Place names of Calne: Quarr Barton

Quarr Barton is a street that formed as a group of cottages, built around the 17th century, that became known as Quarr Barton as time went on. 5 and 6, Quarr Barton are Grade II listed and known to be from the 17th century, originally a house and then remodelled as 2 cottages late 18th century / early 19th century[1].


The six house development built c. 1993 by Orbit Housing Association and  known as "The Old Dairy" refers to the Atwell Dairy that operated in this location[a].

1840s Wiltshire Tithes map. Quarr Barton labelled by author.

It was known as Lambourns Lane in 1828, possibly for William Lambourn who owned two gardens and a house on the lane, prior to the current name of Quarr Barton[2], however the name may have been in use much earlier. A path exists at this location in a 1728 map, showing a strip of land that may read Lambourn's, but it is not clear. The path in this general area is seen on the 1773 map of Wiltshire by Andrews' and Dury. The street is clearly visible on the 1840s tithe map[3]:





Quarr and Barton are two seperate words that have been combined to create this street name, with Quarr relating to quarries and Barton relating to farming. Let's look at the words, and how they relate to Calne, in further detail:


Quarr
There have been plenty of quarries in and around Calne over time. Indeed, what is now Quarrydale Road (off the A3102), which leads to The Quarry, was detailed as a quarry on the 1886 OS map of Calne. There were also quarries beside London Road that were said to be the main sources of stone for building. Thomas Court sits upon land that was owned by Henry Petty-Fitzmaurice, 5th Marquess of Lansdowne, and described as 'The Quarry' in the 1886 map, but by the time the revised map is published in 1899, this land is a mix of allotment gardens and the road known as Shelburne Road. Of course, we still have quarrying in Calne to this day, with Hills extracting sand at the site off Sandpit Road. A map showing Calne in 1828 shows that, part of London Road was known as The Quarr, prior to this, this part of London Road was called Quarry Street in the mid 18th century[4]. Additionally, just a few hundred metres to the north, in what is now St. Mary's school, a lime kiln (still visible) and a quarry existed in the 1800s, owned at a time by Dr Ogilvie before being aquired by Lord Lansdowne[5].

In addition to this, Quarr is a name that could refer to the Cistercian monks that founded St. Mary's Abbey at Quarr, Isle of Wight, in 1132. The original name for this abbey was "Abbey of our Lady of the Quarry" as it was built in the neighbourhood of an old stone quarry[6]. This order went on to found Stanley Abbey, which operated between 1151 and 1536 and ceased to exist due to the dissolution of the monasteries.

Barton
The word barton has its origins in two old English words: bere, for barley and tūn for an enclosed piece of land, homestead, or village. So, this could literally mean barley enclosure, or could relate to there being a homestead in the area.

Due to its origin, Barton evolved as a popular name for fields and then a name for some settlements. After this happened we begin to see Barton used as a surname, in what it known as a toponymic or location surname. So could this Barton relate to a person?

I have only been able to find records going back to the 1840s Tithe map, which records nobody of that name owning or occupying any land registered for tithes in Calne. I have found a Barton in 1873[7] called Herbert Barton, but I then found his father was from Bradford on Avon (perhaps a descendent from someone who worked on the medieval Barton Farm in that area?). I find it very unlikely that the Barton of Quarr Barton is named after a person, and at this point find it more likely to be named after a plot of land. ETA, I have looked at the 1332 tax records and found nobody with a Barton surname nor in the 1500s Calne Church Registers as reproduced in Marsh (see reference 8).

In the 1840s there were 6 plots of land that had 'barton' in their name. These included Pound Close Barton (number 255 on the tithe map), Elms Mead Barton (number 259), both of these were
owned by Thomas Poynder, and Cow Barton (1169) owned by Henry Petty-Fitzmaurice. There were also 47 instances of land being called homestead too.

