Tag Archives: Thorley

Mary and Sue Henderson: Thorley, railway gates 1950s

Thorley Map west from Hill Place Lane

Thorley Map west from Hill Place Lane

Hill Place Lane

Where the railway crossed the road, there was a little cottage where Mr. and Mrs Hoare lived, after Mrs Hoare managed to set fire with an oil lamp to the thatch of their cottage in Wellow. The cottage was completely destroyed and the Bishops, who lived in the other side, had to move out to Thorley.
Mrs Hoare was supposed to open the crossing gates first thing in the morning for the early train, but she wasn’t an early riser. Mum said she remembered hearing the terrific row when the train crashed into the crossing gates on more than one occasion. The sound echoed through the whole village. Mary Henderson b 1954

Pam Cotton: Thorley 1950s

Primrose bank, Thorley

Primrose bank, Thorley


As children we played outside most of the time in the surrounding fields and in the stream across the road behind the barn where we would catch minnows and sticklebacks. Sadly I can also remember sitting in the field near this stream decorating the cow pats with buttercups and daisies! I liked collecting wild flowers and my dad made me a press so that I could put my collection in books. Sometimes we would go over to what was called the Rew, a small copse at the cross roads. It was a bit dark there so I didn’t go alone! Pam Bone nee Cotton b 1948

Peter Smith: Thorley 1950s

Thorley from above

Thorley from above

Thorley in the 1950’s had many things of interest for me. The small stream at the end of our houses contained hundreds of sand shrimps under the stones, and caddis fly larvae were quite often found. The bigger stream over the fields, Thorley Brook, held other delights such as sticklebacks, minnows, tadpoles and water beetles, all of which we used to catch and bring home in jam jars. One day I brought home a jar with some tadpoles and a water beetle, hoping eventually to see the tadpoles turn into frogs. The next morning I found, to my amazement, all the tadpoles had disappeared. Had they changed into frogs already and jumped out?  The water beetle, which was about 2” long, had made the most of a ready meal and eaten the tadpoles. Peter Smith b 1946

Peter Smith: Thorley, Newclose Farm horses 1950s

Horse drawn binder 1913

Horse drawn binder 1913


Heal’s Farm (Newclose) cart horses Cornel and Warwick used to be kept in the field behind the Church. They were huge shire horses and would often come and look over the hedge at us as we went down Blacksmith’s Lane. The field there was several feet higher than the Lane so it made the horses seem even bigger. The horses were used for pulling carts around the farm and could often be seen with a two wheeled cart full of mangels that were being dropped in the fields for the cattle to eat. Peter Smith b 1946

Ron Wallis: Thorley, WWII,

We moved over to Thorley, in the event of the army taking over the farm at Lower Hamstead in 1941.
I transferred straight to Thorley School with Miss Kitty Pearce.  There was David Holtom and Ivan Winsor from Wellow, Daniel somebody from Wellow, a girl Welstead who lived in New House, and a couple of Bellman boys who lived up Hill Place Lane. The school closed quite quickly after I got there – I’m sure it wasn’t my fault!  And then we got transferred to Yarmouth in 1944.

Thorley School late 1930 with Miss Kitty Pearce, teacher

Thorley School late 1930 with Miss Kitty Pearce, teacher

Whilst we were at Thorley School there was the occasion when we heard the roar of aircraft outside, and this Hurricane was low on fuel and it had landed in the field opposite the school. It got refuelled and took off again later in the day. Ron Wallis b 1935

Mary Greenen: Thorley, Tattels Lane

Tattels Lane

When I first arrived from Surrey, and met my father-in-law, George Greenen, I couldn’t understand his broad, country accent!
His father, Joseph Greenen, was a shepherd living in Thorley.  George, born in 1879, was the youngest of his 10 children.  His first job was as bird scarer in Thorley. George met Elsie Ash from Gunville at the fair in Yarmouth, and married her in 1913.
Her father, George Ash, worked as a Maltster for Mr. Mew at the Brewery in Newport. When he fell ill, George and Elsie moved from Thorley to look after Elsie’s father, and lived next door to the Malthouse in Holyrood Street, Newport.

George Greenen took over his father-in-law’s job and worked for Mews until he retired, other than when serving as a soldier in WWI.

Elsie and George’s son, Stanley, my husband, born 1930, graduated in Architecture and Planning and worked for IW Council as Planner.   Not bad for the son of a bird scarer!
Mary Greenen

Joseph Greenen, shepherd, of Thorley

Joseph Greenen, shepherd, of Thorley

Joseph Greenen, shepherd, b 1831  d 1911 married Merry Gatree ( or Gatrell) b 1834 d 1922,   buried in Thorley Churchyard