Oral Histories
Recorded in the early 2000s by the Local History Group, these oral histories open a window into the village’s recent past — voices of neighbours, friends, and family recalling life as it was. They are a rich reminder that history isn’t just found in books.
There are 86 in total. We will post them here as we obtain consent to do so.
If these stories spark a curiosity or a sense of belonging — and you’d like to help preserve Fownhope’s living history for future generations, the Local History Group would be delighted to hear from you.
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Ann Brown
Born 1941. From 1975 actively involved in church fund raising and activities for children – SMART, St Mary’s Amateur Rural Theatre, she produced and directed. Started Sunday Club for children 4-13. Parish Clerk for many years.
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Betty Powell
Born 1923. Worked at Holme Lacy hospital during WWII. Memories of toll bridge. Met husband at Anchor Inn; they had a coal business at Luck’s All which they developed for camping and later caravans.
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Bobby Baker
Born 1945. Lived in Fownhope 16 years at 1 Tump Cottage. Attended St Mary’s school; formative influence on him of Mary Soulsby and church. Bobby had a second career as a pianist – “I played pubs all over” and with bands.
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Christopher Whitmey
Born 1938. Moved to Fownhope 1975. Account of his position as Reader in Fownhope church and adjoining parishes, also as Parish Clerk and roles in Herefordshire councils and education.
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Denzil Biggs
Born 1929. Evocative account of life at Lechmere Ley as a child – milking, boating on river, fishing, rabbit trapping. Parents bought Ringfield 1958 where he started garage. Fownhope and Holme Lacy church bells and bell ringing. Clubs – bowling, tennis, Heart of Oak.
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Derrick Brown
Born 1938. Member of long established Fownhope family, the Tylers. Memories of 3 Nash Cottage as a boy. From 1975 several roles St Mary’s church. Started newsletter Contact, precursor to The Flag. Parish Council member and issues arising.
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Doris Bond
Born 1916 in Lucksall where father was a coal and timber merchant. Memories of Lucksall. Interesting account of how she was conscripted in WW2 to work in Rotherwas munitions in the shell factory.
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Dr Patrick Ramage
Born 1935. Came to village as “fill in” GP in 1964. A unique record of a caring and much loved village medic who developed the practice from inadequate facilities, through three decades of major changes in NHS provision and actively promoted the creation of the medical centre we have today.
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Frances (Frankie) Baynham
Born 1947. St Mary’s school, Girl Guides, youth club. Aged 13 part time work Green Man, and from age 9 work at Tump Farm. Memories of raft racing for Forge and Ferry. First woman to raft 1000 miles on River Wye.
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Gareth Williams
Born 1968 Caplor Farm. Memories of school in Fownhope and Lugwardine. Gareth took over farm 1998. Very good account of the successful application of entrepreneurial business and economic ideas to a small farm at a key time. “I try to think outside the box”. Memories of Young Farmers Assoc. Future of farming.
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Helena Biggs, read by Margaret Biggs
Margaret Biggs born 1928 reading memories of Helena Rose Biggs born 1896 – Fownhope School, Baptist meetings, village Doctor, transport, local events, WI, selling own produce Hereford market. Also Margaret’s own memories of working in Pickford’s removals and storage in 1940s.
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Ian Quayle
Born 1944. On retirement moved from Cambridge to Fownhope; childhood memories of holidays with relatives at Fishpool, a smallholding now demolished. Actively involved in village – Chairmanship Fownhope NMH, fundraising for hall improvements.
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Jean Hook
Born c. 1935. Childhood living with grandmother Julie Pocknell in Stoney Row cottage. Fownhope school. Memories of local businesses and church, chapel. Good account of day labour fruit and potato picking for local businesses.
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Jennifer Higham
Born 1941 at Tump Farm. Account of a carefree childhood in and around farm – “Parents had no idea where I was”. Milk production and sales/delivery. Pony and bike riding. Good description of pivotal role played for village youth by Mary and John Soulsby.
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Joan Hill
Born 1920. Memories of being a military wife in Malaya and Kenya. Lived for 50 years at Ash Cottage, Common Hill.
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John Hardwick
6th generation of family to farm at Oldstone Farm, 300 acres. How the farm evolved over time. Father “first in parish to buy a tractor in 1940s”. Connections with other farms in Fownhope.
