IHSInkpen Audio Tape of 1975
The history group have digitised and present here audio tracks produced from the 1975 tape recording. These are shown here as mp3 tracks.
For clarity, the name Inkpen is derived from two saxon words 'inge' and 'penne', meaning hilltop enclosure. The name Ingepenne appears in a charter of 935AD. It has nothing to do with a lady called 'Inga'.
Click on the following tracks to play them individually.
The following are more recently recorded interviews with some senior residents of Inkpen:
Reuben Annetts, (1876) - (male, retired blacksmith and agricultural engineer). Here, Reuben talks about his role as the local pig-killer. Inglewood (just to the north of Inkpen), Kintbury (just to the northeast), West Woodhay (just to the southeast), Ham (just to the west) and Combe (just to the southwest) are all nearby villages. Newbury is a town to the east of Inkpen and Hungerford a town to the northwest.
Audio Track, image (1, 2)
An interview with Joyce Uprichard, (1923) - recorded by Mrs Anne Wilson in 2010. The beaker-people pots were discovered by Joyce's father in the 1930's and Joyce describes the event.
Extract-people An interview with Sally Colquhoun, (1936) - recorded 27th March 2025. Sally and her parents have lived at Rolfe's Farm since 1936. Her Father was an internationally renowned surgeon and her mother an actress in movies of the 1920s and 30s.
Audio Track
An interview with Jean May, (1936) - recorded 13th March 2025. Jean was born in Box Cottage in December 1940 and recounts her memories of growing up in Inkpen. This was before the NHS, before Inkpen had electricity, before mains water. Her early memories are of war - WW2.
Audio Track
An Interview with Moira Marriott, (1937) - John Marriott's father was at the signing of the treaty of Versailles, and John was at the sinking of the Bismark. Moira came to Inkpen in 1962 and took up the reins of running a household, later becoming involved in wider community life.
Audio Track
Audio Track 2 - Who's who at the signing of the treaty ending WW1
An interview with Shirley Bailey, (1938) - whose husband Peter worked at the Inkpen saw mill throughout his working life, starting as an apprentice. The saw mill made coffins, wheelbarrows, fencing, all kinds of bespoke items. The sawmill closed in 1975.
The history group have digitised and present here audio tracks produced from the 1975 tape recording. These are shown here as mp3 tracks.
For clarity, the name Inkpen is derived from two saxon words 'inge' and 'penne', meaning hilltop enclosure. The name Ingepenne appears in a charter of 935AD. It has nothing to do with a lady called 'Inga'.
Click on the following tracks to play them individually.
| Track | Title | |
| 1 ,,,,, | Combe Gibbet and Inkpen Beaker | |
| 2 ,,,,, | Pottery | |
| 3 ,,,,, | The Sawmills and the Edwards Family | |
| 4 ,,,,, | Weaving and Puddlewharf Cottage | |
| 5 ,,,,, | Bert Annett | |
| 6 ,,,,, | Gen. Channing-Williams | |
| 7 ,,,,, | Lillian Watts and Inkpen Common | |
| 8 ,,,,, | The Black Legend | |
| 9 ,,,,, | Inkpen School | |
| 10 ,,,,, | St Michael's Church | |
| 11 ,,,,, | Honor Goodhart and Inkpen WI | |
| 12 ,,,,, | John Marriott | |
| 13 ,,,,, | Acknowledgements |
The following are more recently recorded interviews with some senior residents of Inkpen:
Reuben Annetts, (1876) - (male, retired blacksmith and agricultural engineer). Here, Reuben talks about his role as the local pig-killer. Inglewood (just to the north of Inkpen), Kintbury (just to the northeast), West Woodhay (just to the southeast), Ham (just to the west) and Combe (just to the southwest) are all nearby villages. Newbury is a town to the east of Inkpen and Hungerford a town to the northwest.
Audio Track, image (1, 2)
An interview with Joyce Uprichard, (1923) - recorded by Mrs Anne Wilson in 2010. The beaker-people pots were discovered by Joyce's father in the 1930's and Joyce describes the event.
Extract-people An interview with Sally Colquhoun, (1936) - recorded 27th March 2025. Sally and her parents have lived at Rolfe's Farm since 1936. Her Father was an internationally renowned surgeon and her mother an actress in movies of the 1920s and 30s.
Audio Track
An interview with Jean May, (1936) - recorded 13th March 2025. Jean was born in Box Cottage in December 1940 and recounts her memories of growing up in Inkpen. This was before the NHS, before Inkpen had electricity, before mains water. Her early memories are of war - WW2.
Audio Track
An Interview with Moira Marriott, (1937) - John Marriott's father was at the signing of the treaty of Versailles, and John was at the sinking of the Bismark. Moira came to Inkpen in 1962 and took up the reins of running a household, later becoming involved in wider community life.
Audio Track
Audio Track 2 - Who's who at the signing of the treaty ending WW1
An interview with Shirley Bailey, (1938) - whose husband Peter worked at the Inkpen saw mill throughout his working life, starting as an apprentice. The saw mill made coffins, wheelbarrows, fencing, all kinds of bespoke items. The sawmill closed in 1975.
Audio
Track
A conversation with John Bance, (1943) - John describes the location of various facilities that no longer exist in Inkpen, including Christchurch church, St Lawrence's church, shops, along with swimming in the canal.
Audio Track
Some British Library on-line content is unavailable following a recent hacking incident
Working Conditions in the late 19th Century audio file
Cattle Farming in the early 20th Century audio file
A conversation with John Bance, (1943) - John describes the location of various facilities that no longer exist in Inkpen, including Christchurch church, St Lawrence's church, shops, along with swimming in the canal.
Audio Track
Some British Library on-line content is unavailable following a recent hacking incident
Working Conditions in the late 19th Century audio file
Cattle Farming in the early 20th Century audio file