Lilleshall Memories

Childhood memories of Lilleshall by Bettie Neville Edgenton (nee Webb). 2006 I was born at 3 Hillside, Lilleshall in a tiny cottage facing East on Sunday 9 of April 1916, my mother told me to the sound of the Church bells. The village had changed very little from my great grandparents days . The local farmers owned a few cars, there were weekly newspapers and no radio. The trains provided what transport that was needed for distant transport and carriers (of which my grandfather was one) and would take people to shop at Newport on Fridays. A few people owned bicycles and apart from that we walked everywhere, including Pat Collins Mayfair on May 28th. The excitement of the music as we approached Newport, the lights and the main street full with people. The people who lived over their shops threw confetti over the revellers. It was marvellous. The sale of the estate by the Duke of Sutherland must have been quite an upheaval for the village. Lord and Lady Leigh bought the Hall. The farms were sold together with quite a number of the houses built by the Duke in the local villages. These are still recognisable and referred to at sales as ‘Duke type’. The sunrise came over the Hall and surrounding woods so that from my home we were looking over the field belonging to Mr Craddock. The Church was over to the right, with the bier house behind where Mr and Mrs Pugh lived. In front of their home was the field where the Rector’s horse grazed. Even further to the right was the Granville pit, which produced the coal for the limekilns, which was brought down by canal. St George’s Church was on the skyline but in those days did not have a tower. The Wrekin, which gave its name to the toast “All friends round the Wrekin”, is a wonderful landmark. Working on round come what I thought as a young child, were the Welsh Hills. It wasn’t long before I realised my mistake - our lovely Shropshire Hills of Pontsford, Long Mynd, Stiperstones, Devil’s Chair and the glorious Mary Web country. Also Caradoc at Church Stretton, which I cycled to there and back when I was 17 (a round trip of 60 miles). Lilleshall Hill is unique in that it is isolated and the panoramic view stretches from South Shropshire to the Staffordshire border. One of my great pleasures as a child was when mother asked me to go to the blacksmith’s shop for some rhubarb. Her uncle and cousin were the local blacksmith’s and their garden grew some fine rhubarb. I was concerned when I saw the steam and smoke coming from the horses hoves but when it was explained to me that the horses would not stand still if it was hurting them, then I was fascinated by the whole process, especially the bellows bringing the fire to life. In winter our cottage was kept warm and comfortable, helped by the coal, which was brought by Mr Clay from Donnington. It arrived by horse and cart and was paid for from the sale of damsons. We gathered the fruit by the ‘pot’, which was 90 lb in weight. When the trees were stripped, arrangements were made by Mr Worrell, who kept the Post Office, for the damsons to be collected by Inskips of Stoke-on-Trent, who then used them in the dyeing industry. I remember the day I was allowed to put the ladder up a damson tree and it was tested by my father for safety. One Spring day I was walking with my parents towards Granville Collery and when we looked back Lilleshall Hall was completely surrounded by damson blossom - a wonderful sight. We looked forward to the Spring because it meant that families walked for miles to picnic on the hill - so much fun, with lots of places to play hide and seek amongst the gorse and blackberry bushes. Later in the year the latter provided us with lovely berries and I would spend hours filling large baskets. I also used to gather dandelion flowers for wine making by Mrs Morris who lived in the large house, which faces you when you walk round the Church wall opposite the cemetery. Being an only child, I was very keen to go to school. I called it ‘Aunty Lill’s school’. She was Selina Neville, my mother‘s cousin (they shared the same name) and Head of the Juniors. Auntie annually provided a Christmas tree and a present for every child in her care. The Upper school was, in my opinion, an excellent school under the leadership of Mr Alfred Dillamore, who lived opposite at The Lanurnums. He was a keen disciplinarian, but by the time we reached his class, he talked with us opening our eyes to the wider world and about the important things in life. We left his school very well equipped for the future. We had wonderful times - the football and netball teams were taken to other schools in a red bus belonging to Mr H Brown, one of the first operators in our part of the country. When it came to drama, the children’s parents used to help with the props - what memories.

The photo below shows a bygone era of harvesting in Lilleshall. The young girl on the right is Bettie Webb, sadly no longer with us. It is such an evocative image of how life used to be.

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I first met Bettie Webb at the Memorial Hall some 20 years ago at a private function and a casual meeting was very informative about village life in her early years. She had an amazing memory, was very articulate and was happy to climb Lilleshall Hill for the last time. She must have been in her 80s. I offered to escort her at a later date, sadly it never happened.

She left No 3 Cobblers Cottage, Hillside East, possibly when she married and became Mrs Edgenton. I used to visit her at her new address opposite the Lion pub in Edgmond. It was there that I persuaded her to write her childhood memories, now recorded with some old photographs.

Bettie was very adamant that her father was a skilled shoemaker, not a cobbler - she made reference to the present house name being Cobblers Cottage. Her father, Mr H J Webb was also a local reporter for the Wellington Journal - see ‘Letter to the Editor’ of the ‘Daily Mail’ - on building a bonfire. (Separate article).

Her memories were recorded by her on cards in beautiful pen and ink hand writing and finally typed for practical purposes. I hope you enjoy reading them.

Andy Baker
Fair Acres
Hillside
Lilleshall