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These pages describe the life at Bradwell Grove, now the Wild Life Park, the nearby village of Holwell, and Burford some 70 years ago - not, you may think, a very long time, but long enough for the very great social and agricultural changes since the First World War to have altered entirely the rural way of life as described here, a greater change than perhaps in any other comparable period. Norman James, the author of these pages, was born in Holwell in 1907 and has lived there ever since. As a young man he worked as garden boy at Filkin’s for Sir Stafford Cripps, the great Socialist Chancellor, and subsequently at Bradwell Grove as gardener to Colonel Heyworth-Savage.

His memory and perceptive eye have recorded what country life was like 70 years ago in these parts, but they give a picture too of what must have happened in numerous other great houses and villages throughout the country. Holwell was a hamlet without a pub and only a small village shop, now gone, and life revolved around the church, the school and the squire, but it supported a community of nearly a hundred people who depended for work on the big house and a tenant farmer with some 500 acres. Eleven men who gave their lives in the First World War have their names on the village War Memorial, but now only about 15 people live here during the week, augmented at weekends by people from London who come to enjoy the peace and quiet which still exists in Holwell.

It may come as something of a surprise in the nineteen eighties to be reminded of life in a village community only 70 years ago, without the benefits of electric, lights, radio, television, refrigerator or deep freeze, no running water in the cottages and certainly no hot water from a tap, sanitation by earth closet, and most of the transport by horse rather than by car. The daily activities of children going to school, cows being milked and horses going to water in the village pond would have been an inescapable routine for the villagers. Norman James from his own recollections brings all this not-so-distant past to life.

The mansion at Bradwell Grove, which is now the centre of the Cotswold Wild Life Park, was built in the Gothic Style in 1804 by William Hervey on the site of a previous smaller house. The estate became famous for its cricket matches, and was a very popular meet of the Heythrop Hounds in the Victorian era for undergraduates from Oxford, during the mastership of Lord Redesdale, with Jem Hills as huntsman. It was also renowned for its exceptional pheasant and partridge shooting in the early part of this century.

Not only did William Hervey build Bradwell Grove, but in 1850 he obtained permission to erect a new church on the site of a small Chapel of Ease at Holwell, to effect a separation of Holwell from the parish of Bradwell. He also built a vicarage for the new incumbent. Not content with this improvement, William Fox, who had purchased Bradwell Grove from the heirs of Mr Hervey, decided that the church was not big enough and in 1890, he in his turn rebuilt and enlarged the church at his own expense, in Victorian Gothic style, with a new village school as well.

It is this church that Norman James and his father before him have so lovingly cared for and which is described in these pages. (With the decline in population, the school was closed in 1958.)

Despite the fact that the parish rarely consisted of more than 100 souls and recently very many less, it retained a vicar of its own for 75 years from 1850-1925 when the cure was combined with that of the neighbouring village of Westwell, and now in 1987 is one of 5 parishes in the Shill Valley Benefice.

Our most grateful thanks are due to Mr John Heyworth for advice and information, to Mr Perrin Sturch for the farm photographs, the Rev. A.S.T. Fisher for permission to quote from his book, "The History of

Broadwell, Oxfordshire with Filkins, Kelmscott and Holwell and to Mrs Sarah Robertson and Miss Angela August for typing the script.

Holwell Downs, Filkin’s Downs, College Farm, Woodside Farm, Signett Farm and also had land and property at Eastleach, Broadwell, Kencot, Alvescot, Shilton and Oxlease Farm, and shooting rights over the estate. He was fond of shooting and hunted regularly with the Heythrop Hounds. The shoots were known to yield 200 brace of partridge a day, and foxes were plentiful in the woods.

   Mr Norman James

The Bradwell Grove indoor household consisted of a butler, two footmen, a housekeeper, three kitchen maids, two scullery maids, one dairy maid, four house maids, one seamstress, a hall boy, a lamp man and one boiler man. The footmen were responsible to the butler; their duties included cleaning silver, waiting at table, attention to gentlemen’s clothing, escorting guests to rooms and answering the front door.