Extracts from Calne Church Registers[8] also reveal that Barley itself was an important crop in the area (with a flat cake known at barley bats sometimes eaten instead of bread). Here are just two examples from the 1500s:
1542
782 litres of barley this year grown upon 2 acres of the church land which was sown for the church’s
use.
1551
Received profits of Church Ale with 328 litres of barley spent there the said feast.

5 and 6 Quarr Barton are C17 Grade II Listed.

While we may never know why this street is called Quarr Barton, it does seem to call back to two important forms of employment and economy in Calne's past - that of farming and that of quarrying for resources. The 'Quarr' part of the name clearly relates to quarrying, whether it originates from Quarr Abbey on the Isle of Wight thanks to the monks that settled nearby, or whether it relates to quarries at Calne itself, I will leave it up to the reader to decide.


I will close this post about this very interesting place name by saying, perhaps a tad romantically: It could simply be that those who originally built the cluster of cottages may have been workers at one of the nearby quarries and they were trying to make this place their home by naming the place: "Quarry homestead", or perhaps collectively and in unity: "Quarry village".

 

To discover more about the place names of Calne, buy the book:

References:
[1] 5 AND 6, QUARR BARTON, Calne - 1247350 | Historic England. 2018. 5 AND 6, QUARR BARTON, Calne - 1247350 | Historic England. [ONLINE] Available at: https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1247350. [Accessed 19 December 2018].
[a] Planning application N.92.2273.F
[2] Calne: The town to c.1800 | British History Online. 2018. Calne: The town to c.1800 | British History Online. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/wilts/vol17/pp34-41. [Accessed 19 December 2018].
[3] Know Your Place. 2018. Know Your Place. [ONLINE] Available at: http://maps.bristol.gov.uk/kyp/?edition=wilts. [Accessed 19 December 2018].
[4] Calne: The town to c.1800 | British History Online. 2018. Calne: The town to c.1800 | British History Online. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/wilts/vol17/pp34-41?fbclid=IwAR0KrbLTMxZVYMnqZ6WJ8N-_KOoR2m_w2GQ3vTvYUVnUUWFm5pcvKwjdVLA#anchorn24. [Accessed 21 December 2018].
[5] Elizabeth Christie. 2018. 08. Lime Kiln. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.stmaryscalne.org/index.php/news/2014-15-archives/archives/from-the-archives/3614-08-lime-kiln. [Accessed 26 December 2018].
[6]Quarr Abbey - Wikipedia. 2018. Quarr Abbey - Wikipedia. [ONLINE] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quarr_Abbey. [Accessed 19 December 2018].
[7]Calne, Wiltshire, England: BARTON One Name Study. 2018. Calne, Wiltshire, England: BARTON One Name Study. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.bartondatabase.com/placesearch.php?psearch=Calne%2C+Wiltshire%2C+England. [Accessed 20 December 2018]. 

[8]Marsh, A., 1903. A HISTORY OF THE BOROUGH AND TOWN OF CALNE. 1st ed. London: HAZELL, WATSON AND VINEY, LTD.

Calne Festival of Lights 2018

This year I managed to get to the evening entertainment and have made a video of the carnival, light switch on, and fireworks. It was a fantastic event.

Pete Stedman has recorded the daytime events. Have a look at our efforts below.

Evening entertainment and Christmas Lights:


Stalls and Crafts

Place names of Calne: Station Road, Station Meadows, Bowood View

Before the 1860s, the area that became Station Road were plots of land. Then it was decided that Calne would have branch line that would connect it to Chippenham.

The branch line saw the first train at Calne station on 29 October 1863, the same year that the original Station Road was built to link New Road to the railway station[1].

1840s tithe map (bottom), showing the fields,
while the First Edition OS map shows the station and road now present.

The Calne branch saw the last passenger train on 18 September 1965, with the tracks being lifted in 1967. These days, Station Road is home to a fire station and residential housing. Near the end of Station Road the estate is called Station Meadows and is fortunate to have directed access to the jewel that is Castlefields canal and river park, which is along the cycle route to Calne - which follows the old branch railway line.

