110 Things to do in the

area whilst on Holiday

Readers Gallery Your photos and memories

Camping HolidaysOutdoor holidays in the area

Woolacombe & Mortehoe Voice

A magazine for all those who love this beautiful coastline

Steve PPLocal artist Steve shares

his love of the area and the inspiration for his work

Issue 1 March 2015

Mortehoe War MemorialThe People Behind the Names

Lee BayPicturesque walks

2CONTENTS4 - 7 Woolacombe An introduction to Woolacombe by Sarah Prankerd. Sarah looks at the development of the area, and how it has become the place we know and love today.

8 - 9 Steve PP Artist Steve PP talks about his work and the coastline that he loves to paint.

10 - 13 The People Behind the Names Every issue will look at another of the names engraved on the Mortehoe War Memorial. We look at the family, and lives ofthosewhogavetheirlifeinthefirstWorldWar.Inthisissue wefindoutmoreabouttheHillbrothersandthesistertheyleft behind.

14 My Mortehoe, My Woolacombe Dawn Fitzgerald tells us what this beautiful place means to her, and shares a selection of her favourite photographs. 15 Alexia Miles North Devon based photographer Alexia Miles writes about her photography and capturing memories with each picture.

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3WelcomeWelcome to the first edition of Woolacombe & Mortehoe Voice. The magazine dedicated to anyone who has a place in their heart for this beautiful stretch of North Devon coastline.

Thisisourfirstedition,andweareveryexcited.Thefirstissueisasamplemagazineandwewelcomeallfeedback,and ideas regarding this, and any future issues. The magazine has been created from a love of Woolacombe and Mortehoe.Itisamazinghowmanypeopleyouspeaktowhohavefondmemoriesoffamilyholidays,weekendsawaywith friends, time growing up or living here. We hope this magazine encapsulates this.

We want you, the reader, to be an intergral part of this magazine, so please share photographs, stories and memories withus.Eachissuewillhavespecificfeatures,whichwehope,youwillcontributeto,andmakethiswellandtrulyabout the people who love this area.

OurfirstissuelooksatthehistoryofWoolacombe,andthepartitplayedintheD-DaylandingsduringWorldWar2.WelookatThePeoplebehindtheNamesontheMortehoeWarmemorial,andfurtherafieldwevisitthesleepylittlevillage of Lee Bay. All of this, along with ideas of what to do in the area. We meet local artist Steve PP who tells us about his love of the area and the inspiration for his artwork, and photographer Alexia Miles who tells us that she likes to capture memories in her photography.We hope all of this will keep you occupied!!

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16 - 17 Things to do on Holiday Stuck for things to do on holiday in the area? Look at our handy guide of things to do and places to visit.

18 - 21 Readers Gallery A wonderful selection of our readers photographs, from ourFacebook,TwitterandInstagramsites.Holidaysnaps, professional photographs, special memories we would love to see them all!

22 - 23 Lee Bay We take a walk around the picturesque village of Lee Bay.

24 - 27 Camping Camping can be a great way to spend a holiday with family or a group of friends. We take a look at some of the local campsites, and the essentials for a great camping holiday.

28 Keep in Touch Ourmagazinereliesonourreaderscontributions,findouthow you can keep in touch with us.

29 Puzzles

Happy ReadingLorna Weston (editor)

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4Woolacombewritten by Sarah Prankerd

photos by Lorna Weston

When you live in an area you often forget the breathtaking scenery and natural beauty that surrounds you. Living in Devon we have it in abundance, with the added bonus of fantastic beaches close by. With the daily grind it is easy to forget the spectacular landscape around us. The 3 mile stretch of golden sands that is Woolacombe beach was recently voted by Tripadvisor as the second best beach in the UK, and 7th in Europe.

Woolacombe is steeped in history a typical Edwardian/Victorian coastal resort town dominated by large villa stylehousesandgrandhotels,itwasfirstrecordedintheDomesdaybookasWolnecoma,literallymeaningWolvesValley. At the time the valley was thickly wooded and presumably wolves could be found. There were no inhabitants living in Woolacombe at the time of the Domesday survey in 1086 even the parish of Mortehoe was little more than a single farm.

Woolacombe Tracey, the medieval manor, is shown on the site of Woolacombe Farm on early ordinance survey maps, and medieval rubble has been found near this site supporting the possibility. Woolacombe Tracey was the seat of the Tracey family, Sir William de Tracey was said to have lived here after his involvement in the murder of Thomas a Becket in 1170.

5The 1840s Tithe map for Mortehoe Parish shows Woolacombe as a small cluster of buildings located around the Beach Road junction with Sandy Lane. Some distance to the east could be found two settlements of similar size, being east Woolacombe and Over Woolacombe. At this time there was no development along the shoreline and Woolacombe was only a modest village or large hamlet having no church of its own.

TheCastleHotelistheonlylistedbuildingwithintheWoolacombe conservation area. Originally built as a private residence and built to resemble a Gothic folly as a castellated mansion, constructed of snecked rubble stone and ashlar dressings. The building is both grand and imposing, being located above The Esplanade and its gothic revival architecture is of high quality and design.

In the 1880s a Barnstaple architect, Arnold Thorne, laid out Woolacombe for development as a coastal resort. Plots of land were set out and leased to individual developers for periods of 99 years by the Chichester Estate. The development grew at a slow pace, the seafront along the Esplanade being mainly a row of Victorian and Edwardian villas, with a rapid period of building from 1890, when maps show the Esplanade devoid of buildings, to 1905 when the shoreline frontage is mainly as it is today.

6The main landscape features are clearly the beach and the two headlands, Morte Point and Baggy Point, which frame its sands. The beach is visible from the vast majority of points in the village and an increasing number of people gettheirfirstlookatWoolacombefrom the various paths and trails (including the Tarka Trail and the South West Coast path) which runs through Woolacombe from north to south. As such views from Potters HilloutoverWoolacombeareimportant from the south, and the path out to Morte Point at the north.

Several buildings within the conservation area were constructed bytheChichesterEstate,Hartlandhousewasusedasanestateofficefor several years and the next door ParadeHousewasbuiltforDameRosalie Chichester as a summer residence in 1890.

