Syd Cresswell (1916-2000), also known as Tucker Cresswell, provided a detailed set of recollections of how Church Lawford looked during his early years in the village, matching them with more contemporary observations at that time. It was produced to provide background information to an article written by Keith Sinfield in a previous magazine about the village butcher in Church Road, and the field opposite which was known as Butcher’s Field.
The recollections were published in the Village Newsletter in 1988, and they are reprinted here as published, with minor amendments for context.
I was most interested in Keith Sinfield’s account of Butcher’s Field in Church Road (Village Magazine June 1988) which I remember very well and I would like to start my walk through the village at St Peter’s Church.
Our church and the churchyard have always been very well maintained and in my youth this was done by Mr Alf Day (the late blacksmith) and the late Harry Hence. They spent a great deal of their time repairing the bells and the clock and keeping the churchyard in an orderly condition.
Church services were well attended with as many twenty children together with grown-ups at both morning and evening worship. Of course, we had our own Rector living at the Old Rectory at that time and the community was much closer knit then than it is today.
Moving on from the church we come to the Manor where Mr. Simeon Robinson lived and on the field opposite was a tennis court which extended to the boundary of Mr. Sweeney’s land. This was in regular use for many years until the sad demise of Mr. Simeon, after which it became derelict and no longer used.
Further along Church Road at the white gate on the right (a bungalow is there now) was the Blacksmith’s Shop which was owned by Mr. Whiteman and later used by Alf Day. In one of the two cottages opposite lived Mr and Mrs Pincham whose daughter Win married Alf Day, the blacksmith. Mr Pincham was a popular figure in the village; he played the concertina and with two other villagers – one playing the piano and the other creating rhythm on bones – they would entertain customers in the White Lion, which in those days was well patronised by villagers, the inn was a focal point where people got together to exchange loca1 news over a friendly drink.
Just past the cottages was the village pump which was the only source of water for those living in Church Road. We now come to the place Keith wrote about – Butcher’s Field, which was owned by Harry Cooke, who with the part time assistance of one son (his other son emigrated to Canada) ran his butchery business. The cattle were kept in the field and Harry did his own slaughtering. He not only supplied meat to Church Lawford and its outlying farms but to many other villages as well, delivering his goods in a specially designed butchers trap drawn by a pony.
Turning left and walking up School Street we come to the village Bakehouse (where the Gas station now stands), this was managed by Mrs. Daniels, who apart from baking bread, made pork pies after people had their pigs slaughtered. Most people kept a pig in their back gardens to supply them with pork and bacon and usually once a year had them slaughtered. At Christmas and on Sunday mornings families took their dinners to be cooked in the large bread oven.
At the junction of the Coventry/Rugby Road we come to the Triangle Where the Wheelwrights and Undertakers Businesses were run by Harry Cooke’s two brothers, Arthur and Fred (senior). Arthur was a good carpenter and made all the coffins for Church Lawford and many other villages, he also conducted all the funeral arrangements for the area. In the Wheelwrights shop wooden cartwheels were made and repaired and then taken to the Blacksmith’s shop to have the steel tyres fitted. Things were not so convenient then for Arthur and Fred had to cross the A428 every time they needed to use their privvy, it stood on the land where Mr Jones now has his garden. It was a wooden structure, inside was a box arrangement with two holes cut into the top — a small one for children and a larger one.
Carrying on along Coronation Road which was then known as Middle Lane or Gypsy Lane, because the Romanies would camp on the wide verge. They were very sociable people, and after they struck camp there was never any rubbish left behind. Before lighting their fires they would cut the turf away and afterwards they levelled the ground and replaced it.
Past the first gate (now a cattle grid is there) is a field on the left where Church Lawford Cricket Club had a pitch rented to them by Mr. Chalmers and Billy Denham, and many a good match was played there. Further on we come to Lodge Farm, at that time owned by Mr Chalmers and beyond the farm at the junction where now the roads branch to Wolston and Long Lawford was another road which cut across what is now the old airfield and this road was the main route to the A45 and Dunchurch Railway Station which was used regularly by farmers taking and fetching produce and goods to and from the station.
Coming back down Gypsy Lane (Middle Lane) there a fine plum orchard on the left and over the railway bridge on the right where the council houses are was once allotments kept by villagers in immaculate condition making an attractive sight.