Station Meadows was built by Hills Homes Developments, with the first houses available to buy in late 2014 and initially sold by Atwell Martin[2]. The road for this development was first proposed to be 'Station Approach', with the footpath being 'Black Dog Walk'[3]. When this was rejected by Wiltshire Council, Bowood View was chosen as the replacement[4].

Bowood View, leads toward the nearby Bowood Estate, owned by the Lansdowne family since 1754. A footpath leads down from Bowood View to Castlefields Park and the Calne to Chippenham cycle path. From here Black Dog Halt can be reached, which was the Lansdowne's private halt during the period when Calne had a branch railway. This halt was eventually placed on rail timetables, however didn't halt the decline of the branch line.

Houses on the Station Meadow development, Station Road, with Bowood View to the right.

Sources:
[1] Calne: The town in the 19th century | British History Online. 2018. Calne: The town in the 19th century | British History Online. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/wilts/vol17/pp41-44. [Accessed 27 October 2018].
[2] www.google.co.uk. 2018. No page title. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=3&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwjQi6GKyKfeAhVMWywKHWS0BEYQFjACegQICBAC&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.hills-homes.co.uk%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2014%2F07%2FThe-Wilton-Station-Meadows.pdf&usg=AOvVaw2CTaRBRQvziUKIi13Depkx. [Accessed 27 October 2018]. 
[3]  CALNE TOWN COUNCIL TOWN DEVELOPMENT AND PLANNING COMMITTEE, 16 April 2013.
[4] CALNE TOWN COUNCIL TOWN DEVELOPMENT AND PLANNING COMMITTEE, 28 May 2013.

Chaveywell Spring and Calne's Water Supply

There are said to be many springs under the slopes of Castlefields, but none as important as the spring known as Chaveywell. As described on the plaque that hangs above the current outlet for the Chaveywell Spring, there was an epidemic in Calne between 1880 and 1890. The water in Calne became polluted and this lead to a number of deaths, probably from Typhoid. This spring was the only spring to remain pure and was relied upon until the new supply from Calstone was available.


Chaveywell, or Clamy Spring, begins in the grounds of St. Mary's School. From the school the spring runs under Curzon Street, Quarr Barton, Marden Court, Castle Street, following a sourtherly direction to exit at Chaveywell (WANHSAFG, 2011)[1]. During the 2010 excavations in search of the Calne Castle, a trench (trench 4) was dug near the exit for the spring and it was found that the original medieval outlet for the spring was 3 metres west of the current outlet. It is assumed that movement or slippage of the ground, or collapse of the tunnel, which could have been caused by tree roots is what has caused the spring to exit at a slightly different point. Upon opening the trench the archeaologists found a well constructed stone arch, which is now bricked in, with the water exiting via a metal pipe. They report that an iron or lead bath used to collect the water, but it is assumed that this was taken for the War effort during WWII.

These days the pure water from the spring flows into a trough which leads to the canal.
The water is wonderfully clear, with the trough being a favoured place of dogs wanting a cool down and a drink!

Back in the 1870s - 1880s, water supply and sanitation in Calne was known to be poor. In nearby Highway, the Calne rural sanitary authority's inspector visited a case of Typhoid and cautioned the residents from using their well, which was contaminated by sewage[2].

A report entitled "Dr. Blaxall's Report to the Local Government Board upon the Sanitary Condition of Calne in connexion (sic) with an Outbreak of Diphtheria and Typhoid Fever in that Town" [3] reported on the water supply and sanitation of Calne. The report, written by George Buchanan in 1884 as an update to his previous report in 1874, states that in the interim period that some 'good work' had been done, little or nothing had been done in other matters, for example with cesspit privies still in general use. Even the water closests that did empty into the sewers (built around 1881) weren't supplied with water for flushing meaning that the waste lodged in the drains - certainly not a Calne we'd imagine living in today.

