St George's Church, in Church Road, Georgeham

(Courtesy R. L. Knight Collection)

Captioned on the back: 'Arty's, before it became a shop'. This is at the bottom of Rock Hill, and became a village shop, butchers and Post Office, run by Arty Thomas (or Arty Brooking, as HW called him in his writings). It has now been converted back to a private house. It was Arty who, with his pony and jingle (or trap), first brought HW to Georgeham from Braunton railway station in May 1914. It was from Arty, too, that HW bought the field at Ox's Cross, where he built his Writing Hut.

Looking up Chapel Street. Now a private residence known as 'Millie's Cottage',

in previous times this building has been variously Church House (the church is

just behind it), where beer was brewed and sold, the profit going to the church;

the Victoria Inn, one of several village pubs; and in the 1960s and '70s Millie's

Tea Rooms. Artie's house is just up the road on the right.

Loetitia captioned this: '? The cattle shippen mentioned in [HW's story] "Life of

the Stream"'.

A view of the village

(Courtesy R. L. Knight Collection)

Vale House/Crowberry Cottage, where Tarka the Otter was written, on the left,

with Billy Goldsworthy's barn adjoining, centre. Photo dated c. 1938.

Vale House, centre right; Hole Farm is on the left, while Billy Goldsworthy's

barn is on the right. c. 1960s?

A later view of Crowberry Cottage, replastered and with new roof, windows

and porch. c. 1980s?

Croyde, or 'Cryde' as HW called it in his writings

(Courtesy R. L. Knight Collection)

Captioned on the back: 'Blacksmith Gammon

at Forge, G'Ham, 1927'

Charlie and Mrs Ovey, outside

the Lower House

Clibbet Thomas, 50 years the village sexton

and part-time postman

(Courtesy of Peter Lewis)

Captioned: '"Clubfoot", G'Ham, 1927'. This is William 'Thunderbolt' Gammon

(HW gives him the name of 'Carter'), who lived next door to his cousin Bill

Gammon ('Revvy Carter') in the terrace of three thatched cottages below the

church. Thunderbolt was a derivation of 'Vanderbilt' as he was reputed to be

rich; according to Cecil Parsons (grandson of Grannie Parsons), he was also

known as 'Pumplefoot'.

Percy Ireland – almost certainly the model for

'Sailor' Zeale. He served in the Royal Navy in the

First World War, and was recalled during the

Second World War.

                         (Courtesy of Tony Evans)

These two photographs of Granny Parsons were taken by Margaret Kemp Welch. HW writes of her in The

Village Book as 'peeping out of the door of her cottage like a jenny wren out of its nest'.

                                                                                     (Courtesy of Tony Evans)

Jim Gammon, Revvy Gammon's father

(Courtesy of Alan Willey)

Elsie and Bill ('Revvy') Gammon stand outside Skirr Cottage in the aftermath

of the flood in June 1931. Their three children are (left to right) Madge, Megan

and Ernie, all of whom appear in the 'Village' books.

                                                        (Courtesy of Alan Willey)

HW in the Rock Inn (Higher House), in the mid 1950s, talking to Willy

Gammon, nicknamed 'Brownie'. Brownie's portrait, showing him sitting in this

same corner, hung in the Rock Inn for many years, and may still do so.