Outside, there was a stud groom, four tack men and two coachmen for a string of about ten hunters and coach horses. There were ten gardeners, five gamekeepers, five woodmen, one building foreman, four masons, three carpenters, one cabinet maker, an engine driver for the portable engine, and lodge-keepers at the gates. Farm workers such as cowmen, carters, shepherds etc. were in addition at the various farms. Other workmen came from Burford and neighbouring villages, and were engaged in building stone walls around woods and fields which still exist

today. Some of the men walked from Asthall Leigh near Witney, arriving sometime after 7 a.m., leaving at 5 p.m. and bringing their food with them

In the gardens, you started as a crock boy and then became an improver; crock boys prepared the pots for plants and cuttings. The next step was as journeyman in charge of greenhouses, followed by foreman, head of glass houses and kitchen garden, and finally head gardener. All heads of departments were given a horse and trap for transport.

Two sheep and two pigs from the various farms were slaughtered weekly and brought to the kitchens in addition to beef supplied by butchers. A dairy maid took charge of butter-making and milk was supplied free to village employees. As well as this, beef dripping was supplied to anyone requiring fats for cooking etc. This was usually collected, together with the daily milk, by children before school. Water for the mansion was produced from a spring at Signett, driven by a water wheel and pumped to a large tank on pillars in Aston Copse, and this can still be seen today between the Carpentry Yard and the Home Farm, west of the mansion. The spring was sufficient to allow the surplus water to drive the water wheel, but was supplemented by a petrol engine in dry spells.

In later years Mr Fox used motor cars for transport to the station, either Alvescot or Shipton-under-Wychwood, when visiting London or Scotland. Chauffeurs in livery replaced coachmen and horses. His cars were of the "London" type, the driver in the open except for a roof covering, and the passenger compartment enclosed, upholstered with buttoned leather and rugs and aprons. Entrance was by a door with a small platform outside, and glass panels fitted all around. The coach-work was of the best quality, very fashionable, and admired by onlookers. The vehicle was propelled from the engine by covered chains attached on either side to the rear wheels, very noisy in movement and belching out smoke from exhausts. The drivers had to have a course with the makers to learn driving and maintenance before driving the Squire and his friends. I have no idea of the make of the car.

Several wives did chores at the house, cleaning and making beds, washing etc., for gardeners and estate officers. The women wore long skirts that swept the ground as they walked and were held up by hand when the road was muddy. During the summer, when the Squire was in Scotland, all the carpets were suspended on trees and beaten by workmen who were kept supplied with beer and sandwiches all day by the Hall boy, John Luker. Food and drink were always plentiful. It was much the same during the winter after snow, which the workmen removed from the roof of the house with wooden spades to avoid cutting the lead in the valleys.

At Christmas Mr Fox was widely known for his generosity to his employees, their wives and families. Everyone was given presents of outstanding quality. Men usually had umbrellas or suits of clothing, women sheets, blankets, or dress lengths, and children Norfolk jackets, besides toys, dolls, train sets and such like. No-one was ever missed or forgotten. The gifts were brought by tradesmen in horse-drawn vans from Cook & Boggis in Witney. Great excitement prevailed when these vans arrived at the mansion.

The Christmas Tree Party was always held in the Servants’ Hall, with cake, jellies, fruit and sweets served by the staff, followed by a trip to the Boot Room for the Tree lit with candles and surrounded by parcels and toys galore. Before the presents were given, the children always sung "D’ye Ken John Peel", Mr Fox’s favourite song. Afterwards they returned to the Servants’ Hall for games or dancing to violin music.

SUNDAYS

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Mr Fox and the household staff attended church each Sunday morning. All the staff in uniform wore white gloves. They filled most of the South side of the aisle, employees, foremen, etc. on the North side and children in the chancel. They all walked in file from the house on the path alongside the road to a gate near the schoolhouse. This path was gravelled and raked each Saturday by the woodman.