Where Buchanan was pleased was the water supply where he states: "Here a great improvement has been effected". At this point the town no longer had to rely on local wells, such a Chaveywell due to the reservoir that has been built two years earlier in 1882.

Reservoir at Calstone Wellington.

The reservoir was built in Calstone Wellington near the source of the Marden, the river that flows north west up into Calne, then flows westerly to meet the Avon on the east of Chippenham. At Calstone Wellington there are many springs and it provided "a plentiful supply of good water". However, at the point when Buchanan wrote his report, only 100 houses of approximately 732 houses (in the 1881 census as quoted by Buchanan, 1884) were supplied from the new source, which was supplied via gravity and iron pipes. Even though there was a plentiful water supply from Calstone, the rest of the houses were still using local wells that were subject to pollution, in Buchanan's view, "a circumstance of the highest sanitary importance".

Over time all houses were moved to a Calstone supply and sewers were completed. Wells and local springs lost their importance and Chaveywell is the only spring in the area to still have a name (if any others ever did?). Although there was a farm located at Chaveywell until the 1920s, as can be seen in the book Calne Revisited by Peter Treloar. However, with water supply coming from one large source, there was potential for a lot of damage to be done to residents using the supply with one act of terror. The Gazette and Herald, in their "From the Files" articles reprinted a story from around 1914 whereby Calne Water Company had to arrange for the reservoir to be under 24 hour guard as two suspicious invididuals were seen loitering in the vicinity of the reservoir. This lead to rumours spreading that their intention was to poison the water supply [4].


However, this type of situation was rare and today while the Chaveywell Spring is celebrated as saving the lives of Calne inhabitants due to the pure water that flowed from it; the Calstone reservoir is due to by mothballed as the 'good water' is found to be bad.

Chaveywell Spring with corbels from the old Harris buildings - close up photos below. Landscaped with stones and benches.

These days the reservoir is only used at times of high demand and sadly is a risk site for Cryptosporidium, a horrid parasite that can result in diarrhea, fever, nausea, and vomiting. With 42 positive detections found between the June and November of 2013 (the most recent Drinking Water Inspectorate report I could find mentioning Calstone reservoir) [5], Wessex Water's 2017 decision [6] to mothball the site as part of their rationalisation of assets seems to be a sensible one.

Corbels from the old Harris buildings. Tying different aspects of Calne's History together. There also used to be a pig farm near this location

So, over 100 years later, the attempts to improve Calne's water supply is ongoing, this can only be a good thing. Especially considering the hundreds of houses currently being constructed adding to the 1,935 households reported in the 2011 census [7], the water requirement of the town is heading swiftly upwards.

Appreciation of the past is evermore important these days, but at the same time moving towards greater efficiency and water safety is - as it always was - "a circumstance of the highest sanitary importance" (Buchanan, 1884).

The clear and pure water of Chaveywell Spring.

References:
[1] Wiltshire Archaeological & Natural History Society Archaeology Field Group, W., 2011. Castle Hill Calne Wiltshire Archaeological Field Evaluation And Post-Excavation Assessment.
[2] Public health and medical services | British History Online. 2018. Public health and medical services | British History Online. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/wilts/vol5/pp318-347. [Accessed 03 September 2018].
[3] Buchanan, G., 1884. Dr. Blaxall's Report to the Local Government Board upon the Sanitary Condition of Calne in connexion with an Outbreak of Diphtheria and Typhoid Fever in that Town. 1st ed. London: Eyre and Spottiswoode.
[4] The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald. 2018. From the Files | The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.gazetteandherald.co.uk/news/headlines/nostalgia/11407193.From_the_Files/. [Accessed 03 September 2018].
[5] Drinking Water Inspectorate., 2014. Drinking water 2013. Public water supplies in the Western region of England.. London: Drinking Water Inspectorate.
[6] Wessex Water., 2017. Draft water resources management plan.
[7] Good Stuff IT Services. 2018. Calne Central - UK Census Data 2011. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.ukcensusdata.com/calne-central-e05008340#sthash.GZereppq.dpbs. [Accessed 03 September 2018].

