Lion Inn, Timberscombe, 1925
Title
Lion Inn, Timberscombe, 1925
Subject
Description
A photograph of Lion Inn, facing the Village Square of Timberscombe, with two young women and a dog at it's front entrance. The photograph is dated, on the reverse, as 1925.
On the pub's left wall is an arched entry that is also seen at item reference SP-005, a photograph dated c. 1910 (or perhaps a bit later). By the 1950's another opening, with stable doors, will exist in this area (1), also later to be enclosed.
The photograph seen here indicates that by 1925, a new porch has been built. SP-005 shows a simple doorway with only an arched covering over it. The 1925 porch is basically the porch that survives to modern times. Also since SP-005, the rectangular stone corner details have been added as a trim on the front left and right edges of the building. "LION INN", as painted over the porch, is larger than the earlier photograph but has not yet been altered to "THE LION INN", as it will be by around 1955 when the pub is repainted (2).
There has probably been a public house at this site since the 1600's (3). The building in this photograph is known to have been on this site, operating as an ale house called The Boot, by 1820. Nearby was another pub, Red Lion, operated by the Spurrier family, in Timberscombe since 1724, which had closed, becoming a private residence. The Boot became Lion Inn by 1841, with some rebuilding. The new ownership had probably been associated with the former Red Lion (4).
To the left of Lion Inn, is the junction where Brook Street meets Great House Street and Jubilee Terrace begins. Lion Inn faces what is considered the centre of Timberscombe, sometimes called the Village Square. On the right of Lion Inn, Church Street begins. Two doorways can be seen, the first of a row of four cottages. A bit of the first doorway is visible at No. 1 Church Street, later in the century also known as Norman Cottage. A curved metal porch (that survived until 2020) is over the second cottage, No. 3 Church Street.
This photograph was donated to the St. Petrock's History Group by Angie Gummer in 2019. Her father, Derek Poole, had originally been given it by Kenneth Grabham, a lifelong resident of Timberscombe, from 1920 to 2007 (5). His cousin, William Grabham, had been the blacksmith in Timberscombe since c. 1889 and at the Old Forge, directly across from Lion Inn, since at least 1901 (6), remaining until his death in 1911 (7). Kenneth's father, Sam Grabham continued the family smithing tradition, moving to Cowbridge Mill, c. 1911, where, in 1938, Kenneth joined him, smithing until his retirement in 1993 (8). William's son, Robert John Grabham, succeeded his father, working as the blacksmith at the Old Forge until at least 1919 (9).
On the pub's left wall is an arched entry that is also seen at item reference SP-005, a photograph dated c. 1910 (or perhaps a bit later). By the 1950's another opening, with stable doors, will exist in this area (1), also later to be enclosed.
The photograph seen here indicates that by 1925, a new porch has been built. SP-005 shows a simple doorway with only an arched covering over it. The 1925 porch is basically the porch that survives to modern times. Also since SP-005, the rectangular stone corner details have been added as a trim on the front left and right edges of the building. "LION INN", as painted over the porch, is larger than the earlier photograph but has not yet been altered to "THE LION INN", as it will be by around 1955 when the pub is repainted (2).
There has probably been a public house at this site since the 1600's (3). The building in this photograph is known to have been on this site, operating as an ale house called The Boot, by 1820. Nearby was another pub, Red Lion, operated by the Spurrier family, in Timberscombe since 1724, which had closed, becoming a private residence. The Boot became Lion Inn by 1841, with some rebuilding. The new ownership had probably been associated with the former Red Lion (4).
To the left of Lion Inn, is the junction where Brook Street meets Great House Street and Jubilee Terrace begins. Lion Inn faces what is considered the centre of Timberscombe, sometimes called the Village Square. On the right of Lion Inn, Church Street begins. Two doorways can be seen, the first of a row of four cottages. A bit of the first doorway is visible at No. 1 Church Street, later in the century also known as Norman Cottage. A curved metal porch (that survived until 2020) is over the second cottage, No. 3 Church Street.
This photograph was donated to the St. Petrock's History Group by Angie Gummer in 2019. Her father, Derek Poole, had originally been given it by Kenneth Grabham, a lifelong resident of Timberscombe, from 1920 to 2007 (5). His cousin, William Grabham, had been the blacksmith in Timberscombe since c. 1889 and at the Old Forge, directly across from Lion Inn, since at least 1901 (6), remaining until his death in 1911 (7). Kenneth's father, Sam Grabham continued the family smithing tradition, moving to Cowbridge Mill, c. 1911, where, in 1938, Kenneth joined him, smithing until his retirement in 1993 (8). William's son, Robert John Grabham, succeeded his father, working as the blacksmith at the Old Forge until at least 1919 (9).
Creator
Anonymous
Source
Date
1925
Contributor
Language
English
Identifier
Lion Inn / Timberscombe / village centre
Acquisition Date
2019
Acquisition Method
Gift
Category
PLACES: Pub / Timberscombe
Condition
Good
Condition Notes
Entered by Tom Sperling
Condition Date
2020
Dimension Type
W X L
Dimension Units
cm
Dimension Value
12 X 20
Institution Name
St. Petrock's History Group
Notes
(1) the stable doors are visible at SP-013, a photograph likely from the later 1950's or earlier 1960's (2) "THE LION INN", visible at SP-009, dated 1955 or SP-101, dated 1961 (3) Victoria County History.ac.uk and as recounted by Timberscombe residents (4) VCH (5) Family History Resources, forebears.co.uk/Births and viewing Mr. Grabham's gravestone at St. Petrock's Church (6) Kelly's Directory of Somerset (1889) (7) UK and Ireland, Find A Grave Index, 1300s-Current (8) Historic Environment Record, Exmoor National Park, SEM8425, TIMBERSCOMBE 1910 LIST OF RESIDENTS, minehead-online.co.uk and as recalled in 2018 by Sarah Hill of Minehead, the daughter of Kenneth Grabham (9) Kelly's Directory of Somerset (1919)
Storage Location
St. Petrock's History Group Archive
Storage Date
2020
Storage Notes
St. Petrock's History Group PHOTOGRAPHS
Item Reference
SP-006
Technique
Copy of original photograph
Citation
Anonymous, “Lion Inn, Timberscombe, 1925,” St. Petrock's History Group, accessed May 3, 2024, https://stpetrockshistorygroup.omeka.net/items/show/3258.
Comments