The Woolacombe Bay Hotel

Oneofthemostsignificantand imposing buildings in the village is the WoolacombeBayHotel.Thehotelwas constructed in 1887 when it appliedforitsfirstlicense,andwasinitially called the Shakespeare Hotel,althoughthismusthavebeenshort-livedasthebuildingislabelled as the Woolacombe Bay Hotelonthe1904OrdinanceSurveymap.PhotographsshowingtheHotelunder construction show how, at the time, it was surrounded by empty fieldsforsomedistance,highlightingjust how small Woolacombe was before the late 1800s and how speculative these developments were.

The hotel has enjoyed a long and colourful history, and much of its traditional charm still remains today.In1895,RosalieChichesterof Arlington Court granted tenancy ofTheWoolacombeBayHotelto Arnold Perret, who bought the tenancy in 1899.

By 1919 the resort in Woolacombe had all of the services you would expect to find,includingtwobanks,apostoffice,printers, golf course and 45 houses offering apartments of lodgings.

Like a number of British beaches Woolacombe Beach has always been privately owned, and when Lady Chichester died in 1949 it had been in her familys possession for over 800 years. On her death the Chichesters land in Woolacombe and Morethoe and the family estate at Arlington had been willed to the National Trust and the beach and surrounding land was purchased by Stanley Parkin, a family friend.

TheWoolacombeBayHotelwassoldtoCheltenhamBreweryin1932,and over the following nine years an extensive programme of renovation transformed the building.

John Phillips was a young boy living behindthehotelinthe1930s.Heremembers the waiters in their long tailed morning suits and the chefs in their hats of varying heights according totheirstatus!TheHotelhadaBoilerHousewhichhousedfourhugeboilers one was for central heating, two for the hot water and the other provided steam to the kitchen. Supervised by three men, they were not always attentive and consequently guests often went without hot water and the kitchen steam!

The gardens of the hotel were completely enclosed and supplied alotofproduceandflowersforthehotel-itwasalsowheretheyounglocal boys ended up playing football, much to the annoyance of the gardener, Mr Tom Sollis!

In1935MissCrowhurstwasthenew manager of the hotel and by 1939 the hotel had been enlarged to accommodate up to 180 residents, reflectingtheincreasednumberof tourists wishing to stay in Woolacombe in the heyday of Britishseasideresorts.Itwasatthis time that war was announced and the British army commandeered thehotel.Itbecamehometothe4th County of London Yeomanry, who were based in Woolacombe to protect from invasion.

World War II

marg on your bread and no more shop bought jam

A local boy, Brian Watts, remembers the day well Sunday 3rd September 1939 was a beautiful autumnal day. Meandering back up the path from Barricane beach he encountered his older brother Jack, running down to meet him. Tis terrible news, we are atwarwithGermany.Uponaskingwhat that meant he was given the reply marg on your bread and no moreshopboughtjam!

PicturedAbove:TheWoolacombeBayHotel.

7When the London Yeomanry arrived at the hotel John remembers three tanks rumbling past their house in Rosalie Terrace en route to Cowlers garage, which was located just behind the hotel. The sight and sound of these were pretty awesome for an 8 year old boy and the rest of the villagers, who couldnt understand why they were kept in the garage every night no one would have been able to steal them considering the infernal noise they made!

With the arrival of the troops barbed wire was stretched from one end of the beach to the other, 9 foot square posts were pile driven into the whole beach to stop aircraft landing, and tank obstacles were placed across the stream area. The beach toilets were converted into a machine gun post, trenches were dug everywhere and a 4.5 naval gun was positioned in the vegetable garden between Parade HouseonTheEsplanade.

The London Yeomanry were not in Woolacombe long as they were sent to take part in a disastrous operation in North Africa where they suffered the loss of many men. In1940theSouthernCommandWeapon Training School occupied the building and set up a gruelling assault course covering the whole valley.

InadditiontothearmytheRoyalAirForce carried out practices of bombing targets anchored out on the Bay. Not a day went by during the war when there were not explosions going off in Woolacombe.

The village, however, was extremely lucky in that on the15th August 1940 ithaditsfirstandonlybombingbytheGermans fortunately only resulting in the death of one cow (or unfortunately if you were that cow!).

As Woolacombe was deemed one of the safest places in the country, many evacuees from high risk areas were brought here. The majority of the evacuees came from Croydon in South London. Some complete schools were moved en masse Bartram Gables School took up residence at the nearby Watersmeet HotelinMortehoe,DagenhamGirlsSchool went to Belle View Guest HouseandThorntonHeathHighSchool resided at the Rockham Bay.

In1943theBritishArmyleftWoolacombe to make way for the American Army where they set up their AssaultTrainingCentreHeadquarters.Woolacombe Beach was used for amphibious infantry landing practice involving hundreds of small boats the longflatbeachandthesurroundinglandscapewerethoughttosufficientlyresemble Normandy to make this a realistic training environment.

The training for the Normandy landingsonD-DaysawWoolacombetaken over by the Americans with huge camps, and those who were in the area at the time will remember how much better off the Americans were, as the British had been short of the good things in life for some time.

The training for the Normandy landingsonD-DaysawWoolacombe taken over by the Americans with huge camps, and those who were in the area at the time will remember how much better off the Americans were, as the British had been short of the good things in life for some time.

The Americans arrived with everything including chewing gum, cigarettes, doughnuts, Brylcream, chocolate and Nylons making them very popular with the local ladies and children!

The locals had a phrase to describe theAmericans-overpaid,oversexedandoverhere!Nevertheless,theybecome very fond of them and very much appreciated their hard work and dedication towards winning the war. Some Americans and locals are still in touch today and a stone memorial was erected on GreenswardinWoolacombein1992to commemorate those who were here during the war. The soldiers remained in residence until the end of the war in May 1945 and the Woolacombe BayHotelwasboughtbyMrBertieJohnson.