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Kath Watkins
Born 1935. Interesting account of early life working on farms in Herefordshire and NZ. Married Alan Watkins, Rudge End Farm 1968. 34 years involvement in village clubs and activities, some of which she initiated herself. Account of 1991/92 drilling for oil at Rudge End Farm.
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Mabel Williams
Born 1918. Daughter of Arthur and Mary Powell, coal and timber merchants, milk business. Memories of Lucksall, Anchor Inn, Mordiford School, milk round, Fownhope church and village activities. Married into Williams family, Tump Farm. Life on Tump Farm particularly war years, PoWs, supply of utilities after war.
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Mary Ramage
Born 1933. Description of how running the medical practice from home (Mona) with Patrick “took over our lives”. She ran dispensary, Patrick was on call despite lack of telephones in village. Family life. Active member of village clubs.
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Mary Round
Born 1936. Bought derelict Eastwood Farm, Common Hill with husband John in 1961. 24 acres of land farmed with dairy cows, orcharding. Last smallholding farmed in this way on Common Hill.
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Michael Best
Born 1935. Bought Fern House in 1962; sitting tenant Ella Grundy; modernisation of house. His major role rebuilding village hall, particularly fund raising for that and church improvements. Involvement British Legion, Heart of Oak, church local politics, Brockhampton Cricket Club, Three Choirs
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Michael Williams
Born 1938. Memories of Tump Farm in grandfather’s time, modernisation and how mechanisation changed it. Dairying “the sons of farmers didn’t want to do it”. Farming bureaucracy. His interests, Young Farmers, motorbike racing, love of horses.
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Norma Massey
Norma Massey has been a Fownhope hairdresser since 1975, nurturing the salon through changes in ownership, style, and services. Passionate about cutting and customer care, she’s trained apprentices, embraced new techniques, and built a loyal clientele from near and far—remaining a cherished and enduring part of village life.
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Pamela Mortimore
Born in 1920, Pamela Mortimore reveals her secret role in MI5 and experiences in Nazi Germany. As a fluent German speaker, she contributed significantly to military intelligence, influenced strategic operations, and reflected on the heroism of wartime efforts. Her account embodies resilience, intelligence, and the impact of war.
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Peter Daines
Born 1935. Memories and knowledge of recreational canoeing on the Wye spanning more than 70 years.
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Peter Green
Born 1949 into farming family in Checkley. Moved to Fownhope 1977. Account of working for the Fire Service in Hereford and Fownhope, finishing as a retained fireman in Fownhope.
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Primrose (Pip) Leyman
Born 1948. Memories of successful family nursery business started by grandfather from Stone House and where she worked until closure 1971. Fownhope school, Brownies, Guides, bell ringing.
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Rachael Best
Born 1937. Trained as nursery nurse and in 1968, with others, started playgroup in village hall. Close involvement in village activities – Flower Club, flower arranging, Advent market, school governor. Organiser for Meals on Wheels.
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Rev Jane Davies
Born 1958 Manor Farm. Her parents Williams family farmed there. Detailed and lively account of her memories of Fownhope School. Church choir, local clubs for children. Memories of training for the church and her subsequent career.
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Richard “Dick” Biggs
Richard “Dick” Biggs was a tall, practical Fownhope farmer whose life mixed hard work, deep faith and quiet service. Bellringer, beekeeper, salmon ghillie, wartime artillery signaller and British Legion stalwart, he helped shape village life from Lechmere Ley to Ringfield, earning the lasting respect of everyone who knew him.
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Shirley Green
Shirley Green grew up in a big rural family, moved to Fownhope as a child and never really left. A quiet love of craft and flowers became a lifelong passion – from helping at Fownhope School to leading the Flower Club and creating beautiful arrangements in local churches and cathedrals.
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Stan Wood
Born 1935. First resident 1973 Nover Wood. Dart team. Fire Brigade. Memorial Hall rebuilding. Memories of being standard bearer British Legion. Fownhope Football club. Fownhope Motors.
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Ted Pocknell
Born 1911. In 1960 bought Manchester House Stores, a grocery shop, which he ran until 1978. In 1961 he founded Hereford Grocers (Wholesale) Ltd, a non-profit making organisation. Ted was a competitive swimmer representing Hereford Swimming Club. Memories of long distance swims in the River Wye and breaking ice to play water polo.