Welcome to the Rudloe and environs website.
Here you will find news, articles and photos of an area that straddles the Cotswold Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in north-west Wiltshire.
Contributions in the form of articles or photos are welcome. Even those with completely contrary views to mine!
Thanks to the website builder 1&1 and Rob Brown for the original idea.
Rudloescene now, in January 2014, has a sister, academic rather than anarchic, website about Box history here: http://www.boxpeopleandplaces.co.uk/
It contains thoroughly professional, well-researched articles about Box and its people.
Contact rudloescene through the 'Contact' page.
A young Michael Pearce, winter 1946/7, at no 8 Southlands facing nos 21 and 23
Specific 'archives' (Box Highlands school, Rosie Feeney, Mike Pearce, Jill Harris, the Carfrae and Warren families) may now (January 2018) be found in sub-menus ('below' this one). This 'Boxfields' page, at present, duplicates all the text and photos that may be found in the 'specific' sub-menus. Please note that later (1984) 'Boxfields' images of Box Highlands School can also be found under 'Archive', 'Rudloe' as by this time the Boxfields estates had been long demolished and most of the former occupants moved to Rudloe.
August 2020 sees the publication of Rosie McNamara's book The Boxfields Bungalows which recounts the history of this largely forgotten 'village'. The book is dedicated to Johnny Feeney, Rosie's brother who was killed in a motorbike accident in April 1961. See the related article in Boxfields News in the 29th August 2020 article here: 29th August 2020 article
After reading Rosie's book, Richard Pinker had further recollections of Boxfields/Box Hill - the Box Hill Aeromodelling Club, of which he was a young member. Richard's recollections, along with photos, may be found in the following file (collated by Alan Payne):
Adobe Acrobat document [481.4 KB]
Rosie's comments are: "I hadn’t heard about the aeromodelling club. I wouldn’t be surprised if my brother Philip went to it. He was a serious Airfix fan and I remember lots of talk about ‘balsa wood’. He was also very friendly with Eddy Edgell and he is pictured, far right, in the picture with the plane in the background. His brother Ken is on the left holding the camera."
Box Highlands School class of 1948 (photo courtesy of Richard Pinker)
Box Highlands School class of 1950 (photo courtesy of Richard Pinker)
Box Highlands School class of 1950 (photo courtesy of Richard Pinker)
First-year class of 1951 at Box Highlands
Back row L-R: Michael Caffery, Michael Pearce, Raymond Osbourne, Lesley Harvey (?), John Pike, Billy Maton, ?, Mike Cleverley, John Buckle, Peter Barnet (?)
Middle row L-R: ?, Robin Whittock, Roger Wales, Sue Cotter, ?, Phillip Genery, Jimmy Trainer (?), Frankie Scott
Front row L-R: Kay Cowen, ?, Heather Larkin (?), Eileen Bothwright, Lilly McCombe, Carol Booth, ?, ?, Peggy Matthews
Teacher: Mrs Geldheart
(photo courtesy of Michael Pearce)
Box Highlands School class of 1952 (photo courtesy of Richard Pinker)
Vaughan Lipscombe (see photo below) has been in touch to say that the teacher in the above photo is Wynn or Owen Evans and that the headmaster was Rex Brewer.
Box Highlands class of 1952
Back row L-R: Johnny Warner, Phillip ?, Tommy McCarron, ?, Barry Lewis, Boothright (?), Anthony Fry, ?, Brian Carter, Vaughan Lipscombe, David (Laurel) Edwards
Middle row L-R: Brian Caffrey, John O'Toole, ?, Anthony Clayton, Mary Marcell, Celia Coles, Kathleen Derrick, Diane Betteridge, Jill Harris, David Newell, Jimmy Trainer (?), Leon Hall, ?