The church choir were fortunate to have an extra tea and an extra present at a later date, besides each getting a gold sovereign in a purple velvet bag with a pull-string. These bags were made by the Misses Firth, two lady

companions who lived with Mr Fox and his mother at Bradwell Grove. On arrival at church, Mr Fox would take note of who was there, and enquiries were made about any absences due to sickness etc. You had to have a good reason for not going. Mr Fox seldom came in the evening. School children attended Sunday school taken by Mrs Rainey, the Vicar’s wife and her daughter Margaret, and were expected to learn to recite the Collect for the day, besides other religious instruction. They went to church just before eleven o’clock when Mr Fox and his household arrived. Behaviour was most important and anything untoward was frowned upon. The services were well attended. Both morning and evening, people could be seen coming from Holwell Downs, Filkin’s Downs and Bibury Lodge.

  Mr W. H. Fox

The church was lit by oil lamps which has to be trimmed weekly and the globes cleaned. The lamps were lit half an hour before the evening service. This continued until electric light was installed in 1951. The work was carried out by my father, Edward James, and after his death in 1932 was continued by myself until 1951. I have worked and had dealings with all the vicars from Mr Rainey, who died in 1923, to the present day, being a total of 10 ministers

The church bells had to ring 8 o’clock punctually each Sunday morning so that the villagers could set their clocks. The time was taken from Burford Post Office every Saturday at 10 a.m. and this was then the official time for the rest of the week. This was before the wireless time signals. Mr Rainey conducted all church services and, together with Mr Fox and Miss White, the schoolmistress, controlled all the activities in the village. Miss White played the organ and conducted the choir who had to practice on Tuesdays and Fridays for the services.

The Squire, the Vicar and the Schoolmistress were always very strict with the children and we behaved very carefully in their presence.

All employees and children were expected to salute by touching their caps or curtseying when meeting the Squire, the Miss Firths, the Vicar or the Schoolmistress. Mr Fox was a funny old chap and if anything went wrong he could be terrible and swear and frighten the life out of you. You were unlikely to get another job if you fell out with him. He looked after you well, but you had to toe the line. Nevertheless, happy days abounded.

The village is quieter now than in 1907 when I was born. About 48 children used to attend the school, from families of employees on the Estate or at Manor Farm. Now the school is closed.

The village had a brew house where everyone was free to make their own beer. They got the yeast, called Barm, from Game’s in Burford. Barrels, spare hoops, vats, etc. were all provided free and used whenever needed. Most of the people made homemade wine which was very potent.

The villagers had allotments for vegetables, corn, etc., and nearly all kept pigs which were killed when fat and the bacon cured. Corn was grown on the allotments and threshed out when machines visited the farm, then milled into meal at Taynton Mill by Mr Stevens. Bread, meat and groceries were brought by tradesmen from Burford and Lechlade, coal from Alvescot, and wood was collected free from the estate. Water was produced by a windmill from a well near the brickyard and distributed to taps in the village. There was also a village pump.

What is now Edie’s cottage in the fields used to be a shop which sold everything until Edie’s parents died in about 1926, and then it was closed. The shop was run by Mrs Coombs who came to the village with her two daughters during the First World War from Canada. She married George Legg, a widower, and her daughter Edie died in 1984, over 90 years old. George Legg’s son Jimmy was a well-known character, unfortunately mentally deficient, but quite harmless. He did many simple tasks on the farm and was well respected and amusing. In the shop you could get cottons, candles, stationery, sweets for children and all the necessities for the village. There used to be an old parrot outside which called out "Shop!" when the door bell rang.

In the village road, girls played with skipping ropes, boys with tops and hoops. Ducks travelled in single file to the village pond and back in the evening, and the horses walked through the pond to clean their feet after ploughing the fields. Rooks built in the elms north of Manor Farm and the young ones were shot during May.

The Old School Room served as a meeting place and a room for parish meetings. Dances and whist drives were held there during the winter months, with rummage sales in the summer. It was also used during World War II by evacuees from London as a school. Later it became a school meals centre.

