Camois Hall, Woodditton

History of Camois Hall

Camois Hall Farm maintained a small dairy herd grazing in Cop Pond Meadow.

(Rodney H Vincent, A Tanner Will Do)

1939 Camois Hall

Agnes Webb, b 1906

Diana, b 1938

Camois Hall Farm:

Lionel Long, b 1904, farmer heavy work ARP

Pamela Long, b 1908

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Reginald Wilde, b 1862, solicitor retired

Mary A Briggs, b 1922,

Farmer Lionel Long of Camois Hall, a former Rhodesian police-officer, threatened to horsewhip any boy caught on his farm.

The first Land Girl to arrive at Camois Hall Farm wanted to bring her own piano. She soon learned about the mud and muck of farm work and didn’t last long. (p71)

Farmer Lionel Long of Camois Hall known locally as “The Colonel” became commanding officer of the Wood Ditton / Saxon Street platoon and soon showed his leadership qualities. Veterans of World War I – George Briggs, Charlie Carter, Bert Wright, Billy Webb – took on the non-commissioned officer positions and wore th stripes on their arms to show their authority. (p72)

Tuesday February 18th 1941 went down as a black day in Newmarket’s history. On the afternoon of market-day a single Dornier 17 bomber came in low from the east and released a stick of bombs along the length of the crowded High Street. In a few seconds it had passed leaving many dead and injured and heavy damage. After its deadly run the Dornier banked to the south over Camois Hall Farm where alarmed workers had heard the rapid succession of ten explosions and machine gun fire. Farmer Long showed his contempt by continuing to plough with his tractor, others threw themselves behind what cover they could find as the Dornier, its black crosses clearly showing, climbed away to escape in the clouds. (p74)

(R H Vincent, A Tanner Will Do)

This Georgian building was demolished in the 1960s. (RH Vincent, A Tanner Will Do, 1998)