The hotel was bought by the Lancaster family in 1978 and ran successfully by Roy and Rosemary until the year 2000,whentheirdaughterSallyreturned and took over the reins. Over the last 14 years Sally has taken the hotel to a new dimension, combining old world grandeur with new cutting edgedesign.In2010thehotelwasawarded four stars by the AA which is reflectedbyitsoutstandingbedrooms,bathrooms, spa, food, facilities and of course the most personal service in the area!

Picturedabove:WoolacombeBeachturnedintotrainingcampsduringWW2Pictured above: Woolacombe Beach during training exercises.

PicturedAbove:WW2Memorialdedicatedtosoliderswhoservedinthearea

"Painting the Outdoors with Passion" with Steve PP

Living on the coast in such a beautiful place can only inspire you.There is never a day that doesn't make me want to paint something that I see. Even scenes that seem the same to others, change daily , hourly, even to the receptive eye.I mostly paint outdoors on location in watercolours, painting fast and furiously to interpret the scene, before the light changes in an instant, and in this part of the world , that happens frequently.When you fall in love with a place , you need to see it in as many ways as possible, you never stop craving just one more sunset, or the changes in season and pace of it's daily life.This is true for me, and whilst I love going abroad to paint anywhere that has character and outstanding beauty. It is right here on this mercurial strip of coast that my passion gets aroused every day.

You can see my work at Steven Pleydell-Pearce Fine Art www.stevepp.co.uk or call into my art stall next to The Red Barn, Woolacombe during the Spring and Summer months.

StevePP @PPSteve www.stevepp.co.uk

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The People behind the names

On28July1914,theoutbreakof World War 1 changed the lives of communities all over Britain. The Great War as it has become known, lasted until 11 November 1918, claiming more than 37 million lives in the process. InNorth Devon, rural life was turned upside down as recruitment began to pick up pace for Kitcheners New Armies to supply troops for the front. A controversial article was published in the press in 1916 stating that Devon farmers were not coming forward in great enough numbers for war service, and unfairly labeled them as unpatriotic. As a result in Barnstaple, protests were arranged against mass recruitment as it was considered to be damaging to the rural economy.

Inordertocombattheselowrecruitment levels people like Lord Fortescue tried to encourage involvement, by giving speeches to the local farming community. The agricultural workers believed that producing food and feeding a nation at war was a duty and not a lack of patriotism. Farming communities were indeed essential during the war years,andthiswasfinallyrecognisedin 1915 with the establishment of the War Agricultural Committee.

North Devon brothers William John andThomasHenryHillweretwosuch young volunteers who would sadly become victims of the war. Both are now commemorated on the Mortehoe war memorial, which stands in the grounds of St Mary Magdalene Church, Mortehoe.

TheoctagonalmemoriallistedbyEnglishHeritagein2011recordsthenamesof26menwhofellduringWW1andWW2.Italsodisplays a sole casualty from the more recent Korean War. The memorial is a cross of Cornish granite, standing 16ft 3in high on a base of three six sided steps, surrounded by a square block containing on itsfoursidesthenamesofthefallen,andtheinscription:InlovingrembaranceofourgallantmenwhofellintheGreatWar1914-1918.Theirlivesfortheircountry,theirsoulstotheirGod.ItwassuppliedbyBodminGraniteCo,atacostof14510s2d.DesignedbyW.DCarveEsq, architect. The concrete foundation was made by Messrs Watts andHill(Mortehoe)whoalsofixedthememorialinpositionunderthesuperintendence of Mr J. B. Clarke of Barnstple.

A series of articles The people behind the names will run in each issue of the magazine, we hope to find out a little more about the people

whose names are engraved on the memorial. The website will also be running an ongoing feature on Woolacombe at War. Please visit our website for further information or to find out how you can contribute.

www.woolacombemortehoevoice.wordpress.com

Mortehoe War Memorial

Pictured above: Mortehoe War Memorial

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William John and ThomasHenryHilllivedinMortehoe with their family. WilliamHenryHill,theirfather, was born in 1866 in Marwood, Devon and theirmotherMaryHill(neeBennett) was the daughter of William and Mary Bennett of Mortehoe.

WilliamHenryHillandMary Bennett would marry in 1891 in St Mary Magdalene Church, Mortehoe and would start their martial life living in the village at DukesHouse,asmalltwoup,twodown house, sharing their home with a lodger, William Bryant, a 36 year old miner. On their marriage certificateWilliamwasworkingas a stonemason and Mary as a charwoman.In1892theyhadtheirfirstson,WilliamJohnHill,threeyears later in 1895 they had another sonThomasHenryHillandthefollowing year a daughter Rose GertrudeHill.

The family were an integral part ofthevillage.WilliamHenrywasa bell ringer at the Parish Church, something he would do for over forty years, chiming the bells at many village weddings and special services. Ringing out the old year and welcoming the new one in. Seven of the Mortehoe Bell ringers claimed to have established a record in regard to the length of their service, having rung the Mortehoe Parish Church bells for an average of 40 years per ringer.

The brothers time at War with the regimentby Peter Turner

Thomas and William both served with the 1/6th Devon regiment and would have enlisted at Barnstaple just after August 1914.

Peter Turner from the Keep Museum has written the following article on the regiment. The full article can be read at:

At the outbreak of war, the battalion was engaged, with the other territorial units, on its Summer Training Camp at Woodbury Common, near Exmouth. Upon mobilization, instead of heading for Barnstaple, the battalion marched 10 miles to Exeter and then entrained to Plymouth and 5 days later found itself under canvas onSalisburyPlain,gettingfitandtraining for war.

O n 15th September the battalion almost unanimously volunteered for service overseas and on 9th October30officersand803N.C.O.sembarked at Southampton for Karachi, from where it entrained to Lahore. During the rest of 1914 and 1915 the battalion was primarily responsible for internal security, thus relieving those regular units of the IndianArmythathadbeendeployedelsewhere.

InDecember1915orderswerereceived to deploy to Mesopotamia and by the end of the month the battalion had embarked and arrived in Basra on 3rd. January 1916. Aftera230milemarch,northwardsalong the banks of the Tigris, still dressedinIndiandrill,thetroopsreachedOrah,whereforthefirsttimethe men encountered both the enemy and sickness mostly dysentery and pneumonia.