A brick kiln was built between Bradwell Grove and Filkin’s Downs, but brick-making was discontinued owing to a deficiency in the clay, and the kiln fell into ruin. The two chimney stacks each about 100 feet high remained for some years, and I remember seeing them felled by steeple jacks shortly after Colonel Savage bought the estate. He was present to see them brought down. Some of the bricks that were made there can still be seen on the estate, being pale yellow in colour.

During World War lithe village was visited by King George VI and shortly after by Mr Winston Churchill, when they inspected the troops in 1942. Mr Churchill had tea in the vicarage with the Rev. J.S. Martin, a brother of W. Keble Martin, author of the famous Concise British Flora in Colour, which he illustrated.

Dumps of ammunition were stacked all along the bye-roads around the villages during the War. Blackout of windows was strictly enforced by air-raid wardens. Emergency rations were kept in the vicarage and gas masks were issued to everyone including babies. There was a daylight raid on Brize Norton and the bombing of Coventry could be heard in Holwell. Troops were stationed around Burford, and Dakota aircraft and gliders operated from Bradwell Grove runways for the Battle of Arnhem in 1944.

Unfortunately the Allies lost this battle, and the Bradwell Grove hospital was not used for the purpose which was intended. It later became a school of music for the Royal Marines and later still, a hospital for the Oxford Area Health Authority.

Burford has changed a lot in the last sixty years. Then there were many craftsmen, bell founders, rope makers, brewers, coopers, butchers, bakers, wheelwrights and harness makers, all of a high standard. The chemist’s shop now owned by Mr Reavley was once owned by Mr Ballard, who used to walk twice a day to Holwell to play the organ on Sunday if the organist was ill or on holiday.

Mr Frank Williams’s antique shop was previously owned by Mr Robert Foster, an engineer and post-master. Mr Jones, the shoe-maker, had a shop next to the Golden Ball in Burford. He measured the boys for shoes which would fit either foot, with metal tips on the tops which made sparks fly on the road.

The chimney sweep walked from Burford for not less than two chimneys. We had two deliveries of mail each day by the postman on a bicycle. He carried and sold stamps and registered envelopes, and delivered medicine from the doctor.

The Burford medical practitioner and surgeon was Dr Cheatle who lived with his sister at Riverside House near the bridge, where he had his surgery. His father, Dr Thomas Cheatle, had provided the Burford Cottage Hospital, and his surgical forceps, "Cheadle’s forceps", are still used in the profession today.

Dr Cheatle was very popular with his patients, and a patriotic Burfordian. His manner, at times, was abrupt and to the point. He had no time for sham or humbug, but in genuine sickness was most considerate and helpful. He was considered the poor man’s doctor. He must have been very fond of potatoes as he was known when visiting cottages at meal times to take a hot potato from the dish and eat it, which I have seen myself.

One yearly event eagerly awaited was Burford Fair, held during September in Priory Lane. This was Hiring Fair, where workmen on farms who wished to change their employer would meet the farmers who were seeking replacements. If a deal was made, the exchange took ~place on October 11th, Michaelmas Day, their belongings being carted on a wagon by their new employer. To distinguish their trades to the farmers at the fair, carters wore a whip-cord in their hats, shepherds a fleck of wool, and day men and stockmen whisps of straw. These were types of employment most likely to change, although not many wanted to change in Holwell.

After the death of Squire Fox, the Bradwell Grove Estate was bought by Colonel Heyworth-Savage, who moved from the Grange at Toddington in Gloucestershire, bringing with him his heads of staff: Mr Eldridge, the butler, H. Ogle, head gardener, F. Stallard, game keeper, J. Lippop, chauffeur, I Middleton, groom and R. Coates, dog man. Mr E.V. Hunt was engaged as Farm Manager.

Colonel Savage enjoyed hunting, shooting, fishing, racing and watching cricket. He was High Sheriff of Oxfordshire, and reared a famous Red Poll herd of cattle of national importance, which won many prizes. George Pitelen was the head herdsman. Colonel Savage also won at Crufts with his Labrador dogs. On one occasion he left his dogs sitting on the cricket pitch and for some reason walked home without them. Some hours later, his dog-man enquired as to their whereabouts, and they were still where he had left them on the cricket field, no doubt looking anxiously towards the mansion. Such was their training in obedience.