Front row L-R: Carol Croker (?), ?, ?, ?, ?, Rosemary Gosling, Gwen Lewis, Andrea Turton, Peggy Matthews, Margaret (Tootsie) Flynn
Teacher: Mrs Williams
(photo courtesy of David Edwards; names courtesy of Jill Harris and Vaughan Lipscombe)
December 1962 at the Tunnel Inn crossroads with Richard Pinker's first 'car' - a Ford Thames 300E (Prefect) van, the view to the pitched-roofed prefabs, the sign 'WARNING CHILDREN AT PLAY' and a man clearing snow (photo courtesy of RP)
Another view of the Ford Thames 300E (Prefect) in the winter of 62/63 with Berry Cottages beyond
The Welch and Crowe families (behind) with Moya (with hands up) and Mary Teague in front at the seaside in the 1950s
Terry Shore, on the right, with "two friends" on the Boxfields estate but actually they look like siblings
Photo courtesy of David Edwards
Perhaps the Quarrymans Arms darts team from the 50s. The only name known is Phil Pritchard who is fourth from the left.
Mark Reakes from Webb's Dairy in Corsham, who worked as a milkman for more than 50 years, shown here at Southlands, Boxfields in an image from a Box calendar of the early 1960s
Mike Pearce's recollections etc follow
Boxfields Estate as remembered by Mike Pearce - 2013
key:
AS - air-raid shelter
SCH - secondary school
CC - community centre
PG - playground
a coal yard was above the bottom-right air-raid shelter
And, as illustrated in an old OS map
Estate residents as remembered by Mike Pearce - 2013
Rent cards for 8 Southlands, Boxfields over the years
Happy days for a young Michael Pearce at Southlands, Boxfields - summer 1949
Now the recollections of Rosie McNamara (Feeney). Click on an image to enlarge and use keyboard arrow keys to navigate. For the visually challenged (like myself), full page versions of Rosie's text are further below.
Boxfields recollections - 1
Boxfields recollections - 2
Boxfields recollections - 3
Boxfields recollections - 4
Boxfields recollections - 5
Boxfields recollections - 6
Boxfields recollections - 7
Boxfields residents recalled by Rosie McNamara (Feeney)
Boxfields residents as recalled by Rosie McNamara (Feeney): A - C
Boxfields residents: D - L
Boxfields residents: L - R
Boxfields residents: R - W
Boxfields residents: W
Photos from Rosie McNamara (Feeney) follow in the form of a gallery - click on a picture to enlarge and use keyboard arrow keys to navigate. Larger versions of the photos along with text can be found below the gallery.
Granny Feeney - Rosie's paternal grandmother
Granny Feeney with Rosie
Granny Feeney, Rosie's paternal grandmother, with Rosie. A widow, she always wore black and spent her free time with Granny King and Granny Edwards.
The tradesman's entrance of 39 Southlands
Rosie at the back door of 39 Southlands
Showing the brick wall shielding the back steps.
Johnny Feeney, aged about eight, holding Rosie
Johnny Feeney holding Rosie in the front garden of 41 Southlands
Johnny Feeney, aged about eight, holding Rosie in the front garden of 41 Southlands. In the background are 27 and 29 Southlands, the homes of the Welch and O'Shea families. Notice Mr Feeney's handiwork with the fence and rose arch. Also notice the mysterious, small cuboid structure to the left of the chair on top of two large stones. Anyone out there any idea what this might have been?
Mrs Feeney with Rosie at 41 Southlands
Mrs Feeney with Rosie at 41 Southlands
Immediately to the left of the front door is the toilet window and beyond that, the kitchen window. To the right of the front door is the bathroom window. The bungalows had a white 'Snowcem' finish on the exterior walls.
Teresa Feeney with son, Philip at 41 Southlands
Teresa Feeney with son, Philip, at 41 Southlands - 1953/4
Philip was a sergeant in the Cadet Force.
Teresa Feeney on her trolley
Teresa Feeney on Rosie's trolley
The trolley was bought from the Buckle brothers in Woodlands (what - you didn't make it yourself!).
Back garden of Crowe family home at 39 Southlands
The Crowe sisters with Johnny Feeney
The Crowes' back garden at 39 Southlands with the Crowe sisters, Janet on the right, and Johnny Feeney holding a pet rabbit.
Philip Feeney outside The Quarrymans c.1955
Philip Feeney at The Quarryman's c.1955
Philip Feeney seen outside The Quarryman's Arms in about 1955 on a relatively new phenomenon - the moped.