Welcome to Calne: Boundary Signs

During January 2018, new boundary signs were installed to replace the signs that had been in place in the 1980s, and will be discussed further down this article.

Our new boundary signs sprang to life as an idea by Heavenly, a consultancy firm hired to formulate ideas that could bring Calne to life (brand positioning) during late 2014. Out of this came the idea for an A4 tourist route, a 125 mile route connecting many iconic sites, this became known as The Great West Way. A working group was set up to look at the Wiltshire section of this route and from this a decision was made to replace the entry signs for Calne.

This project included assessing other signs around the country and getting quotes for different options. It was decided to have a continuity with the Wiltshire boundary signs and to use the Calne town colours of gold and green to match the internal signs in the town.

The branding of 'Town of Discovery' was chosen because of the people, events, discoveries, and industry that have had such a massive impact on the town over the years.

John Skinner, Calne Our Place treasurer, was the driving force behind the new boundary signs and, quite rightly, won a Civic Award from Calne Town Council for his work on this project. Thank you to John for many of the details in the above article.

Previous Boundary Signs

I am told, by word of mouth, that these boundary signs were the result of a school compatition in the 1980s. The designs were then installed at the boundaries of Calne at that time.

While this sign is clearly very different from our modern sign, they are typical of the time, but also have some very interesting features, such as in the photo above, where the Calne Coat of Arms can just about still be seen, but is very faded.

In the photographs below, we can see Calne town hall and St. Mary's church. While this was never particularly visible, a close inspection is rewarding.

Additionally, underneath the writing is an image of our famous 'Two Pigs' sculpture, which was visible and a reminder of Calne's past economic activities. 

I have to say that the plan worked on me. I find the new signs bold, vibrant, and to be honest, a bit posh! Driving to Chippenham and Melksham emphasises, to me, how much this project was needed and just how well it has been executed.

I very nearly didn't get any photographs of the old sign because I always thought, "oh, I can photograph it any time", then the boundary signs changed and I thought all was lost! This one is currently stored at Calne Heritage Centre, which I saw just by chance while visiting for a different reason, and can be seen during their opening hours.


Great West Way Resources:
Great West Way
Great West Way: 2015 Update

Custard and the Wiltshire flag

The Wiltshire flag was registered on 1 December 2009 following support from Wiltshire County Council and certified by Graham Bartram, Flag Institute Chief Vexillologist.

The flag was designed by Mike Prior and daughter Helen Pocock. At its centre, the flag features the bustard, a bird that was native to the county, until it became extinct in the country in 1832. However, since 2004, the Great Bustard Group has released many chicks on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire. Having a bustard in gold as the centre of the flag shows the significance placed on having this previously lost species back within our county borders.

Other elements of the flag include the solid green circle, to represent the open grassland of Wiltshire, which is bordered by a circle of alternating green and white to represent the famous stone circles of Averbury and Stonehenge. These alternating portions also represent the 6 counties that border our own: Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, Berkshire, Hampshire, Dorset, and Somerset.

The photo on the left shows the flag in action at County Hall, Trowbridge.









Custard the bustard

Custard the bustard lives at the Trowbridge branch of the Wiltshrie library. This sculpture was created after Councillor Jane Scott commissioned it for Wiltshire Council after seeing a collection of similar sculptures during the Queen's visit to Salisbury.

A competition commenced during September and October 2012, for under 12s to name the sculpture. Out of 40 entries, James Coles and Freya Mitchell won, when they both submitted "Custard" as their name choice.

Amesbury Artist, Anna Marie Anderson, painted the sculpture in colours matching the Wiltshire flag.

Custard the bustard was officially unveiled during November 2012.

You can visit Custard yourself during library open hours!