It was not unusual to see him practicing with his loader, changing guns so that a swift change could be made during partridge shoots when he was known to take two birds in front and two behind from the same covey. Colonel Savage, like Squire Fox, enjoyed cricket, and one of his delights was to invite the Heythrop Hunt team, the Vale of the White Horse and others to play a day’s match with one of the Guards’ Regimental teams from London, when Patsy Hendred and Jack Hobbs would be playing. Tents were erected for the spectators and there would be meals on the lawns and cricket field. The players had lunch and strawberry and raspberry cream teas. He was fortunate in always having perfect weather for this highlight in the district, which many visitors came to watch. The Colonel was most insistent that a first-class pitch was provided, and many hours were spent by the garden staff in its preparation, rolling etc. with which he helped, bringing his dogs with him.

Bradwell Grove had quite a first class cricket team, their captain being Chris Harris, the Steward of the Estate Office, and they played all the good teams in the district. The Vicar, the Rev. Charles Lambrick, used to coach the boys in bowling and batting and they had to be worthy of playing in the team. Proficiency in cricket was good recommendation for a job on the Estate.

Colonel Savage was a man of sterling qualities. He attended church regularly. Polite in his manner to others, he always removed his hat when passing the Holwell War Memorial, a token of respect to the soldiers of the First World War, and he was attentive to his employees.

For shooting parties at the mansion and race meetings at Cheltenham or Newbury, flower arrangements on the dinner tables were made each evening by the gardeners. The Colonel wore a dark red carnation in his button-hole and Mrs. Savage had a spray of orchids made up by the garden staff for race meetings and parties.

Herbert Ogle was head gardener to Colonel Heyworth-Savage. He organised dancing classes twice a week in the village, called twopenny hops. A gramophone provided the music for foxtrots, waltzes, one-steps, lancers, valetas etc. Main dances were held in the new school once a month, with a band. The charge for these was one shilling including refreshments. Henry Wiggins, who lived in Holwell, was responsible for

lawns and tennis courts. The horse drawing the mower wore leather boots to prevent damage to the turf.

Albert Winfield, Henry Eustace and Ernest Kite supplied the kitchen with fruit and vegetables, and Kite was groundsman to the cricket field. Myself and other younger staff were in charge of greenhouses, propagation, flower arrangements etc. John James had been coachman to Squire Fox and took up employment with Colonel Savage as odd job man. He was a very well known character and lived to a great age. His ashes were scattered in the woods according to his wishes.

At Manor Farm, Holwell, Mr Graham Porter followed his father as tenant farmer until 1920, and he died in 1985 aged 101. Mr Porter had a large family of both sexes, and he employed most of the village in farm work. For transport he used a horse and trap and a pony and tub for his family. On the farm he used a motor-bike with no clutch, he ran and pushed it till it started and then jumped into the saddle. The name on the petrol tank was "Wolf’.

At harvest time the corn was cut by horse-drawn binders, stacked in stooks in the fields and later carted to the rick-yard. Ricks were built on staddle-stones to keep out rats and mice, and thatched with straw to keep then dry until such time as the threshing tackle arrived during winter or early spring. Sheep shearing was done by hand and the fleeces stacked in the granaries and then collected by the wool merchants.

Mr. Porter and his family were Plymouth Brethren, which did not find much favour with Squire Fox, especially when children were invited to informal services at Manor Farm, usually taken by Mr. Porter and sometimes his shepherd or cowman, who were also of that faith.

After the First World War, tractors began to take the place of horses on the farms, and this began to reduce the number of farm workers. Mr Porter had three tractors, beginning with a single cylinder Mogul, then a twin cylinder Titan, and lastly a four cylinder Austin. These tractors drew three-furrough ploughs and cultivators.