Crossing the A428 from Coronation Road (Middle Lane) we come to School Street and on the left was the old school. This was a very good school and the Head Teacher was Miss Price and if some of the present day youngsters had been under her control there would be far less delinquents about. She was better with the cane than Barry McGuigan is with his fists. She wasn’t cruel although she ruled with a rod, not of iron but cane — she was strict but fair.
Past the school, also on the left were four thatched cottages and opposite to these next to the bakehouse was another pump which supplied water to the people living in School Street, except those at the Triangle, who had their own well. Burnhams Farm on the left was owned at that time by Mr. Dick Woodford..
The field where the school and playing field are today was always used by the village for its annual Wakes and Flower Show, which was one of the biggest in the district and drew large crowds from outside. There were usually three marquees, one for the flowers, another for fruit and vegetables and the third for fur and feather where a variety of rabbits, pigeons and other livestock were on display. There was also a fair with steam driven merry-go-rounds, swings and numerous side stalls. A popular event at the show was the “Greased Pig”. A young pig was greased and customers paid for the fun of catching it. The one who finally caught it – kept it
Carrying on down School Street, we come to the White Lion on the right where there was always plenty of entertainment and interest for villagers. One of the finest Rifle Clubs in the county was run from the pub as also were skittles, dominoes and cribbage teams. Everyone in the village seemed to use the pub and it also attracted many friends and relatives from outside the village, in fact it more or less served as an assembly hall for all who lived in the village, unfortunately this is no longer the case.
The Reading Room which stands on a piece of land belonging to the Duke of Buccleuch was presented to the village by the Misses Townsend. This was a well established venue for the younger generation at that time – a youth club was run from there and Alf Day and Chum Dyer were responsible for the hall. Inside were plenty of books and games to be used by everyone and all was much appreciated. Whist Drives and weekly dances were held and these attracted many from other villages.
The Old Rectory was occupied by the Rector who had two maids, a groom-cum-gardener because the Rector would visit his flock by pony and trap. Opposite on the right was the Post Office and shop run by Mr. and Mrs. Wright. The White House which stands back from the road was lived in by the Miller, who ran the mill at King’s Newnham
The Blacksmiths Shop where Alf Day worked was in Smithy Lane, the property was owned by Mr and Mrs Davies who were in the milk business and each day their two sons took milk by pony and float to deliver it in Coventry.
The council houses had not yet been built so we carry on now to King’s Newnham and The Hall, then owned by Mr Brierly. Being a large property, Mr Brierly employed many local men to work on his land and also two gardeners to keep his grounds in good order and his Dovecote was always full of birds.
The Mill by the river was in working order until the early 1920’s, sadly it depreciated and has become extinct. Up the hill in King’s Newnham is the Manor owned by Mr. Dunn who was also Chairman of the Rural District Council. Every Sunday morning he and his family would drive by carriage to the church at Newbold with Mr. Dunn up front in his top hat and carrying his whip,
Next to the Manor is Highfields which was the home of the Misses Townsend, they had a groom, Mr. Batchelor who lived in Smithy Lane. Later the Townsends were the first in the area to have a motor car – a Morris Cowley which was chauffeured by a Mr. Edmunds.
King’s Newnham boasted a bakehouse, this later became known as the Tap house as it contained the tap for the village. There were twenty houses there at the time – many have since been knocked down.
Mr Dennis Clarke lived at The Laurels, he was for many years a church warden and at the top of the hill, known as Hill View, the cottage where the Duke of Buccleuch’s gamekeeper lived and farther down towards the river were a group of houses, the land around which was rented by Mr Dunn for the breeding of show Shire Horses.
We cannot leave King’s Newnham without some mention of the three -ponds which were originally kept by the monks for storing and breeding carp which supplemented their food supply.
The Tower behind the Hall is also of interest, it was the tower of the church of St. Lawrence and looking at it from the east side you can see where the roof of the church abutted the tower. There used also to be a churchyard and in it was a tomb containing a lead coffin with an inscription stating that the eldest daughter of Lord and Lady Leigh had been laid to rest there.
Some years ago the Hall was put up for sale and it was described as ‘Queen Anne’s Residence” and it is known that during the Civil War 1642-1648 the Roundheads and Cavaliers were fighting in this area. It’s little wonder then that a ghost is purported to haunt the vicinity -but that’s another story.