Pictured Above; St Mary Magdalene Church, Mortehoe

www.woolacombemortehoevoice.wordpress.comMary was a member of the Mortehoe friends society a group dedicated to raising money for good causes and arranging local events for the community. Mary was invaluable in arranging a number of charitable events in Mortehoe, and putting together plans for village gatherings.

By the time the 1901 census was takenthefamilyarelivingat2ThornCottage,nextdoortoWilliamHenrysIn-laws,Marysparents,theBennetts.Ten years later when the next census istakentheHillandBennettfamilyare living between the two properties. William John aged 15 is working with his father as a masons labourer, ThomasHenryislivingwithhisgrandparents next door working as a farm labourer and their only daughter Rose is employed as a domestic help.

Little did they know what the coming years would have in store for this close knit family.

As World War One broke out, both William and Thomas would make the 14 mile journey into Barnstaple to sign up for war service, leaving their family home in the small village they had grown up in to travel many miles to fightfortheircountry.

Seven Mortehoe bellringers claim to have established a record in regard to length of service. They have rung the bells of Morte-Hoe Parish Church for periods ranging from 30 50 years, and the total number of years service in this capacity is 280 an average of 40 years a ringer. Two of them, Messrs. S. Yeo and W. Watts, have never failed to ring out the Old Year and ring in the New during their 50 years of service, and the records of their colleagues are: Mr W Smith 45 years, Messrs. W. Hill and Sidney Yeo 40 years, amd Messrs F. Copp and W. Moule 30 years.

Pictured Opposite: The Simple Life Society. Mary Hill(2ndleftback row) and Rose Moule neeHill(4thleft back row)

Pictured Above: The Mortehoe Bell Ringers.PicturedOpposite:WilliamHill&MaryHill(nee Bennett)

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Amongst those missing on that day was Acting Lance CorporalThomasHenryHill.Theofficialrecordreads.Deathregarded8/3to8/9/16.Howeverinabriefhistoryofthebattalion,writtenbyaone-timeColonel of the 6th Battalion, it is recorded that he was wounded and reported missing on 8th March but subsequently reported as a Prisoner of War in Baghdad in August 1916. Itmustthereforebeassumedthathe died sometime thereafter in what must have been appalling prison conditions. News of his death would be reported in the North Devon Journalonthe4thMarch1920

InMaythebattalionadvancedandtook possession of the defences around the Dujailah Redoubt, which the Turks had by then evacuated. The climate became oppressive and typhus. Dysentery,sand-flyfever,jaundiceand heat stroke all took their toll on the strength of the battalion; but, it is reported, not on the spirit of the men.

For the rest of the summer there was littleseriousfightingbuttheheatanddeprivation of rations and water, added to the sickness levels. The battalion moved,firsttoSheihSaadandthento Amara in October, when battalion strengthwasdownto9officersand276otherranks.InFebruary1917thebattalion moved up to Twin Canals to take over Line of Communication duties and then down to Shaiba, just south west of Basra, where it remained for many months in the searing heat of summer.

The rest of 1917 and most of 1918 was spent in monotonous routine in various locations and in September the battalion returned to Margil Camp, Basrawherethewidespreadinfluenzaepidemic,claimedthelivesof1officerand 88 other ranks.

In common with every unit deployed in Mesopotamia, the 6th both witnessed the horrors of war in an unimaginably oppressive climate and fell victim to the resulting diseases. One of those who so suffered wasPrivateWilliamJohnHill,whoreportedlydiedofsmallpoxon24thNovember 1917.

MrandMrsHillhavereceivedofficialnotificationthattheArmyCouncilhasbeen regretfully constrained to conclude thattheirson,PteThomasHenryHill1/6th Devons who was reported misssing and a prisoner of war since March 8th 1916, has not survived and presume his death to have taken place between that date and 8th September 1916, no further news having been received of him. The Army Council express the Kings regret that their own at the loss of a gallant soldier and for his parents sad bereavement.Mr&MrsHillhavelostboththeirsonsinthe countrys service, an elder brother having died in Basra in November 1917. They have the sympathy of the whole parishioners in their irreparable loss.

North Devon Journal 4th March 1920

Early in March 1916 a major assault, involving nearly 20,000troops,wasplannedon the Turkish defences at Dujailah Redoubt, which barred the way to the south bank of the Tigris opposite the town of Kut, where some 10,000 British troops had been besieged by the Turks.

On7thMarch,36officersand814other ranks of the 6th Battalion, each equippedwith2daysrationsand160 rounds of ammunition, began the march to the assembly area. At daybreak on the 8th the lead column had reached its allotted position; the Turks were completely surprised and the objective, the Dujailah Redoubt was unoccupied. The orders given were so detailed that the lead commander was deterred from acting on his own initiative and thus waited for the arrival of the support column. The attack was therefore delayed for some 3 hours, giving the enemy ample opportunity to bring up reinforcements. All surprise had been forfeited and the attack spectacularly failed.

Intheearlyhoursof9thMarch,underheavyfire,allunitsinvolvedbegan a general retreat, but not before recovering their wounded and hastily burying their dead. With the Turkish cavalry and artillery in close pursuit, theretreatcontinuedalmost20milesback to the Wadi Camp at Orah.

The men had been in action for some 21hoursandweretotallyexhaustedand had suffered from lack of water. Ofthe24officersand550otherranks from the 6th Battalion, that hadengagedintheattack,8officersand 44 other ranks had been killed orweremissing;8officersand141men wounded. One of the surviving officersreportedhowever,thattheBrigadier had commented that the 6th. had only one fault, They were toobrave.AndGeneralGorringe,who had taken command of the Tigris Force, later visited and congratulated the battalion on its conduct and bravery.

In Memory of William John & Thomas Henry Hill. (pictured opposite)

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What happened to Rose Gertrude Hill?

The death has taken place at the age

of 77 years, of an old resident in the

person of Mr William Bennett. The

deceased has been in failing health for

a long time. For almost thirty years

he had been an esteemed and faithful

servant in the employ of Dr G.B. Longstaff at Twitchen and retired on

apension5yearsago.Heleavesawidow and a large family of children

andgrandchildren.Hewaswellknown

and greatly respected, as was evidenced

by the large attendance at the funeral,

which took place on Monday afternoon

in very stormy weather.

