Mary Round

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Summary

Based on an interview recorded on 7 October 2015. It reflects the interviewee’s life and memories at that time.

Mary Round was born in Birmingham in 1936, one of eight children. Her early life was shaped by wartime industry, with her father working at the ICI munitions factory. After marrying John, also from Birmingham, they moved to rural Herefordshire in the early 1960s, drawn by John’s childhood memories of the countryside. Settling eventually on Common Hill, they bought 24 acres and a derelict cottage with no electricity, mains water, or sewerage. They began a new life, raising twins (and later a third child), clearing the land, and establishing a cider apple orchard and smallholding.

Initially relying on rainwater and a hand pump, they gradually improved the property and built up a herd of beef cattle and calves, while John worked locally as a skilled toolmaker. Mary embraced the demands of rural life—raising animals, rearing calves, gardening, and learning to cook on a Rayburn. The family supported themselves with hard work, help from neighbours, and by diversifying into poultry and shared sheep grazing arrangements.

Mary later found time for creative pursuits. She learned to drive and swim in mid-life, and discovered a passion for painting—particularly animals—attending classes in Ross and Fownhope. She also became an active member of the Fownhope Flower Club, contributing arrangements to local festivals and Hereford Cathedral.

Her children flourished: one became a fire officer, another a skilled mechanic. Looking back, Mary cherishes the freedom, hard work, and sense of purpose that rural life brought. She fondly remembers the traditions of Fownhope, especially the Heart of Oak Club Walk, where she once helped decorate sticks with flowers.

“I really enjoyed it,” she says. “It was a lovely life.”

Her story captures a time of great change—and enduring community spirit.