Philip Feeney with coalshed behind
Philip Feeney in front of the coalshed
Much work had gone into the coalshed's 'creative extension'.
Philip Feeney with wife Pauline
Philip Feeney with wife Pauline
Outside Pauline's parents' home in Everly Road on the 'flatroof estate'.
The wall structure was different from the 'pitched roof' estate's houses (which were brick) being made of large, pre-formed blocks. The rear windows also had a different shape.
Christine Crowe with Rosie and Mrs Feeney
Christine Crowe with Rosie and Mrs Feeney
Showing the full length of the bungalow with its corrugated asbestos roof. The two windows on the right are in the single bedroom.
Rosie with her dad, Jack Feeney - Christmas Day 1959
Rosie with her dad, Jack Feeney
Pictured at Thorney Pits on Christmas Day, 1959. Jack was working as a stoker in the boilerhouse at Thorney Pits. Rosie went down to show him the camera she had been given for Christmas.
Rosie Feeney with uncle Martin Carter
Rosie Feeney with her uncle, Martin Carter - Christmas Day 1959
Pictured outside the boilerhouse at Thorney Pits. The large building on the right was the canteen and assembly hall where films were shown on Sunday evenings.
Jack Feeney with daughter Rosie
Jack Feeney with daughter Rosie
At Southlands c.1960
Rosie Feeney - a rare colour image
Rosie Feeney - a rare colour image
In high summer at Southlands it seems.
Rosie Feeney on her bike
Rosie Feeney on her 'Barnaby Rudge'
The Rudge was too big to ride sitting on the saddle but that didn't matter - the important things was getting there.
Mrs Newbury outside 57 Southlands
Mrs Newbury outside 57 Southlands
Hard to spot but, apparently, she's there somewhere (isn't she?)!
Mrs Newbury and her sister
Mrs Newbury and her sister - 1952
The children are Carol and Alan Newbury. Picture was taken outside 24 Southlands in 1952. The family later moved across the road to a 3-bedroom bungalow, no 57 Southlands. Note the absence of TV aerials.
Carol, Alan, Keith and Janice Newbury
Carol, Alan, Keith and Janice Newbury c.1955
With Mr and Mrs Cox, Gary and Graham in the background. Notice TV aerials have appeared - quite a status symbol at the time.
'Us children'
The Ellis and Dowling children with Ron Toghill and another
Ann and Michael Ellis, Pat Dowling, Ron Toghill, Sally Dowling and A.N. Other on the 'flatroof estate'; notice the different chimney style.
Billy McComb
Billy McComb
Billy and his family lived in Woodlands. He came from Dublin; his children were Lily, Josie, Billy, Richard and Kevin. Billy worked for the MoD as a stoker and organised coach trips to Weston-super-Mare, Weymouth, Burnham-on-Sea and the odd mystery tour. He had a brother, Christie, who lived at Rudloe.
An outing arriving at Weymouth - summer 1951
Outing arriving at Weymouth - summer 1951
An estate outing possibly organised by Ted and Vi Edgell. Mrs Newbury is at far right with Vi Edgell next to her.
The marriage of Philip Feeney and Pauline Rees
Philip Feeney & Pauline Rees marriage
At St Patrick's, Corsham in June 1960.
Back row: Edwin Edgell, ?, Len Sainsbury, ?, Mrs Sainsbury, Vi Edgell, Doreen Clegg
Middle row (some): Johnny Feeney, Martin & Norah Carter, Mrs Kelly, Tony Rees
Front row (some): Jack Feeney, Mrs Grogan, Fr Supple, Mr Grogan, Bill & Stella Casey, Teresa Feeney, Rose Rees
Boxfields Estate (south) recalled by Rosie McNamara (Feeney)
Boxfields Estate (north):
Boxfields (south) prefab layout recalled by Rosie McNamara (Feeney)
Boxfields 'callers' recalled by Rosie McNamara (Feeney). Click on image to enlarge and use keyboard arrow keys to navigate.
Further memories of Box Fields (Hawthorn) may be found at the Francis Frith website here:
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