There was a large cogregation

present at the Parish Church

on Wednesday in last week to

witness the marriage of Pte

William Moule A.S.C youngest

sonofMr&MrsJMouleand

MissRoseHillonlydaughter

ofMr&MrsW.H.Hill.The

Rev T.F Daffan performed the

service. The bride was led to

the alter by her father who also

subsequently gave her away.

She was attended as bridesmaids

by her cousins Miss Beatrice

HuxtableandLillyRobins.The

bride&bridesmaidscarried

charming bouquets, the gifts

of a friend. Mr G Overy of

Barnstaple carried out the duty

ofbestman.Thehappypair

were the receipents of many

valuable&usefulpresents.The

bridegroom recently returned

from East Africa, after a short

honeymoon Pte Moule will

rejoin his unit.

RoseGertrudeHillwasborn on Wednesday 23rdSeptember1896in Mortehoe, she would have been 18 years old in 1914 when her brothers, William John

andThomasHenryleftforwar,leaving her as the only remaining child ofWilliamandMaryHill.Rosewouldremain living in Mortehoe, working as a domestic help, and would have been there as her family received news that William and Thomas had died.

InApril1916,thefamilyreceivedfurther sad news, the death of Roses grandfather, Marys father, William Bennett, who was a greatly respected person in the village.

Happiertimescamein1917whenRose married William Moule, knowntohisfriendsasSpurry.The wedding took place at St Mary Magdalene Church on Wednesday 29thAugust1917.Williamwasserving in East Africa, and would have been on leave at the time of the wedding, following a short honeymoon he returned to active service, leaving his new bride in the village.

Following the war, William returned home to his wife Rose, and both wouldhavebeenpresentin1920attheunveiling of the memorial in St Mary Magdalene Church grounds, the base ofwhichwaslaidbyWilliamHenryHill,thebrothersfather.

In1923RoseandWilliamwouldhavetheirfirstchild,asonnamedFrederick John, a second son would arrivein1927,ThomasHenry.Thefamily remained in Mortehoe, living in Culver Cottage. William worked as afishmonger,andinthe1930shadastore in Barton Lane, Woolacombe. William continued the family tradition of bell ringing at the Parish Church; he would also spend much of his time showingcagedbirds,specificallycanaries, helping to set up the Braunton andDistrictCage-BirdSocietyin1945. William would attend many agricultural shows, picking up many 1stand2ndprizes,hewouldeventravel as far as Crystal Palace in 1948wherehewonfirstprizeintheNorwich Canary Section.

Erected in a prominent position in the Parish Churchyard, the memorial

to the fallen from the parish, subscribed for by the parishioners

and friends, was unveiled and dedicated on Sunday afternoon in ideal weather. There was a large

assemblage present to witness and take part in the touching ceremony. The children from various day and Sunday schools, accompanied by

their teachers and carrying posies of flowers,formedaninterestinggroupflankingthememorial.Ex-service

men assembled at Woolacombe, and, under the leadership of Col. Longstaff

D.S.O, in uniform marched to the village and formed up in lines in the roadway alongside the churchyard. Upwardsoffiftyattended,includingamaimedherodrawninabath-

chair by his comrades. Two of the comrades laid a wreath at the steps inscribedInmemoryofourfallencomrades.Relativesandothersfriends also deposited wreaths

etc,andthechildrenfiledpastandofferedtheirfloraltokensingrateful

memory of all those who had lain down their lives for them. The Vicar dedicated the memorial for the Glory of God, and in memory of William Ashford,HerbertBale,JamesBale,Alfred J Butler, Percy Coles, Percy Cousins, William Cousins, Kenneth VDodgson,E.EFaull,WilliamHGammon,JamesHHarris,ElussesMHarris,ThomasHHill,WilliamJHill,FAHorsfall,HarryHKarslake,

ThomasHNicholls,HerbertPerryman,ThomasHPurseym,

Richard F Pursey, Thomas Randall, Sidney J Scott, Reginald Smith,

AlfredHTomsandRobertHTrebble.AfterthehymmTheKingofLove

eloquent addresses were given by Revs.HBabbandS.CChallenger.Ex-DriverChugglateDevonR.G.A(Illfracombe)thensoundedtheLastPostwhichgreatlyaffectedmany.Muffledpealsonthebellswerealsorung. Ex Service men and boy scots thenfiledpastandgavetheirsalutethus ending a memorable function.

Unveiling of Mortehoe War Memorial

13th May 1920

William died in 1951, leaving Rose, his widow heartbroken, her grandchildren recall her visiting her late husbands grave at the cemetery in Mortehoe most days, she would often call in to see them on her way home to Culver ParkLodge.Hergrandchildrenhavefond memories of her being a kind lady.

Rose died in 1966.

Pictured Above: Newspaper Article from Thursday 20thApril1916NorthDevonJournal

Pictured Opposite: Newspaper Article from 1917 Devon Journal.

Pictured Opposite: (top) Frederick John Moule.(Middle) Thomas HenryMoule(Bottom) Rose Gertrude Moule

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MortehoeisspecialtomebecauseIgrewupherewiththepointandbeachesasmyplayground.Wehadhours of fun playing out at Morte Point as kids and as we grew up, spent many hours down on the beaches; Grunta, Rockham and especially Morty Wells.

My Mortehoe, My WoolacombeBy Dawn Fitzgerald

Mortehoe in winter was the best place to grow up, especially as there were no visitors, only the locals. With wintergalesblowing,sittingaroundthefirelisteningtoGranandGrampstellingstoriesofsmugglersandshipwrecks. The shipwrecks were real and stories of smugglers made up, its only when you grow up and leave the area you come to realize how special a place it was and that is why we come back every summer toseerelations,friendsandseewhathaschanged.ManyofthepeopleIknewgrowinguphaveeithermovedonorpassedonandnowsleepinthecemetery.Ihopeonedaytocomehomeandspendmyfinaldays here, as it will always be home to me.

