Caravans at Solomon's Post c1960
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This was taken at the time when the site was unauthorized and living conditions were primitive and the winters hard to endure. A few caravans had been present since about 1930 and word of mouth resulted in a steady accumulation of these most basic forerunners of 'affordable housing'. In the photo (above) small, two wheeled caravans can be seen, cut into the slope of the field with the backdrop of the Stoke valley below. Tiny wooden sheds served as privies. A few years later, larger, more permanent mobile homes moved onto the site and water and electricity installed. These upgrades ultimately would result in the demise of the caravan park. I can remember that these later homes were towed onto the site and had concrete footings, making them permanent dwellings.
By the early sixties, the authorities took an interest and the owners were forced to make an application to the local planning authority to license the field off Ridge Road as a legally permissible caravan park. This was granted on March 4th 1963, but after objections and several legal rulings, the permission was withdrawn and the site was cleared in the late eighties.
2 comments:
As a lad in my early years I visited Torquay in the summer of 1969 on a hitch hiking camping holiday. We were guided to a camp site called 'Solomon's Post'. I've looked for it many times and until now I have found no reference to it. Can anyone let me know exactly where it was / is.
In the early 1950's my Nan and Grandad, Bill and Ethil Raper, had a perminent caravan on this site,(a big Montrose) at the bottom of the firt field. It was enclosed in a fence with little flower beds around it. There was a Gentleman called Mr Rowley who lived in a green on in the same field. There was a smll shop near the entrance that sold Calor Gas amongst other things.
We had a caravan in the second field that we hired out during the summer. Unfortunately people did not take care of it so my Grandad made sure he was there to see them 'IN' and 'OUT' to check the inventory as they would try to steal anything, even the kettle and blankets. \At one stage they even attempted to take the Dustbin. During the winter months my Dad and I did any necessary repairs and made sure the roof was weatherproof.
I loved exploring the lanes and it was possible to walk to Newton Abbot without seeing a car or any transport at all. The hedgerows were full of birdsong. Beautiful memories of long ago now,a very different age. I am 78 years old.
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