When Mr. Porter left in 1919, the farm was taken over for a few years by Mr. James Hollies. Mr. Sturch, who followed, had horses when he arrived in 1926, but he gradually went over to tractors and the stables were used for machinery. The farm is now run by his son, Perrin Sturch, with even fewer workmen, but he has modern equipment for cultivating his crops. In Mr. Porter’s time, the workmen gathered in front of the stables for their day's orders. The hours were 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays and 4 p.m. on Saturdays. They were paid twelve to fifteen shillings a week according to grade, with extra for thatching, hoeing, sheep-shearing or hedgecutting. Money was never plentiful, but it seemed to be sufficient for people to live happy, contented lives.

  Threshing machine at Holwell 1930

Boys were employed on the farm during the holidays or after school, especially at harvest time. My jobs were churning the butter, cleaning the pram, shoes, knives and forks, and feeding the poultry. Sometimes I took the pony to the blacksmith at Shilton. The boys were paid a penny­ha’penny an hour, and collected their pay fortnightly on a Monday evening at the Manor Farm kitchen window.

An unusual sort of farm work in which I have taken part was the growing and seeding of clover. After being cut, it was collected on cocks, which were brought in early in the morning, about 5 a.m. when the dew prevented the seed from shedding out. Later a machine known as a thumper was used to separate the seed, which was very valuable, from the haulm. Children were always well fed, clean and happy, and the food, though plain, was nourishing, with plenty of vegetables, bacon, rabbit and suet pudding and dumplings during the week. Butcher’s meat, cakes etc. were a novelty for weekends only. The food was cooked all together. It had to be tasted to be believed! The whole family sat down to meals together, served by the parents, and no-one left the table without permission until the meal was over.

Health in the village was good among young and old, one or two teenagers who had consumption being the exception, and the 1918 ‘flu epidemic, which was the cause of many deaths including that of George Buckingham, the sexton to the Church, after whose death my parents were appointed and moved into our present cottage opposite the Church.

The good health of people in the village was due to clean air, healthy appetites, plenty of sleep and early rising. Children had their weekly bath in front of the fire on Fridays, starting with the youngest member of the family after tea, then bed with a hot brick from the oven wrapped in a blanket, for cold feet.

The usual medicines were brimstone and treacle for the bowels, cod liver oil and malt or Scott’s Emulsion for general health, goose grease for chest complaints, honey for throats, linseed poultices for boils or pus. All these remedies had the approval of the local doctor.

Most villagers kept bees in the gardens, which supplied honey for the homes. They were housed in straw skeps shaped like a dome, placed on a stone slab with a projection for the bees to alight on. These skeps were made in the village by Thomas Averis, who taught other crafts. During the summer they were filled with comb and honey by the bees, which was harvested in September. Unfortunately for the bees, they had to be destroyed by placing the skep over a hole with a lighted brimstone match which suffocated the bees in seconds and they fell dead into the hole. The combs were cut out, placed in a muslin bag and suspended over a basin while the honey drained through. The honey was used for the suet pudding covering in place of sugar or jam, and also as a medicine for colds and sore throats. The wax was melted down into small blocks for waxing threads used by harness makers, and also as furniture polish.

The chief function on Sunday was church attendance; there was no Sunday work except where animals were involved. Women did not even sew or knit on a Sunday, and shoes were cleaned and vegetables prepared on Saturday. There were no sports or Sunday newspapers. The children were dressed in their Sunday best clothes, used only for that day or special occasions. Boys wore white, starched, stiff collars over their jackets, with shorts, or trousers, stockings and boots. Girls wore long dresses and bonnets and buttoned boots. During the week, for school, children were always clean and tidy. Holes and tears in clothes were looked upon as a disgrace to parents, while patches and darns were praiseworthy. After church, families could be seen taking walks by bridle paths to other villages to meet friends.

During 1927, my wife left her employment in Harley Street, London, with Mr. Fairbank, a well-known orthopaedic surgeon, to become housemaid in Bradwell Grove. We married in 1933 and have since continued to care for the church and other functions in the village. In recording these events, all of which have taken place in my lifetime in Holwell, my hope is that others will find country life equally exciting and remember that the best things in life are free.

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(By kind Permission of Desmond James, his son)