Anyone remember Dyrham Stables from years ago???

[mytwofriends]

Seeing as how there are quite a few nostalgia threads around at the moment, I was wondering whether anyone out there remembered riding at Dyrham Stables in the late 70's/early 80's when they were at Dyrham Park (they moved over to Hinton eventually) .... ?

They were beautiful, huge stables in a cobbled yard right at the back of Dyrham House, and we used to ride up into the park daily amongst the deer. It was a riding school at the time with only a handful of liveries, but not your average riding school .... the rides were fabulous and very fast, and there were some lovely horses and ponies there! I could name some of them to this day

Then the business grew and the YO's had a brand new livery yard built over in Hinton (which is now the Dressage yard under new ownership). I had a couple of horses at livery there, and we were still able to hack over to Dyrham Park, and around the neighbouring villages which, at the time, were tiny with almost no traffic.

Happy days!

 

[rosie fronfelen]

i used to ride there most sundays, good way to sort out the hangover from the night before!! This was late 60s. i cant remenber the young lady's name who ran it but us as a gang loved it, a couple of pubs by there which were handy, especially the one on the main road just off the M4!! its a pity things change-

 

[juliag]

I rode there a few times when my school put on rides there. Cant remember it much, seem to remember a few skinny TB type horses with either loose or no shoes at all. I remember a particulally poor chestnut who was lame on the road between the stables and the park. When I pointed this out I was told dont worry he will be fine when he gets on the grass. Which he was, he went like the wind. Sorry if my memories are not quite as good as yours, but I do remember having great fun, fabulous gallops and I did go back for more!!
Does anybody remember mrs Ridleys riding school at Englishcombe in Bath . I bought my first pony 'Dover' from her or montpelliers in weston, bath?

 

[rosie fronfelen]

my riding school was at Sally Bell's at Trowle Common,in Trowbridge- dare i say it, in 1958!!!!! Bloody good instructor though.

 

[juliag]

my riding school was at Sally Bell's at Trowle Common,in Trowbridge- dare i say it, in 1958!!!!! Bloody good instructor though.

Well I wasnt born until 1967 lol!! Have gone to widbrook in Bradford on Avon though a few times over the years.

 

[rosie fronfelen]

i lived in Bradford for a few years, but memory not so good, where was Widbrook?

 

[nativetyponies]

Miss Fry and Mrs Forbes at St George stables Marling Road Bristol...mid to late 60's

 

[juliag]

widbrook was a riding school (still there today) and Arabian stud on the main road between Bradford on Avon and Trowbridge on the left just after the bridge. There was i seem to remember another riding school right opposite Widbrook but I cant remember what it was called.
And just outside of Bath at Midford was midford valley riding stables as well. This is showing my age now!

 

[nativetyponies]

i also remember Mrs Margaret..(never called her by her surname) at Ston Easton on the A39

 

[monkeybum13]

I keep my horse is Doynton and Dyrham Park really is beautiful. (Infact all the area is, I really like South Glos and the close proximity to Bath)
I love riding along the bridlepath which goes along the edge, next year we'll be looking into buying keys to ride around the park itself

ETA: the villages are still small with very little traffic ie Abson, Doynton, Dyrham, Hinton etc and if you cross over the A46 to West Littleton, Westend Town (sounds posh, it' about 3 farm houses )

 

[nativetyponies]

Does anybody remember mrs Ridleys riding school at Englishcombe in Bath . I bought my first pony 'Dover' from her

was that on Bloomfield Road?

 

[rosie fronfelen]

isnt there a RDA school on the Trowbridge road out of Bradford- a friend works there. Also i remember Midford valley, when i moved from The Shambles in Bradford, i movedto Limpley Stoke hill for a while.

 

[nativetyponies]

Are you a West Country Girl then rosie?

 

[rosie fronfelen]

i also remember Mrs Margaret..(never called her by her surname) at Ston Easton on the A39

NP,do you remember Bathway farm in Chewton Mendip?

 

[miss_c]

White Cat all the way for me!

 

[nativetyponies]

NP,do you remember Bathway farm in Chewton Mendip?

yes, i do...the Mendip Farmers went from there..Green Ore way

 

[rosie fronfelen]

Are you a West Country Girl then rosie?

yes, born in Trowbridge.

 

[monkeybum13]

White Cat all the way for me!

And me

 

[nativetyponies]

White Cat all the way for me!

Now that was a fab yard in the early 70's

 

[nativetyponies]

yes, born in Trowbridge.

Ah...

 

[miss_c]

NP I still have Paula for lessons!

 

[nativetyponies]

NP I still have Paula for lessons!

NO!!

 

[rosie fronfelen]

yes, i do...the Mendip Farmers went from there..Green Ore way

on Chewton side of Nedge hill, shared a cottage there and worked at Bathway when it was a racing stables- 67-69 then 76-77.

 

[nativetyponies]

on Chewton side of Nedge hill, shared a cottage there and worked at Bathway when it was a racing stables- 67-69 then 76-77.

you are at a guess, probably about 10 years older than me by what you are saying...but i can remember the Pointers at Bathway..

 

[monkeybum13]

Talking about white cat did any of you know Ann Lewis at Henfield?
That's where my mum, instructor and lots of their friends learnt to ride.

My mum also used to work with the son of the person who used to run Dyrham.

 

[miss_c]

Np - yes!

 

[rosie fronfelen]

you are at a guess, probably about 10 years older than me by what you are saying...but i can remember the Pointers at Bathway..

iam 60 next month, at Bathway it was Ted Fisher and Judy Millar in those days, both dead now obviously- i loved the place. Pointers as in the surname, or point to point? they were NH horses, which moved yards from Devon to there and i moved up with them.

 

[Countrygirl]

Oh my god - White Cat. I spent many hours then when I was shipped off to my grandparents for the school holidays, with pony in tow!!!
Paula was fabulous, I was also luck enough to have lessons with Jo Grace.
I remember Knobby, Copper and a gorgeous littel dun pony called Pepsi and Paula's dressage horse Micheal.
What happened to it? I always have a look when I am driving along the motorway.

 

[nativetyponies]

iam 60 next month, at Bathway it was Ted Fisher and Judy Millar in those days, both dead now obviously- i loved the place. Pointers as in the surname, or point to point? they were NH horses, which moved yards from Devon to there and i moved up with them.

Pointers as in PTP....

 

[miss_c]

Awww Mr Grace... He's still going! Saw him at Mrs Gough's funeral about 2 1/2 years ago now.

Knobby finally went in about 2005, he was ancient!

Paula sold, and it's being run as a livery yard until it's built on. Personally I wouldn't have my horse there, but there are horses on the yard.