Filming the Bedford Cottages Local History
By Roderick Martin
THREE years ago in the November 2008 edition of the West Devon Diary I wrote about the Bedford Cottages which are a distinctive feature of the Tavistock district. There are today approximately 300 dwellings in and around Tavistock built by the Bedford Estates between 1840 and 1870 which may be regarded as Bedford Cottages. Since the building of the cottages was financed through the royalties from the local mining, and many were once occupied by mining families, these groups of cottages are an important feature of the Cornwall and West Devon mining landscape.
Earlier this year Denham Productions were appointed to make a short film about the Bedford Cottages. Denham Productions, based in Plympton, were formed in 1983 by Chris Denham. Many readers will remember him from the local
programmes he made about interesting public houses, and of course driving vintage vehicles with Ron Bendell. In 2006 Denham Productions made a short film about Tavistock Abbey for the museum which is still shown and continues to receive compliments from visitors. From next Easter visitors will have a choice of films to watch, both of which are narrated by Chris Denham.
Before filming started a decision was made that the public should be informed what was happening by a press release which the Tavistock Times was kind enough to print for us. It was also decided that where close ground-level filming was proposed cottage residents in the immediate vicinity should receive a letter-drop, where property was to be entered permission should be sought, and where internal features were to be shot the film makers should make advance arrangements with the residents. Not only was this considered to be necessary for good public relations but essential to make best use of the time allocated for the filming.
over a two day period in mid- September 2011. Fortunately the weather was dry and sunny, thus ideal weather for filming. Five town locations (Dolvin Road, Westbridge, Fitzford, Parkwood and
28 The filming was carried out Filming at Mill Hill
Trelawny), and six country locations (Church Park, Mill Hill, Ottery, Taverton, Morwellham and Wheal Maria) were visited. As the film needed people and movement, the director was
“
..number of short
interviews..”
keen to have a number of short interviews with residents, and to include shots of day-to-day activities, passers-by, and even a friendly dog.
The film begins with a brief historical introduction to the Tamar Valley and West Devon. The building of the cottages was financed by the royalties from the local mining, and many miners were the early occupants. The three people principally involved with the cottage building projects in Tavistock were Francis, the 7th Duke of Bedford, John Benson (the
local Bedford Estates’ agent in Devon), and Theophilus Jones (the surveyor and architect who designed and supervised the building of the cottages). The Duke’s statue in Guildhall Square and his portrait in the Town Hall were filmed together with the former Bedford Estates Office. No photographs exist of the others so the film includes shots of the wall plaque to John Benson in the Parish Church and the stone tablet marking the grave of Theophilus Jones, who died in 1858, in the
Dolvin Road
cemetery. The
earliest of the cottages were those built at Dolvin Road in Tavistock. These
were the prototype, but it was the Westbridge cottages which set the standard of layout and specification for the later cottages. However there are minor differences between the groups of cottages, reflecting sometimes improvements and sometimes cost-cutting. The film explains these differences and also shows a number of interesting original features which have survived. It also tries to dispel the myth that the cottages were the social housing of the time. All were built by the Bedford Estates to rent, and the people who first lived in them were not the very poor but people in regular employment, and usually with a trade, who could afford the weekly rent of one shilling and sixpence. The film ends showing improvements and conservation works currently being carried out on the Grade II listed group of former miners’ cottages at Wheal Maria. The film has been funded by a European Union and Defra grant through the Rural
The BEDFORD COTTAGES
in and around Tavistock A film by Denham Productions for Tavistock Museum
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