The villages of Stoke St. Mary, Thurlbear and Orchard Portman.

WINTERWELL, THURLBEAR
Sixsmith Map 1957

The Shepherd with his flock - March 2003
Terry Rowles has been working with Suffolk Cross Sheep for 50 years
The year 2003 at Winterwell has been very special.
During 17 days from 28th February to 16th March, 12 Suffolk Cross Ewes
produced 6 sets of twins and 4 sets of triplets - The best year ever at Winterwell.
This devotion to Shepherding provides to Terry the inner strength
that enables him to endure his illness.

Behold the Lamb...

16th March 2002. Terry 70 years young. A celebration at The Half Moon.

Photographs by alanprime
and Jenny - Terry's sister

Photograph May 2001 by Terry Rowles.
Winterwell with his mother.

Photograph c.1995
Photograph c.1995

New signs for Badger Street and Winterwell erected August 2001
Photograph October 2001 by Jenny of Winterwell.

The 19th century policy of combining the farms has ben partially reversed in the 20th century. Today Thurlbear is divided into six farms and four small holdings. Of the four holdings Mr. Harding owns Winterwell which has 15 acres. He is a retired farmer from Milverton and is one of the Churchwardens, Mr. Morse being the other.
...The whole of Thurlbear, save the Church and School, is therefore administered by the Crown Receiver, with the exception of the house 'Winterwell' and the old farm house at Netherclay in private hands.
Source: A History of Thurlbear. R. A. Sixsmith. (1957).

Left -
Terry with his 6'-6", 60 pound Conger Eel
caught at Porlock.
Above -
Terry with a 27lb Blond Ray caught at Porlock.
The boat is the Lyn Marie skippered by Derek Purvis
who shares the scales with Terry. The catch won Terry
much national acclaim in the Sunday Newspapers.
Looking on is Barry Drew.

AUDREY'S POND
Winterwell, June 2001.
Terry, his Mum and Smuts
at Winterwell's pond.
Audrey had always wanted
to design and supervise
her own pond and this was
accomplished in 1999.

Terry and Audrey

Stoke St. Mary Church

Wedding Day

26th March 1955

A Cupressus Macrocarpa with a girth of 27 feet,
at the entrance to Winterwell.

1859-1861 It is troubling to learn that in recent years there had been a spate of thefts of wall-boxes in Somerset, with some of the oldest boxes in the country being stolen and removed from their rural settings. This listVictorian box at Winterwell was such a casualty. Dating from 1859-1861 it was one of the oldest in the country. Post boxes of varying design were introduced in 1840 following the introduction of the Uniform Penny post. This photograph was originally taken after the removal of the postbox on the wall of the barn but the postbox has been photographically reimposed in an attempt to restore the earlier appearance.
Photographic Artwork: Alan Prime,
Mount Pleasant, Stoke St. Mary.

Internet link to TDBC Listed Buildings - Orchard Portman

Listed Buildings WALL LETTER BOX AT NGR ST 2597 2039, ORCHARD PORTMAN Grade : II List Entry Date : 21 February 1986 Wallbox. 1859-1861. By Smith and Hawkes of Birmingham for the Post Office. Cast iron. A rare example of which only 48 are known to survive in the country. (The Letterbox Study Group).

Stream from Winterwell to Broughton Brook.

Showing the culvert from Winterwell,
beneath the road nearby.

View of Stoke St Mary from Winterwell, Thurlbear.
Photograph by Jenny, the sister of Terry Rowles.

The Officiating minister
of the wedding of Terry and Audrey Rowles
The Revd. Robert Septimus Jones
with Mrs. Dorothy Jones
Stoke St. Mary Church, 26th March 1955

Visit to Menin Gate,
Ypres, Flanders - April 2002
Terry with his son-in-law George at Ypres showing top left - The Menin Gate. The Gate commemorates the 64,000 dead who have no known grave. Top right is Terry beneath the Menin Gate Arch at "The Last Post" ceremony attended by a large number of people and local dignitaries. A wreath was laid and six buglers played the "Last Post". A very emotional time for everyone...

Photograph at the entrance to Winterwell awaiting the coach to London for The Royal British Legion Festival of Remembrance - Saturday 13th November 2004.
L to R Dennis Parsons;
Mr Bond; Margaret Salter; Graham Salter's brother; Graham Salter; Howard Drew; Terry Rowles; Mr J Richards.

Two old timers commemorating the Golden Jubilee and Terry's 50 years of association with the Half Moon.

Terry Rowles met up with Doug Randles
of Walford Cross in May 2003, 52 years
after their first meeting at Sherford Camp, Taunton.
Both men were in the Royal Corp of Signals in 1951,
Photographs right and below of their days
at Sherford Camp.

Morning has broken
May 2001
at Winterwell
Photograph
by Terry Rowles.

The day thou gavest,
Lord, is ended.
October 2001
at Winterwell
Photograph
by Terry Rowles.

Burns Night 25th January 2006 at Hatch Beauchamp Village Hall.
Valerie third from right.

Terry Rowles met up with Doug Randles of Walford Cross in May 2003, 52 years after their first meeting at Sherford Camp, Taunton. Both men were in the Royal Corp of Signals in 1951, Photographs right and below of their days at Sherford Camp.