Knowle, Devon

Knowle is a village near Braunton located on the A361 road between Ilfracombe and Barnstaple in North Devon, England. It is in the civil parish of Braunton. Knowle is situated near to the Iron Age fortification of Knowle Hill Castle. The number of people in Knowle expanded considerably in the 1960's with the building of a large number of bunglows which almost doubled the housing stock. As it was many who took up those early purchase were more likely to speak 'Brum' than westcountry. . . at the time there was a push for people from the Midlands to relocate to ease the housing issues under a policy know as 'over-spill'. The estate of about 50 bungalows were buily by the local builder 'Jimmy' James Dennis whose had all his own trades and workers and even ran his own sawmills and forestry to create the necessary wood. One old timer in the 90's, remembered cutting down the trees as a lad, having replanted the ground and then having cut down the trees that had grown in the intervening 50 years. . . and replanting again ! Jimmy lived on the small hill above the new houses towards the C of E but never had a problem with water for his garden or greenhouse. . . he had built a 'cistern' on the hill opposite, fed by a simple pipe laid into a stream that emerged from the top of that hill and laid a pipe right across the village to his house ! Knowle had 2 churches, C of E at the top of the hill (now closed) and a Methodist hall in the middle of the village. In the 60's there was a small shop by the main road, separate post office, garage and a pub, the 'Ebrington Arms' but currently apart from the Pub, the rest have been merged into the garage. In the 70's the pub was little changed from the way it had been built with a single room from each side of a central front door and a bar that extended into each room. In the 1980s the pub was extensively modified to cater for food services. Jimmy Dennis's old yard continues as a yard for several businesses but the trees are now safe !

Knowle is a village near Braunton located on the A361 road between Ilfracombe and Barnstaple in North Devon, England. It is in the civil parish of Braunton. Knowle is situated near to the Iron Age fortification of Knowle Hill Castle. The number of people in Knowle expanded considerably in the 1960's with the building of a large number of bunglows which almost doubled the housing stock. As it was many who took up those early purchase were more likely to speak 'Brum' than westcountry. . . at the time there was a push for people from the Midlands to relocate to ease the housing issues under a policy know as 'over-spill'. The estate of about 50 bungalows were buily by the local builder 'Jimmy' James Dennis whose had all his own trades and workers and even ran his own sawmills and forestry to create the necessary wood. One old timer in the 90's, remembered cutting down the trees as a lad, having replanted the ground and then having cut down the trees that had grown in the intervening 50 years. . . and replanting again ! Jimmy lived on the small hill above the new houses towards the C of E but never had a problem with water for his garden or greenhouse. . . he had built a 'cistern' on the hill opposite, fed by a simple pipe laid into a stream that emerged from the top of that hill and laid a pipe right across the village to his house ! Knowle had 2 churches, C of E at the top of the hill (now closed) and a Methodist hall in the middle of the village. In the 60's there was a small shop by the main road, separate post office, garage and a pub, the 'Ebrington Arms' but currently apart from the Pub, the rest have been merged into the garage. In the 70's the pub was little changed from the way it had been built with a single room from each side of a central front door and a bar that extended into each room. In the 1980s the pub was extensively modified to cater for food services. Jimmy Dennis's old yard continues as a yard for several businesses but the trees are now safe !