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The old homestead

Completed in November 1910, Westbury was built on land adjoining the family farm by Tom Price.

It is typical of a late Victorian/Edwardian style that can be seen all over the Forest.  It is made from dressed stone from the Cannop Quarries.  It looks bigger than it is.  Very thick walls mean the inside is a little smaller than the outside.  A sort of reverse TARDIS.

Tom Price had an interesting history, he was a lay preacher with the Pillowell Methodist Circuit for well over 60 years, one-time manager of the Pillowell and Yorkley Co-op and keeper of the village store that once graced Claremont House Yorkley.   He was born on 23rd December 1876 and was still alive in 1971 when a book covering his life story, entitled 60 Years Behind the Counter, was published by his son in law George E. Lawrence.

Tom appears in the above photograph in the back row 4th from the left.

 

George Lawrence was a popular Methodist pastor who published a number of small books from Westbury House.  The other I have in my possession is Kindling the Flame, 150 years of Methodism in the Forest of Dean, published in 1974 which is a collection of essays.  George passed away in the 1980's and we bought the house from his widow, Tom Price's daughter, Marjorie in 1992.

George spent many years in the West Indies and spent at least 10 years based in Montserrat.  He retired in 1968, settled in Pillowell and became pastor for the Whitecroft and Pillowell churches.

The adjacent farm is still occupied by the Price family and although the current occupant has retired from full time work he continues to run the farm. He keeps the odd beef animal and provides rented pasture for horses and sheep.