Our History

Most of Old Talbot Village was built between 1850 and 1862 due to the generosity of two sisters Georgina and Mary Talbot. Georgina and Mary divided their year between Surrey and Hinton Wood House on the East Cliff of Bournemouth with their family and it was whilst living in Bournemouth that the sisters discovered the many poor who were suffering in the region.

Between them, they sought to employ many of the poor to clear land upon which they built cottages – most of which were built between 1850 and 1862. The workers were allowed to stay in the cottages and slowly, Talbot Village took shape.

The original cottages were built on an Acre each and each had a Well, Animal pens and Fruit trees for which the residents were charged between 4 and 5 shillings per week. Georgina Talbot then had seven Almshouses built for the elderly and widowed.

Then came the school which was built for the village in 1862 and catered for 68 children and has been extended many times over the years. Most recently, in 1992 an extension increased the school’s capacity to 460 children.

Although most of the original farms have long since vanished, Highmoor Farm is still operational and White Farm used to serve as stables. Much of the original Village including the school, church, almshouses and cottages remain and are protected by a Conservation Order which is administered by the Talbot Village Trust – set up by the Sisters.

Any developments within the confines of the Old Village are required to be in keeping with the original designs. In contrast, there have been exciting and modern buildings constructed in the New Village that reflect the best of Modern Design. These has covered much of the land that was previously the Talbot Village Farms. Most of this has been in Poole although some new buildings have been built in bournemouth.

The wooded areas of the village have quite rightly been preserved and the village is called ‘The Green Lung of Bournemouth. The expansion of the University and other educational establishments mean that the Village has an energetic and youthful fee.

How our roads got their names

The Talbot family originated in Scotland before moving south to Surrey and then Bournemouth. Sir George Talbot acquired several acres of heathland, which became Talbot Heath, together with six farms in the locality. The various street names in Talbot Woods, such as Leven Road, Glenferness Avenue, Elgin and Roslin Roads, all sited to the east of the Village itself, bear witness to the Scottish connection while in Talbot Village, Mickleham Close is related to their Surrey domicile. Vine Farm Road and Vine Farm Close recall the name of farm which made way for our houses.

Sir George and his family in Bournemouth lived in a house at Hinton Wood, now demolished for a block of luxury flats. The two Talbot daughters, Georgina Charlotte and Marianne were tremendously philanthropic and because they never married, the family line finished with them. Their names live on with three roads on the estate bearing those names.

It can be seen from Ordnance Survey maps of the locality that the Fern Barrow of antiquity is nowhere near our feeder road of the same name. It is (or was) at the far southern end of Talbot Heath under the pylons, now alas, covered by a building. All the other roads in New Talbot Village have connections with the original Village, except for Valley View, which turns out to be an oversight for Sainsbury’s View.

There are no princes, no national poets nor admirals, hardly any local dignitaries past or present to be found in the road names on estate. Talbot Village is unique in perpetuating the names of men and women with but little claim to fame, other than having some connection to the Village as it has developed over the years.

Mr Baverstock was a relative of Samuel Kerley, first headmaster of the village school and the Baverstock family lived next door to the church organist.

The Reverand A J Caton was the second vicar of St Mark’s church in the village, the first being the Reverand Benjamin Clutterbuck. (Residents of Caton Close may be relieved that he, rather than his predecessor, is so remembered.)

Mr Albert Cull was the second headmaster of the village school. His son kept a grocers shop in Alton Road and served on Bournemouth Council for some years.

Gillett Road is named after local historian Miriam Mildred Annie Gillett; born in Wallisdown in 1909, Mildred attended schools locally and went on to train as a teacher, eventually becoming headmistress at Colehill Junior School, Wimborne. She always retained a close connection with the Village, living locally to it, writing two books “Wanderings in Talbot Village” and “Talbot Village – A Unique Village in Dorset”. She gave a fascinating talk on the history of the Village to TVRA members in 1995. Mildred died in July 2015 at the age of 105.

Mr Henry Laidlaw kept a livery stable in Old Christchurch Road. He rented land on Talbot Village Farm to paddock his horses in 1888/9. Mr Drew worked for Mr Laidlaw and was the first tenant of a tied cottage for farm workers.

Mr James McWilliam, builder of Talbot Village almshouses served as a Bournemouth Improvement Commissioner and was chairman for a time. He also helped to create the Bournemouth Fire Brigade.

Mr Mullins was the superintendent of the Talbot Boys Home, which had been built by the Earl of Leven and Melville in 1890 as a memorial to the life and work of Marianne Talbot. It was placed at the disposal of the Waifs and Strays Society for 20 boys, now considerably extended by the Shaftsbury Society.

Mr Jack Purchase lived in the first cottage built in the village. Other cottages were occupied by a family named Cutler, the Bishop family, the Isaacs who lived next door to the church and Mr Gallop, the first St Mark’s church organist whose residence was purpose built with little land as he was blind.

Mr Smithson had been the gardener to Canon Arnold Sharp, Vicar of Kinson, in which parish Talbot Village then reposed. On retirement he took up residence in the almshouses. A well-built, upright and healthy looking man, he dressed in tweed trousers and waistcoat covered by a cloak. A deerstalker hat on his head, his outfit was completed by high polished boots and a silver-topped walking cane.