Bill Kilby’s Walton

On a cold, dark evening in early February 2020 I went to speak to Bill & Anne Kilby about the history of Walton since Bill arrived in the village aged 4.

Bill and his family first moved to Hall Parks Farm, from Brook Hall Farm, Wighill on 4th April 1947, the same day his mother went into the local maternity hospital (Hazelwood Castle) to give birth to his younger brother. There was no electricity, mains water and one downstairs room even had a soil floor. The farmhouse dates back to the 1300s with a new wing extension dating from 1836.

Bill walked me through the changes in the village over the last years - starting with the cricket club which was then up through the pub yard, the pavilion was an old railway carriage, the wicket was the only thing that was cut short, the rest of the outfield was long grass and a few nettles and thistles, so you didn’t get many two’s and three’s, usually single runs or a four. Walking up Main Street away from the pub, the junction was much simpler with a triangle of grass, no-one ever knew who had the right of way, thankfully there wasn’t as many cars in those days. Forge House was a joinery and wheelwright owned by John Harker making wheels for horse carts. Across the road was a small grass paddock belonging to the Old Hall. This has now been developed into two dwellings. Further up the street was the village shop owned by Mr & Mrs Thorley and later in the mid 1950s was taken over by Mr & Mrs Keighley. The shop itself which was tiny sold everything from a ‘pin to an elephant’, newspapers, cigarettes. and even vegetables from their extensive garden at the back of the shop. Mr Keighley would check the light bulbs in his own light socket to make sure they worked before they were sold to a customer. They also had a paper round in the village and along Grange Avenue. They later took over the Post Office from the Old Post House when it closed. Anne remembers Mrs Keighley, who was a very petite, prim & proper lady and was always immaculately ‘made up’

with beautifully manicured painted nails. The shop was later converted back to a house before being sold to the current owner. During the war and until the early 1950s the Jenkinsons at Croft House supplied concentrated orange juice to the village children. It was very sticky, didn’t taste very nice but was done as part of the government’s drive to ensure all children received their Vitamin C.

At Holly Cottage Roland Kay and his son Frank were agricultural contractors. They had threshing machines, a combine harvester and balers, they kept these in the yard which now has been developed into two houses - Sunrise & Wren Cottage. Walnut Farm was a dairy farm belonging to Alan & Lilian Smith. During the summer they would walk their cows up and down Main Street to grazing land on Hall Park Road and the local kids would play hopscotch ‘in and out’ of the cow muck they left on the road (this gave me a good giggle). It became Cooper’s coal yard in the 1960s. St Peter’s Church stood as ‘majestic’ then as it is today. For many years Reverend Lionel Griffiths was the vicar for Walton & Thorp Arch. Moor Farm/Ivy House belonged to the Simpson family and both of these have now been developed into private dwellings. The Old Post House (at the top of the village looking down the village street) was the Post Office run by Mrs Jewitt. The front door took you straight into her room and her dining room table was the counter. The orchard belonging to the Post Office has now been developed into two large houses. The Village Hall was then known as the Village Institute. Very good dances were held there regularly, there was a very well attended Youth Club which along with many other village events was the centre of village entertainment. More from Bill’s memories in the next issue!