Dawn Fitzgerald tells why Mortehoe means so much to her, in the My Mortehoe, My Woolacombe feature.

MortePoint,inallitsglory.(Summer1982) Sunrise over Woolacombe

Fishing boat collecting lobster pots near Rockham Sunset over Woolacombe

ChapelHillandAdasCottagesonrightnestledinto the hill. I love this photo as you can see the back of roof of our house

The road to the cemetery, a lovely peaceful place to rest.

If you would like to write about why Woolacombe or Mortehoe means so much to you, please send us a few paragraphs and no more than 10 photographs to woolacombemortehoevoice@gmail.com

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MynameisAlexiaandIliveinNorthDevon.Ilovephotography,Igetoutinallweatherstotakeaphotograph,ItakemycamerawithmeeverywhereIgo.IlookdownthelensandtakeaphotographthatIthinkIwouldlikeonmywalltoremindmeofasummerholidaywhetheritbeingwithchildrenoralovedone.IfeelIliveinthemostwonderfulpartofEngland,theNorthDevoncoastlineis rugged and has so much passion, the winter waves or the ocean crashing against the rocks, it shows you how wild it can be and we can be very close to nature a lot here.

Photography is like a diary and each capture is like taking a memory

Alexia Miles

MyphotographyisallfreelanceasIalsoworkin a special needs school as a teaching assistant whichIgetsomuchpleasurein,workingwithchildreniswhatIalwayswantedtodoandnowIcanmakeachildsdaywhichinturnmakesmine.

Ihavedonephotographyforthreebookcovers,one was for a local Author and actress Elizabeth Revill, along with a local model Crystal Featherstone who is featured on the front cover.

Miles Photography @AlexiaMileswww.milesphotography.jimdo.com

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Go into Barnstaple to do some shopping, or visit the Pannier Market. Barnstaple is the oldest borough in the country and is the commercial centre of North Devon. Today it is a bustling town full of shops, cafes and restaurants, not forgetting the Pannier Market which is open 6 days aweek,offeringahugerangeofproductsfromfreshproduce,arts&crafts to antiques and collectables. Whilst in Barnstaple keep a look out for Star the Duck a local legend, pictured opposite.

Enjoy a Devon Cream Tea. You cant come to Devon without indulging in a real Devon cream tea. There is much controversy regarding the right way to serve a Devon Cream Tea. For more information on its history and for your own downloadable receipe , please look at our website: www.woolacombemortehoevoice.wordpress.com

Try Surfing. Woolacombe,Putsborough,Croyde&Sauntonareknownforbeinggoodsurfbeaches.Idealforbeginners,you can go to Surf School and learn the basics very easily whilst hiring everything you need. The better waves occur during the winter months when ground swells ride in from theAtlantic.Checkoutlocalsurfingwebsite,webcamsandreports for the latest information.

Go Rockpooling. Why not go Rockpooling, great for kids of all ages. Lee Bay is a great spot for Rockpooling,thenatureofthebeachmeanssmallpoolsformintherockswhereyoucanfindallsortsofthings.OftenspottedareGemAnemones,Shore&PorcelainCrabs,Gobie,BlenniesandPrawns. www.coastwise.northdevon.org.uk is a great resource for those who fancy going to the area to look at the coastline or do some rockpooling. Dont forget we would love to see photos of yourfindsinourReadersGallery

Scavenger Hunt. A scavenger hunt is a fun activity for the family, where individuals or teams attempt to gather all the items on a list, the one with the most items is declared the winner. We have a list for children to follow on our website www.woolacombemortehoevoice.wordpress.com

Things to doon holiday

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Things to doon holiday

Quince Honey Farm. VisitQuinceHoneyFarm,anallweatherattractionwithsomething for everyone. The main attraction is Beeworld, and you may even get thechancetoseeabeebeard!Quincefarmhasitsownshop&cafe.Formoreinformation take a look at their website: www.quincehoneyfarm.co.uk

Tarka Trail NamedafterHenryWilliamsonsTarkathe Otter novel, the Tarka trail is a perfect route for a family cycling adventure. The trail follows the route of a disused railway line between Braunton and Meeth. The21milerouteisaperfectwaytoexplorethearea.

Ifyouhavecycledthetrailwewouldlovetoseeyourphotos.

Lynton & Lynmouth. North Devons twin towns, nicknamed Englands Little Switzerland. Located on the coastline Lynmouth is joined to Lynton by cliff railway. The towns have a diverse selection of shops and a market in the summer season. We will be featuringLynton&LynmouthinthenextissuesSpotlightfeature.

Lazy day on the beach. Woolacombe beach holds the England for Excellence Gold Award. The 3 miles of golden sands are a beautiful place to relax and enjoy a day by the sea, lying on the sands reading, or playing a beach game, there is plenty to do on this stretch of family friendly coastline.

Visit the Mortehoe Museum. The Mortehoe museum is located in the Mortehoe Village and its the perfect placetofindoutmoreaboutthehistoryoftheareaandthepeoplewhomadeittheplaceitistoday.Toseetheopeningtimesandfindoutmoreabouttheexhibits please take a look at their website: www.mortehoemuseum.org.uk

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If you have ever taken a snap shot of Woolacombe or Mortehoe we would love to see it. If you are a budding photographer, holiday snapper, or have photographs over the years you have lived here, we would love to share them in our Readers Gallery,

photographs can either be sent to woolacombemortehoevoice@gmail.com or uploaded via our Instagram, Twitter or Facebook pages.

@shuttlemad, TwitterLilly the Camper Van enjoying the sunshine at Woolacombe Sands

@trufflemcshoe1,TwitterCarole Greenall, FacebookNorth Morte Farm

Dawn Fitzgerald, FacebookCoastguards, Woolacombe

Readers Gallery

Rory Oliver, FacebookWoolacombe Beach

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If you have ever taken a snap shot of Woolacombe or Mortehoe we would love to see it. If you are a budding photographer, holiday snapper, or have photographs over the years you have lived here, we would love to share them in our Readers Gallery,

photographs can either be sent to woolacombemortehoevoice@gmail.com or uploaded via our Instagram, Twitter or Facebook pages.

