Middlezoy. Last updated 26^th Nov 2011

This page contains a selection of old postcards views of the village dating from the early part of the 1900’s, and new photos from recent times for comparison.

There are a number of interesting buildings including the church, several Methodist chapels, old thatched houses and farmhouses, and many other interesting features.

The picture above is part of an old postcard view, and shows an old thatched house on the left, that used to stand along Main Road, near Kicks hill. It is thought that Annie and Gillie Millard lived in this house during the 1920’s & 30’s.

Jim Kick lived with his brother Cecil in the white house on the right. Cecil used a 2 seater Morris Cowley and changed it into a motor mower. Bert Biddlecombe, who was brought up in Iddlesly House, just around the corner on the right, designed and built the first one, Cecil Kick built the second one, and Walter Bown of ‘The Stores’, main road, built the third one in the village. (Picture immediately below)

The above paragraph of info was provided by the late Mr W C Bown (Walter, Walt or Wally Bown) on 050108.

Take a trip up Main Road from the George Inn to Kick’s Hill and J Bown’s Stores.

https://skydrive.live.com/?sc=photos&cid=f2f65a21417102d0#cid=F2F65A21417102D0&id=F2F65A21417102D0%21126&sc=photos

Now compare these pics of the thatched houses on post office corner, arranged roughly in chronological order.

Now a telegraph pole appears and one house has lost

it’s thatch.

A modern picture, the house on the right now has its thatch back and the wall on the inside of the bend is gone.

Old Maps….

For a map of Middlezoy village 1888map For a map of the area 1862map For a Middlezoy Timeline, go to the bottom of this page.

Old Postcard views of Middlezoy …

A web page devoted to old postcard views of the village……

http://cid-f2f65a21417102d0.skydrive.live.com/self.aspx/Old%20Postcards/mzoycardsAlbum101.jpg

To look at old postcards of other areas nearby, such as Bridgwater, Burnham on Sea and other villages such as Othery, Westonzoyland, High Ham, etc, go to: https://dbown100.tripod.com/POSTCARDs.htm

Modern pictures of Middlezoy …

Middlezoymisc.

https://skydrive.live.com/?cid=f2f65a21417102d0&sc=photos&id=F2F65A21417102D0%21224#cid=F2F65A21417102D0&id=F2F65A21417102D0%211099&sc=photos

A walk around the village from the junction of Moor road and the A372, up Main rd, up Old Chapel rd, and then to the church. Various other views included.

Middlezoy140206

https://skydrive.live.com/?cid=f2f65a21417102d0&sc=photos&id=F2F65A21417102D0%21224#cid=F2F65A21417102D0&id=F2F65A21417102D0%211098&sc=photos

These views start inside the church, and then go down the hill to the school, to the thatched houses on post office corner, then finally to a view of what was Coates farmhouse.

Middlezoy060306

https://skydrive.live.com/?cid=f2f65a21417102d0&sc=photos&id=F2F65A21417102D0%21224#cid=F2F65A21417102D0&id=F2F65A21417102D0%211095&sc=photos

These views start on Main road, near the Moor rd junction, and then proceed along Main rd down past the George Inn, then back up Kicks Hill into the churchyard and into the church.

Middlezoy120506

https://skydrive.live.com/?cid=f2f65a21417102d0&sc=photos&id=F2F65A21417102D0%21224#cid=F2F65A21417102D0&id=F2F65A21417102D0%211097&sc=photos

These views start out with a walk to Windmill hill, some views across the countryside from there, and then the walk back to the church past the brick council houses.

Middlezoy090706

https://skydrive.live.com/?cid=f2f65a21417102d0&sc=photos&id=F2F65A21417102D0%21224#cid=F2F65A21417102D0&id=F2F65A21417102D0%211096&sc=photos

These are various views from the church tower looking down on the village.

The Wesleyan Methodist Church of 1898. WMC

For modern pictures of other Sedgemoor villages https://dbown100.tripod.com/album.htm

Write to me at ………….

The Bown House

Anyone remember this place. >>>>>>>>>

'The Stores' , Main Road. Proprietor Mr James Bown

After he died, the old house was pulled down and 3

bungalows were built on the land. Doris Palmer, one of

his daughters, lived in one of them until she died in 1999.

The picture above is part of an old postcard view, and shows a view looking north along Church road, with a hay cart passing the school. Children stand in the road watching.

Close ups taken from some of the views in the ‘Greetings’ postcard, ‘mzoy10’.

Junction at top of the hill near the church? Post office corner. Note no telegraph/elec poles in this picture.

Who are these people with the dog ? When did electricity & telephones come to the village???

Close up pic mzoypc4a

Close up of children and chapel mzoypc1a

Looking towards the new chapel (1898) with the school wall View looking south from the church tower

just behind the children. Old chapel (1847) on right of picture. Note all the round haystacks.

Was there a slaughterhouse on rhs in front of children? See the actual card at mzoy16

The church Inside the church.

See the actual card at mzoy25

Any comments ? Write to me at .

Middlezoy Timeline: Sources; BHO = British History Online, KD = Kellys Directories, MBS = Middlezoy Board School records.

BM = Bridgwater Mercury

1305 There was a windmill at Langdon (BHO)

1815 Vicarage (present) built

1843 Board school erected as a church school(KD 1902)

1847 Wesleyan Methodist chapel built

1861 population 725 (KD1861)

1874 May 11^th ; School Board of 5 members formed. (KD 1894)

1875 Feb 2^nd ; School opens (MBS)

June; Scarlet fever in the village lasts until November (MBS)

1877 January; 7ft of water between the village and Moorland. 4 men drowned at Westonzoyland. (MBS)

1880 Total Abstinence Society formed ?(BM)

1882 Jan 11^th A meeting of the Total Abstinence Society in the school room.(BM)

July The Middlezoy Brass band was recently formed (BM July 26^th 1882)

1891 March 11^th ; Mission Hall in use by Total Abstinence Society (BM 1891)

1898 New Methodist Chapel built

1922 Church tower and south roof restored (KD1927)