Welcome to the village of
Caston, Norfolk, England.

DRIVING HOME THROUGH CASTON
Deep in the heart of Norfolk, look on a map and see
A little spot called Caston, as quaint as it could be
As I approach the village, the church comes into view
But it needs restoration, there is a lot of work to do
The speed limit drops to thirty, but not many seem to care
Busy rushing somewhere, so pedestrians beware
The autumn leaves are falling, the trees are looking sparse
It's time for pruning roses and that last cut of grass
And as I turn the corner, I cannot miss the sight
Of the new thatch on the cottage and a colour that's just right
The pub next door is empty, deteriorating fast
Memories to look back on, good times in the past
On to the Street and someone waves, they must know my car
And as I drive I think of just how friendly they all are
A cat that was on the pavement, stands defiant on the road
Then jumps into the bushes, and into hunting mode
I see a table on the verge, so stop and have a look
Someone is selling something, home grown for us to cook
It's a bag of apples for a pound as fresh as fresh could be
And I think about a crumble or a pie with cloves for tea
I pass the village hall and think a new one would be nice
But when will all that happen and what would be the price
The lady walking with the dog is now leaning on a gate
Chatting to another even though it'll make her late
The dog has spotted something and is pulling her away
But she just tugs the lead and shouts at him to stay
There's two new houses on the right, but I think it’s a shame
the old one was much nicer, maybe profit is to blame
Why do they allow it, I cannot understand
Squeezing in new houses onto any piece of land
That is my opinion but is shared by more than one
And we should nip it in the bud to stop more damage done
I drive around the last bend, he's cut my hedge at last
It’s shorter than the last time, but will grow again as fast
Then suddenly it's over I've reached my home once more
Then think about my dinner as I turn and shut the door.

Written & Read by Steve Farmbrough
at the Poetry, Prose, Potatoes, Puddings, & Plonk evening at the village hall.

Here you'll find lots about the village of Caston, its history, its activities as well as details of the  parish council and its workings.  Also you can add to the web-site yourself through the Feedback page. Or, where there is already a story within Caston Stories you can add your comment to it and we encourage you to do so.  We are adding to the content all the time and would therefore warmly welcome any constructive thoughts or ideas that you might have as to any additional subject matter. This can be conveyed to the webmaster through the Visitors and/or Feedback pages and don't forget to check out the For Sale page.

Click on any of the page headings to the left in order to take you directly there.  (Some of the smaller pictures can be clicked on to enlarge them)

We hope you enjoy your visit but please, please look at the Visitors Page and do let us have your comment. We really want to know what you think.

Around The World

We occasionally get visitors from all over the world - Australia, United States, Israel and elsewhere, who visit the site sometimes on purpose and sometimes by chance.  So, in case you don't quite know where Caston is located click here for a map with a pin-point location.  Use the + and - keys to zoom in and out.

Acknowledgments 

John Barnes
We must thank Mr John Barnes for kindly giving permission for many of the photos reproduced on the Photo Gallery page and for much of the history which has been taken from his excellent and most informative books 'A History of Caston'. More information on how to obtain his books, which contain a full history of Caston, is on the Useful Links page.

Chrissie Pye
Chrissie Pye (Chapman) was born in Griston and moved to Caston at a young age, when her parents bought Chase Farm. She married Reggie Pye and after spending the first few years of married life with her parents at Chase Farm they moved to White House, Caston, where she lived until her death in 2006.

She loved the countryside and village life in Caston, where she was an active member of the W.I. Farming was always an important part of her life, firstly with her parents, then at Daisy Farm, Ovington, with her husband Reggie and son Christopher. Chrissies’ writing and her poems reflected the things that were closest to her heart – family, Norfolk countryside and village life; and she was able to vividly capture a fond memory through the words she wrote. 

From time to time we publish both Poems by Chrissie Pye with illustrations by Rachael Banham.  When used they are reproduced here with the kind permission of the Publisher, Lazy Daisy.

A New Village Hall 

Help us to raise money for A New Village Hall! By shopping online you can help us to raise funds - please give it a try. Just left click on the picture