The engraved plaque that sits on the sculpture plinth.

References:
The Flag Institute. 2018. Wiltshire - The Flag Institute. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.flaginstitute.org/wp/flags/wiltshire/. [Accessed 19 July 2018].
Wiltshire Times. 2018. Custard the Bustard unveiled at Trowbridge County Hall | Wiltshire Times. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.wiltshiretimes.co.uk/news/10079818.Custard_the_Bustard_unveiled_at_Trowbridge_County_Hall/?ref=arc. [Accessed 19 July 2018].

Facebook Groups

This year I've created two Facebook groups. The first focusses on photographs of Calne from any period of time, the other concentrates on the history and heritage of our town.

Both groups allow a radius of 6 miles, which stretches through Calne, Calne Without, and a little further - as nothing, especially history happens in isolation. Plus this let's us see the beauty that surrounds us here in Calne!

The groups have been quite successful so far and are active with lots of friendly members. 

Check us out and join if you'd like!

Road Strip Map: The Road from London to Bristol, 1753

The Road from London to Bristol. Photographed at Chippenham Museum during their
Georgian season exhibition.

'Caln' and the Arms of Calne.

This 1753 map was one of many that appeared in Britannia Depicta, an illustrated road atlas covering Britain. It was first printed in 1720 and subsequently updated with engravings by many artists until the 1800s. Britannia Depicta was printed by Emanuel Bowen and John Owen's firm and is based from earlier work by John Ogilby.

This strip map covered the journey from London to Bristol and covered pages 22-26. This page is of interest because is covers Calne, not only showing the familiar castle and feathers that are still included in our coat of arms, but also because it records the name of our town as 'Caln' and 'Calne'.

Other local places covered by this book are Chippenham (which is on the other side of the Calne page), Marlborough, and Devizes, which includes a short history of the castle.

The entire book is available on the Archive.org website. To access or download the book, click this link, or navigate to the website and search from there.

Book Review: Stonehenge and Avebury by Rodney Legg

This is a fantastic gazetteer that covers sites at Avebury and Stonehenge.

Avebury is covered first and begins with a simple labelled map of sites, which aids context when reading the descriptions, but wouldn't easily be used to find the off-road sites within the Avebury World Heritage Site area. However, that's not a problem as OS map references are provided and are likely to be clearly labelled on OS maps of the area.

Along with descriptions of the site and items of special interest within each site, some historical context is provided, which can really help with understanding just how recently a lot of features, particularly underground features, were discovered. Interestingly, I read that Woodhenge was assumed to be a ploughed-out disc barrow until the advent of archeaological aerial reconnaissance in 1925.

There are photographs showing many of the sites and particular features of interest, including a lot of snow scenes, which can allow a lot of detail to be revealed within a site (particularly features on stone).

The Avebury section receives about a third of this book, with the Stonehenge area recieving the rest. Sites covered in the Avebury area include, but not limited to:
Adam and Eve
Avebury
Beckhampton Avenue and Longbarrow
Devil's Den
East Kennet Long Barrow
Lockeridge Dene
Seven Barrows
Silbury Hill
West Kennet Avenue, Henge Monuments, and Long Barrow
Windmill Hill.

As this is a blog focused on the Calne area, I haven't listed the Stonehenge sites, but rest assured that there are many.

This is a good book to read offsite and to have with you onsite to gain insight into these marvellous structures that almost seem to be littered around us. Definitely worth a read.

Jan Ingen Housz: Anniversary of his death at Bowood, 7 Sep 1799 - Part 2.

This plaque is located outside the door of Calne library and reads:

Jan Ingen Housz

The Dutch physician, Jan Ingen Housz MD, FRS (1730-1799) was doctor in the Austrian Royal Family but was in England in 1779. Before returning to Vienna he spent that summer performing over 500 experiments in a house near London.

