Is the house still there and what's it like now - send a photo

[probian9910]

Anyone there from Dinmore or Bodenham, Herefordshire ??

Through a gate across the road and almost opposite the tea rooms at top of Dinmore Hill is a bridle path. After passing through the woods and across a field is a small farm, or buildings, with a house.

From Bodenham, along the road towards Dinmore, there is a footpath going up into the woods by the gateway to the final large house on the right. At the top, good views, across a field leads to the other side of the buildings and the front of the house. The footpath leads through the farmyard.

I lived at the house (1939/40) which has no road access. My family used a horse and cart from the Dinmore end, which was at that time a cart track. I walked to school at Bodenham.

I was at the tea rooms last September but didn't have footwear for the bridle path and probable mud.

Just curious. If anyone is riding or walking thereby, please take a photo for me. Many thanks.

[Grunty]

My experience is that it is better to remember the way it was. The place where I used to play in the haystack, run down a grassy hill on old pram wheels and scrump apples in a garden is now an ugly housing estate,

[noxlumos]

We're in Herefordshire. I'm not familiar with the place itself but since we take the kids out and about in the county at weekends we'll try and take an excursion and have a look assuming the weather isn't too bad if that helps, but I tend to agree with grunty that if you try to go back it invariably breaks your heart.I was born in West Belfast and had an unpleasant childhood except for weekends when I could escape to a small farm outside the city.I went back and what was left of it was derilect and it really upset me, but I'll have a go and see if we can find it and taqke a photo for you if that helps.

[probian9910]

Thank you Noxlumus, your weekend trip will be great and probably something different for the family. I

I failed to mention that at the Dinmore end the bridle path is about 100 yards along the main road towards Leomimster, not immediately opposite the tea rooms. Plenty of parking at the tea rooms but take great care crossing the diabolical main road which carries vehicles at multi-mph around a bend. Weather wil be important and wellies essential for all I believe.

In my days there, there were commonly deer andf foxes so keep a watch if nature is your thing. In season, the woods were a mass of bluebells and wild daffodils, but you won't see many this weekend.

From Bodenham, the footpath may well be overgrown and I did notice, last September, that the timber entrance gate has fallen apart. I don't know where the bridle path changes to a footpath though one can walk from the tea rooms at Dinmore to Bodenham along this probably litte used route.

My mind agrees with Grunty, but......

Enjoy.

[noxlumos]

Hello Probian, After I told the kids about the planned weekend visit they really got the bit between their teeth about it and we ended up going this afternoon.

We asked initially in the PO at Bodenham for some guidance and the man there said he had a feeling we were referring to Hen House which burned down in the 60's and gave us directions to a very overgrown path.

It was completely inaccessable so we decided to try from the Dinmore side. We found the track right away and a grand time was had in the mud, we passed the tower on the right some pics of which I've enclosed as I'm sure you must have played there as a child and proceeded through the woods expecting to see a charred wreck. I really hope that the pics are of your house, certainly this house seems to be where you describe.It's lived on having been saved after the fire and a lovely couple have it who have given me a calendar of the property that they had made for Christmas to forward to you. They were chuffed to know that you had lived there in 1939 and they adore the house and have really sympathetically restored it.Below is a link to my photobucket account where you'll find 13 pics of what I hope is your house and the trackways leading to it.

Hope it is yours, if not, it was a lovely spot so give us some more info and we'll have another try :)

http://photobucket.com/albums/f20/paddydragon/

[noxlumos]

Hi Probian, Just realised that link won't work unless you click on the "my album" tab to the top left of the page:)

[probian9910]

Thank you again Noxlumus. How fantastic can you get. Thank you, and your family, for checking this out for me. You all did well as you found the spot exactly. Photos all look great expecially the house and buildings. Great that you had an afternoon in what must have seemed a new wilderness.

I had not mentioned the Hen House as I couldn't imagine anyone knowing the name at this stage. It really wasn't a place to put the name on the front gate.

As said earlier, this was my childhood home for a short while following moving from Bodenham and afterwards to Bridge Lane, Wellington, a nearby village along the Hereford road.

The Hen House, and all land around, was owned by a farm in Bodenham, right at the road corner leading to the church and school. My father was a shepherd and labourer.

The house building then comprised two houses, large (ours) and small, the latter where the left-hand up and down windows are. The chimney may be new as it seems to be where the other front door was.

Musn't carry on nostalgically but I'm intrigued how the present owners get to and from. A photo clearly shows a vehicle route but where does that reach a road I wonder for there never was another way in/out.

I never played at the tower as it was too far from the house for my then short legs. There may also have been a veto on going so far. Never knew what the tower was for , and still don't - but possibly water. (Wouldn't it freeze?)

I really am grateful for what you have done and this is doubly pleasing because you all found somewhere new and obviously met new people.

[noxlumos]

So relieved it was the right house! The chap there seems to have put the "road" in, it leads down towards Bodenham and comes out on the right hand side of the Bun House if that helps you at all.We looked at that track but I stupidly didn't go in the 4X4 and the track is unsuitable to be honest for anything but.If you need to locate it it has a sign saying "private access only by permission" and is on the road opposite the lake.

The chap has given me a calendar of photos of the house to forward to you if you'd like it. If you would drop me a line at [email protected] and let me have your address I'll send it to you.

It was a lovely afternoon, complete with hugely muddy toddlers and a BIG collection of leaves and a nice chat with the people at the house who were overjoyed that you'd lived there pre war.

Really glad it was the right house :)

[brachiopod]

What a fantastic, heart-warming thread !!

Big stars all round.

[probian9910]

Thanks some more Noxlumos.

Yahoo tells me your address is closed. Do you have an alternative. If you wish you can contact me at my junk mail address [email protected] from which I can retrieve any message and respond.

Cheers

Thanks also to Brachiopod. Great folk those in Herefordshire - not to mention those who have left.

[mycatis]

Can I just say that i have been following this thread, because I wanted to see if you got any help probian9910 ,(and I'm very nosy ) and I have to say I'm so impressed at all the help/information given by noxlumos (and his family) see, that's what this site is all about! Though this goes above and being the call of duty!
I nominate noxlumos as the ABer of the month :-) er if we had that award that is tee hee

[noxlumos]

Oh my, I'd like to thank my Agent, the girl in makeup and of course Probian without whom none of this would have been possible.... lol.

It was really a pleasure, we had a lovely day out although I have to say the kids are so chuffed with what you just wrote mycatis, you've really made their day thank you but it was really no trouble :)

Probian, I've emailed you re sending the calendar :)