Needles and Haystacks - can you help us?

As Alex explained, in her shining first blog entry for 2012, this year we will walk. It should come as no surprise to hear that this will not be without challenge.  So first I will explain the background to our challenge choice. 

Many years ago a neighbour, Bob Ewers (sadly now dead), told me a story of his working life. Bob was Roger's grandfather. Roger is Vicky's partner and Bob was born and bred in Ashendon. He wasn't one for 'reminiscing the country life' because it was just normal life to him. So he surprised me one day when he told me how, as a young lad, he had first been employed to drive animals (sheep and cattle) to market - along the byways to market (in Thame). Starting out, he was given money to buy lemonade on arrival at the market pub, eventually (at an appropriate age) the amount increased so that he could buy a beer and the best bit was when he was promoted from foot to horseback. His story, though brief, was of lost times and lost places and it absolutely captured my heart. I often walk out of Pollicott toward Chearsley and wonder if I am following Bob's foot/hoof prints and I would truly love to know his route. 

Having decided our charity this year would be The Alzheimer's Society we Belles had lots of 'planning meetings' and 'what to do' conversations. Memory is a good Alzheimer's theme that led us to 'a walk down memory lane' and that led to the green lanes of the past and then eventually all linked up to Bob's story. But, as attractive as it sounds, Bob's route from Thame to Pollicott is not a big enough challenge for us girls to command big sponsorship for. Our ideas did get a bit over creative with the suggestion that "we could borrow a few sheep and cows!" and then another conversation clicked into place. 

On our arrival back from the first Pollicott Belles Challenge - Cycling The Ridgeway - we were greeted in style by 'The Village' at a village 'do' in Pollicott. And it was here our challenge was destined to be. Geoff Curtis an Ashendon Farmer (who is also sadly no longer with us) was very excited to hear we had travelled The Ridgeway passing through East Ilsley where "the largest sheep fair in the country" is held. Geoff went on to chat about good times, and happy memories, of sheep market days in East Ilsley. It was one of the longest conversations I ever had with Geoff and it was, truly, inspirational. I guess also that, in past times, local farmers and their employees, will have walked to that market in East Ilsley. 

So, there you have it - our challenge is a Walk along Memory Lane from East Ilsley back to Pollicott, via Thame - it may be subject to some variance but in essence that is the plan.  

Fittingly, given our charity this year, the initial challenge is more mental than physical. I thought the easiest way to explain why is to share the 2 responses I have had so far to an e-mail sent to several local history and archive organisations. 

Here goes:

FROM ME: Dear (Local History/Archivist)

I am hoping you may be able to help me kick off some research into ‘droving’ routes in Bucks and Oxon. I would like to find out more about the routes used from villages to the local market towns to drive sheep/cattle and about the recorded routes between market towns and central markets. Do you have records of the routes generally used or know where I could find out more?

The purpose is to plan a charity walk from Upper Pollicott, Ashendon to Thame and from Thame to East Ilsley following the route a neighbour/grandfather used to take when driving sheep to market.

THE REPLIES: 

Dear Ms Miller, Thank you for your email enquiry regarding droving routes in Bucks. That sort of historical information is more likely held at the ... 

AND 

Thank you for your email and enquiry concerning routes used by drovers to drive livestock to market. Unfortunately the routes that drovers used are difficult to recreate, except when, as in your case, they have been passed down by word of mouth. You are very fortunate to have this information.

A few months ago we came across some papers of a drover who had gone bankrupt. Two of his account books had been kept amongst the Quarter Sessions papers. It was lucky for posterity that we had them, because in the books he wrote what he paid at each toll gate to pass through as well as the charges he had to pay to overnight his livestock. In this way we were able to plot his route which ran from near Aylesbury to London, via Amersham and Little Chalfont. I don't know of any other routes drovers used. You could try...

That's the total result of our research so far - oh and I have a book that lists drovers' routes from Brill to Oxford, Oxford to Wantage, and Wantage to Goring with a cut off to East Ilsley. So there is a way but it's just not quite in the right direction!

We will share what we learn over the coming months. However, this time round The Pollicott Belles would really appreciate it if anyone can help us to piece together a route that genuinely follows in the footsteps of our forbears. Please get in touch if you can. Many thanks. 

Sian