway for Beam House. This is a private driveway, but you can pull into a layby before the bridge. I walked onto it (used to be the former Rolle Canal Aqueduct across the Torridge) and got this fantastic view of the old railway bridge (now cycle path and Tarka Trail crossing).
No wonder Henry Williamson was inspired to set his otter story here! Now, back to Torrington and turning left at the church on School Lane.
This pleasant drive led me downhill and into a tree tunnel.
Weare Giffard is one of the most strung-out villages I have seen. It's nestled between the River and the hills along more than a mile of country lane. I drove past at least four distinct sections of the village--the tree-tunnel side here, the pub section (Cyder Presse), the part of the village near the church, and the far north end by the Halfpenny Bridge (below).
Instead of crossing the Halfpenny Bridge, I turned right by the red postbox in the wall. Notice the "VR" which tells us this postbox has not been replaced since the days of Victoria Regis (Queen Victoria)! One massive change that will come across Britain is that when Queen Elizabeth dies and is succeeded, her heir will have his initials placed on all the postboxes that currently say "ER". The last time this occurred was in the 1950's. Now on to Allspill Farm, where Henry Brinsmead and his famous brother John were born.
This is the house which we currently believe was the family home, because of the limekilns on the property.
The river-side of the house. You can see this by walking along the fence, which is a public footpath.
On my right I saw the dark cave-like openings of the lime kilns, where quicklime was made from local limestone, and sold down the river in Bideford.
This stream next to the limekilns was where the family kept a boat to load up with quicklime for transportation down the river. (historical research done by Andy Sims)
Not sure what this is, but since the river rose and fell with the tides (this close to the ocean) I'm guessing it's where a gate or lock used to be, in order to keep the stream dammed up for reliable boat-loading of the lime.
The River Torridge, at low tide
Here along the river it is quiet, and the air is briny; seagulls fly nearby and occasional splashes in the water signal the presence of fish. Are otters nearby, surreptitiously swimming right under my nose?
The field behind the house, almost certainly farmland belonging to the Brinsmead farm at Allspill.
This small building looks older than the house, but appearances can be deceiving. The old houses (if made of stone) are often covered in later material to preserve them or make them more weatherproof.
I enjoyed walking in the footsteps of my forefather, wondering what he thought of his surroundings, and if he yearned for the busy artisan community at Torrington, Exeter, and even London, where he migrated to begin his piano manufacturing company in 1834? Did he ever miss Devonshire? Or did he see it as a boring, backwater dead-end? It is almost as rural now as it was then; cars and tractors have come, but the shape of the land and the remoteness is still visceral.
As for me, I love this land. I retraced my steps to the Weare Giffard village church...
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