Author Archives: Webmaster

Saturday September 12th saw the inauguration of the Kingston History Hub in the Stone Barn in the centre of the village.  We were delighted that 50 plus villagers attended for our first Open Day together with a few visitors.  The “Hub” contains the main part of the village archive – maps, records, reminiscences, pictures etc. and has been designed as a resource accessible to all.

The Hub will now be open every Wednesday afternoon from 2 – 4 p.m. and on other days by prior appointment.  The contact is via kingstonlhs@gmail.com and we will willingly arrange to open up for times to suit.

Also this year – a change from the usual – the Annual General Meeting of the History Society will be delayed until Thursday November 5th (instead of the normal October date) and there will be a welcome drink at 7 p.m. whilst waiting for the AGM to start at 7.30 p.m.. 

A postcard, complete with message on the back, has been donated to the KLHS by Matthew Grace, as one of many from a collection belonging to his father Roger Grace. Judging by the stamp it was posted during the reign of George V – so between 1912 and 1934.

KLHS archivist Carol Beard says “We were thrilled when a large parcel arrived containing an album full of postcards all local to this area.  The collection starts with Kingston and Westcombe Beach and then moves on to Wonwell Beach and the coast followed by many old cards featuring Modbury and Kingsbridge and the local villages”.

The postcard shows the Teahouse which used to stand on a low plateau at the foot of the steep slope to the East of Westcombe beach. The teahouse became unsafe due to erosion and The Flete Estate demolished it -probably towards the end of the 1970’s.  Little evidence remains of its existence.

But there is another building still standing at Westcombe, that visitors often ask about. During the time that the Flete Estate owned Okenbury Farm the family from Flete would use the Carriage Drive through Okenbury to visit Westcombe Beach. This remaining building is a stable in which the horses were kept during their visit.  For many years after The Estate sold Okenbury, they retained the quarter of an acre surrounding the area and a right of way down to it but eventually that patch including the stables passed to the owners of Okenbury Farm.

KLHS’s last outing before the summer break was to Salcombe for a visit to the Salcombe Maritime Museum and Salcombe Lifeboat. Both were enjoyable but the lifeboat was quite special – with insights into the way RNLI volunteers are equipped and trained for life-saving action. The trip finished with an excellent lunch at Rockfish restaurant.

Friday 17th April starting 10.00 am at Holbeton Village Hall

AI is a remarkable tool. Look at this old photograph from the village’s archive – it’s clearly the Dolphin. It’s very atmospheric, but obviously from another age. Below it is the same image having been processed by AI – the work of a couple of keyboard clicks. Now it almost looks like a photograph taken yesterday. Perhaps the only real clue is the struggle the software had with the donkey’s head ! He was probably moving as the original exposure was made.

You can see more (as yet) unmodified old photos of the village here