Readers Gallery

Steve Parker, Facebook

Richard Peacock, FacebookEnjoying a drink, Barricane Beach

PaddyRice-Moule,FacebookPat Bennett outside his tea hut

@bathdrummer, TwtterSS Collier, Remains of Anchor.

@GusCoops, TwitterThe Coopers always feel at home in Woolacombe.

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@redeye_mcfly@laylamollyCamper van on holiday, Woolacombe Sands

Katrina Sutton, Facebook View from Mortehoe towards Woolacombe

ToniHutchings,FacebookChurch in Snow, Mortehoe. 1979

Anekka Gast Philllips, FacebookWedding Day, Woolacombe

Alan Thornton, FacebookPerfect View

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Mark Johnson, FacebookPoppy looking over Woolacombe Bay

Paul Perry, WoolacombeWoolpackInn

Liam Blackie, FacebookWoolacombe Beach

missie_louise, twitterBarricane Beach

ColHughes,FacebookWoolacombe Beach

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Lee BayVillage Walk in

Lee Bay is a picturesque village that can be found nestled between WoolacombeandIllfracombe.Follow the narrow winding lane off the B3343 which will take you to this coastal village. This small village is best known as Fuchsia Valley, as its pretty stonework walls can be seen covered in beautiful plants and Fuchisa bushes throughout the year.

Lee Bay used to receive coal and limestone from Wales, where local kilns burnt it to produce limekiln.

Lee, like most of this coastline saw its fair share of smuggling, it is thought that the trade with Wales may have encouraged this, as ships would wait in the Bristol Channel and were an easy target for smaller vessels to leave the local coves.

1. Start from the Car Park opposite Lee BayParishChurch&VillageHall-itis well worth vising in the summer months when the shop is open and you can buy some local crafted gifts and plants.

2. Take the path towards the Old Post Office(picturedabove).Taketheleftfork down the small pathway towards TheGrampusInn.Youwillpasssomelovely houses and gardens (Look out for the gate with the cat and mouse posts!).

3. Cross the small footbridge over the stream, look out for some of the stunning plants and fuchsias which line this pathway.

4. Continue along the path, looking outforanimalsinthefieldseitherside of the pathway.

5. After passing Chapel Cottage, carry on down the footpath which leds to the sea front and the old Lee BayHotel.

6. Returning towards the village, take the path along the back of the OldLeeBayHotelandTheOldMill.

7. Keep on this road, taking in the lovely views of the meadows and TheManorHouse.

This is a lovely short walk to take in Lee Village, if you are doing this walk with children, take a look at our website for a fun check list of things to look out for.

woolacombemortehoevoice@wordpress.com

Lee Bay Parish Church and Village Hall (above)

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CampingA selection of the beautiful campsites along this coastline.

Barn Park www.barnparkcamping.webs.com01271870421/07909547907

Barn Park is a small, quiet, family campsite on a working dairy farm (approximately 15 pitches). The village of Woolacombe with its award winning beach, is only a 5 minute drive away (1.5miles).

The Site offers clean, basic facilities, a toilet block and a shower room. There is also a drinking water tap, and al fresco washing up sink!

Barn Park is in a peaceful location, with stunning panoramic rural views over the North Devon countryside towards Dartmoor. We welcome families and couples,well behaved dogs (with responsible owners) are welcome too! We do not cater for groups or single sex parties.

Damage Bartonwww.damafebarton.co.uk01271870502

Damage Barton Caravan and Camping Site offers peaceful, spacious pitches with panoramic seaviews, immaculatefacilities,including2heatedshowerblocks,washing up areas, disabled/family bathrooms, shop open daily.

RunbytheLethbridgeFamilysince1962itissetontheir600 acre working farm situated on the North Devon coast in an AONB. An extensive network of footpaths lead directly from the site for visitors to enjoy the SW coastal path,abundantbirdlife,magnificentwildflowers,andisjust2milesfromWoolacombesbeautifulbeachforsurfingandwatersports.

A great base to explore North Devon and Exmoor.

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North Morte Farmwww.northmortefarm.co.uk01271870381

North Morte Farm is a Family run caravan and camping park, adjoining National Trust land, is only 500 yards from Rockham Beach and is set in some of the most spectacular countryside in the south-west.Wehavedirectaccesstothesouth-west coast path and are only 5 minutes walk from the village of Mortehoe with pubs, shops, Post Officeandrestaurants.

North Morte provides all the facilities that you need for your holiday. The park has a modern toilet block, with a disabled shower, privacy cubicles, hairdryers, baby changing facilities and dishwashing, plus a laundry room. Children will lovetheplayareasandthereisawell-stockedshop.

Little Roadway Farmwww.littleroadway.co.uk01271870313.

Little Roadway Farm Campsite in Woolacombe isalongestablishedfamily-run,family-friendly campsite nestled on the edge of the beautiful North Devon coast, within 15 acres of picturesque countryside.

We have been providing quality camping holidaysinWoolacombeforover20yearsandtake pride in the personalised quality of service we provide to all our guests. We as a family are keen and experienced campers and we understand how important it is to stay at a quiet, friendly, reliable campsite with good facilities and caring staff that look after your every requirement.

We endeavour to make sure every guest at our campsite has an enjoyable and memorable stay and returns home feeling relaxed and refreshedWe also hire out bell tents of various sizes, andhaveaprivatefieldforrallys,weddings,birthdays.

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Woolacombe Bay Holiday Parkswww.woolacombe.com01271870343

GoldenCoast,WoolacombeBay,TwitchenHouseand Easewell Farm all combine scenic beauty with outstanding facilities and each has its own unique style and personality. Whatever the chosen Park, guests are free to take advantage of the facilities, activities and entertainmentonallfour.AllHolidayParksofferasuperbselectionofall-weatherseaviewcampingandtouringpitcheswithimmaculateon-sitefacilities,entertainmentdayandnightplusawiderangeoffunfilledactivitiesforthe whole family.

