Catstone Hill Farm, Strelley


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I am just being nosey here as I have now become interested in the whereabouts of Catstone Hill Farm. Doing my deliveries today I have been to Turkey Field Farm. I came up Robinettes Lane from Cossall Village. I can't usually get far up the lane to Turkey Field as there is a gate and the owner of Turkey Field doesn't have a key. (Its not his gate). However today I followed a lorry through and was able to drive up to Turkey Field Farm. Did my delivery and was allowed out through the top gate giving me access over the M1 into Strelley Village. I came out directly opposite Strelley Hall. Was Catsone Hill Farm near here and have I just driven up the lane highlighted in the picture above?

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@The Pianoman You couldn't have driven up the lane in my photo as this is only a bridlepath/service road and is closed both ends to traffic (unless you are Severn Trent and have a key). Basically from Turkey Fields Farm, drive over the M1 bridge, turn right into Strelley Village, go past the church and after 100 yards the road bends sharply to the left. Park on this corner (there's plenty of parking room), walk past the barrier and about 200 yards along the bridlepath and there's a gate on the right saying 'Private' (this is owned by Severn Trent as a road leading to the reservoir). This gate is now shown on the photo I posted (top right). There's no problem going through this gate as the lane is used all the time by dog-walkers like myself. Walk to the end of the lane (another 200 yards) and there's a cattle grid with an old wooden gate. If you go up to this gate and look over a few yards slightly to the right, you'll notice that the colour and vegetation of the ground is different to the rest of the field. This is where the old farm stood (I think). Good luck.

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Excellent! The old map confirms the exact location of the farm I provided on my aerial view posted previously. Good find. To the right of the farm on your map you can also see the old 'Sandybanks Quarry' as we called it (marked 'Sand Pit'). This was filled in using bricks and debris from the St. Ann's Housing Estate clearance around 1969/70. As kids we had hours of after-school fun playing in the old disused quarry. Imagine the H+S officialdom that would exist today to prevent access to the site. If you climb to the top of the hill here you can still find the original Catstone boulders (made up of conglomerate rock). These are placed in a circle surrounding a bowl shaped depression on the hill  - apparently the name 'Catstone' could be a corruption of cap-stone. I've also heard locally that the keystone of the circle was accidentally buried when filling the quarry. I'm not an historian but I know the circle is supposedly ancient and to this day attracts Druids to it, especially during the equinox. all very interesting.

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  • 5 months later...

Please excuse my rather rude absence from this topic, and thanks to all who have contributed in the interim.  The family links are fascinating. Special thanks to Cliff Ton and Steve Allcock for the mapping posts which usefully confirm my own findings.   I've been busy working on various projects, one of which continues to be the proposed "1911 Census Walk" leaflet for All Saints church.  Unfortunately my involvement in issues of building remediation/restoration for the church is taking priority ... the leaking roof, the eroded exterior stonework, bits of broken C.14 stained glass... the list is endless...   But I produced a lot of info on the 1911 Census for the churches 2015 exhibition "Strelley At War", and I just need to mesh that onto the census route and check out access issues... I will get there! 

 In the meantime, I would recommend a new publication by Strelley's local historian Dr David Clifford -"Two Villages and the Great War".  It is full of family history, statistical data ; his publications are available in church or online from Amazon and Moorleys. 

Amazon review:  "Amazon Product Description:  135 men associated with the two villages were of military age during the Great War of 1914-18. Their military records have been searched and, where found, recorded here. This book puts names to the men who went to fight and in some cases faces to the names. A profile of the lives of these men and their families, before, during and after the war has been constructed wherever possible. This includes births, deaths, family, marriage, employment, diet and living conditions: wherever possible details are illustrated with photographs. Their war records, regiment, rank, places served and battles fought in are detailed. The broad demographics of the time are summarised: living conditions, diet, life expectancy, housing and wages. Details of the military of the time are introduced including volunteering, conscription, physical fitness criteria and medals available and how they were awarded to the men of Bilborough and Strelley." 

If you are interested please visit the All Saints website, where I have posted a Publications page:  link is  http://www.allsaintsch, urchstrelley.org.uk .  Or visit the church, have a chat and a cuppa and a good browse.  We still have the WW1 Centenary Exhibition on display, and also a Churchyard wildlife one.  Church Open Days are listed on the website. 

Thanks again for all the lovely input on this site.   SUE

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