Pitches are spacious allowing plenty of room for tents or caravans, awnings, picnic furniture and vehicle. Super Pitches have TV aerial, water, drainage, electricity and nightlight.Showerroomshaveunderfloorheating,individual cubicles, hairdryers, sauna, steam room, launderette, washing up and chemical disposal facilities. ThereisaSportsComplexfeaturingaSurfingSimulator,HighRopesCourse,ClimbingWallandmore.Withover40 FREE activities and pitches starting from only 6 per pitchpernightWoolacombeBayHolidayParksistheperfect place to stay!

Warcombe Farmwww.warcombefarm.co.uk01271870690

WarcombeFarmisafivepennantfamilyruntouringholiday park. Beautiful sea views, easy access to excellent walking and cycle paths including the coastal path, outstanding facilities, childrens play area and a wellstockedprivatefishinglake.

We also have a well stocked shop with fresh bread and pastries and a large selection of homemade cakes and cream teas.

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Woolacombe Sandswww.woolacombe-sands.co.uk01271870569

We pride ourselves on being a third generation family run park, providing wonderful holidays for our guests who return year after year. We offer a great choice of accommodation to suit all budgets and requirements.

With heated swimming pools, crazy golf, childrens play park, arcade and bowling, licensed clubhouse and food bar with great nightly childrens and adults entertainments and much more, we are the perfect choice for a wonderful,funfilled,relaxingholidayinNorthDevon.

Camping EssentialsCamping Holidays

Campingholidayscanbegreatfun,theycanalsobeaveryreasonablepricedholiday.Howevercamping does not need to be basic and uncomfortable. Camping equipment has come a long way over the years, and many sites have electric hook ups and fantastic shower and bathroom facilities leaving the old image of camping a distant memory.

Ifyouarecampingforthefirsttime,orgoingawaywithyoungchildrenitiseasytoforgetsomeofthebasics.Ifyouhaventtakenyourchildrenonacampingholidaybeforeitisworthdoingyourhomework before going away. Take a look at our website blogs for more handy camping tips and downloadable lists and guides.

Woolacombe&Mortehoeisabeautifulplacetosetupcampwithstunningviewsandlocalactivities, there really is something for everyone. Woolacombe offers plenty of shops, cafes and pubs as well as 3 miles of beautiful coastline.

Ifyouarecampingwithchildren,gettingbacktobasicsandenjoying the great outdoors can be both fun and educational. Camping can be a great adventure, children can appreciate the birds, animals, trees and wildlife that may go unnoticed on a normal holiday. The key to a sucessful camping trip with kids is planning and this is something that can be done with your children to gain their excitment and build anticipation. We have some great ideas on our website.

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Get in Touch

Molly&Woollyarethebestof friends, they never go anywhere without each other. For years and years they lived in a dark cupboard, until one day a lovely girl rescued them.

FromthatdayMolly&Woollyhavebeenonmanyadventures, seen lots of places around the world, but theirfavouriteisWoolacombe&Mortehoe.Wewillbe following their journey, reading their stories and seeing some of their photos in each addition of this magazine.

You can also follow them on Twitter: @WoollyMollymice

EventsIfyouhaveanyeventthatyouwouldliketopublicise,please get in touch. Each magazine will feature a list

of events for the next 3 months.

Please send details to woolacombemortehoevoice@gmail.com

Woolly & Molly

We always love to hear from you, if you want to get in touch, you can in all of the following ways:

ContributionsDo you love Woolacombe & Mortehoe? Do you have a story or memory you would like to share about the area?

Ifyouwouldliketowriteforourmagazine,orablogfor our website we really would love to hear from you.

We are happy to consider any ideas as long as its relating to Woolacombe or Mortehoe, it can be past or present or future.

Here are some of the articles we will be featuring in future editions that you may wish to contribute to, however this is only a sample list, and we are happy if you would like to add to it with your own ideas:

Shipwrecks in the area Holidays with Children Weddings in Woolacombe & Mortehoe Local History Woolacombe at War Dog friendly holidays in the area Walks along the coastline The Chichester family The development of Woolacombe & Mortehoe Best places to go on a rainy day Woolacombe & Mortehoe Railway station Memories of growing up in Woolacombe &

Mortehoe

FInd us onlineWe are also online at www.woolacombemortehoevoice.wordpress.com

The website is constantly evolving with blogs and features being added to regularly so keep going back and read the latest articles.

Please get in touch if you would like to contribute to the site in anyway, we would love to hear from you.

Our sister site Woolacombe at War will also be online in the Summer. If you have any research, photographs regarding World War One or Two, please get in touch.

Follow us on twitter @WoolacombeVoiceThetwittersiteisdedicatedtoanythingrelatedtoWoolacombe&Mortehoe. Sharing photos, events, news, anything goes as long as its related to the area! Give us a follow.

Follow us on Facebook Woolacombe Mortehoe VoiceWeshareanumberofoldandnewphotosofWoolacombe&Mortehoeon our Facebook site, most of these are from our extensive local post-card collection. We would love to share photos you post of the area.

Follow us on Instagram WoolacombeMortehoeVoiceIfyouhaveaphotoofWoolacombeorMortehoeyouwouldliketoshare with us, please use #woolacombemortehoevoice all photos on instagram automatically get displayed on our website gallery.

www.woolacombemortehoevoice.wordpress.comIfyouwouldliketowriteablogforourwebsitepleasegetintouch,wewould love to consider any article or blog about the area.

woolacombemortehoevoice@gmail.comAny ideas, requests or feedback on any of our features please drop us an email.

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Spot the 6 differences

Wordsearch

Find the following 10 ice cream words

banana split ice creamcone oystersprinkes sundaewafer vanillachoclate cold

Match the Shapes

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NEXT ISSUEOut 1st June 2015

The different types of VW camper vans and great camping tips for your holiday away by the seaside Take a walk around the twin towns of Lynton & Lynmouth

Dog friendly holidays in Woolacombe & Mortehoe, things to do, places to go that are Dog friendly for you and your four legged friend.

We continue to look at the Mortehoe War Memorial, and the lives WW1 touched this small village

................plus many more articlesRead all about one of our readers romantic wedding day in the area.