These proved, for the first time, that the green parts of plants absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen in sunlight: in other words they purify the air we breathe. At the same time the carbon absorbed is converted to starch so that plants are also the ultimate source of all our food. We therefore commemorate the genius of Ingen Housz, the discoverer of what we now cal photosynthesis.

He returned to live in England later in life and was a frequent guest at Bowood House, where he died. He is buried in Calne, in a vault under St. Mary's Church.

The decorative paving was created by members of the Calne Artists Group: David Reeves the overall design and ceramic leaves, Vivien ap Rhys Price the head of Ingen Housz from a 1768 medallion. Photocast of Liverpool cast the bronze.

Calne, From the Canal drawing by William Westall

We recently added this wonderful donated drawing to our collection at Calne Heritage Centre. It was drawn by the landscape artist, William Westall ARA (1781-1850), who was one of the first artists to work in Australia.

This drawing, dated 1830 and titled 'Calne, From the Canal', was included in the book The Landscape Album; or, Great Britain Illustrated, which contained 59 views all by Westall, and luckily this one of the canal at Calne looking towards St. Mary's church. In the book were descriptions of the scenery and history of the locations by Thomas Moule, which can be seen in the image below.

Calne Heritage Catalogue number: TH00002A
The book is available to view at archive.org.

Book Review: Calne - Living Memories by Dee La Verdera

This book, published in 2004, was supported by subscribers and authored by prior Calne English teacher, Dee La Vardera. It uses the extensive Francis Frith back catalogue, which includes any photographs of Calne and the local area. The majority of the photographs are from the 1950s and 1960s, but some do go back many decades prior to that as well as up to 2003, with some taken by the author.

The book is partitioned into chapters including a brief history of C & T Harris and chapters on various streets in the centre of Calne before venturing out to the villages.

The captions are nicely detailed and help to provide context for the life and times during which the photographs were taken. Along with photographs, scans of invoices, etc are often included next to photographs of shops or old business premises.

I always enjoy wandering back in time via old photographs and this book was enjoyed by myself and my wife (whom the author taught for a couple of years).

This book is another nice addition to the photograph books previously released for Calne and worth a thorough browse.

Cherhill Millenium Bus Shelter

On 19 June, 2000, a planning application was submitted by Cherhill Parish Council for the erection of a new bus shelter that was designed by Julian Taylor, a local architect.

The pen drawings on the plan show the shelter much as it finally turned out, with thatched roofing, large section oak timbers and seating, and a clockface of Roman numerals to be inserted into the paving.

Permission was granted on 8 August, 2000, with the Gazette and Herald reporting that work was due to commence on the £12,000 project during the weekend of 7-8 October 2000(1). At the time the work started, only £7,500 of funds had been collected. Work was ongoing in January 2001, with the installation of the thatched roof, but the sundial, seating, and planting was still to be completed(2).

I'm not sure when the shelter was actually completed, but I imagine that for the users of the bus shelter, it was very welcome as only a garden shed had been made available in the interim.
The shelter was eventually completed and contains a time capsule under the sarsen in the centre of the clock face. I am not sure if the time capsule has a retrieval date, or when it was decided for a sarsen to be included in the design (as it's not specificed in the design).

Millenium Sundial.

It was suggested that this sarsen may have cup marks, which are a form of prehistoric art, which intrigued me and I started to investigate.Firstly I spoke to Dave Grafton, who was the Chair of the Parish Council at the time. He advised that the stone was chosen from a selection of stones that had been cleared from farm land in the 1960s, and that no inspection with regard to cup marks had been made.

Sarsen stone of the sundial.

I then spoke to archaeologist, Jim Gunter, who very kindly visited the shelter when working in Avebury. He told me:

"There seem to be supposed cup-marks on at least 3 sides but many of them are very deep holes and smooth, unlike humanly pecked cups.  The "cups" were also of many sizes not of a regular size as normally found.  One or two are worthy of further examination under a magnifying glass to see if there are any signs of pecking, but to me it looks all too natural. I was unable to find any sign of polishing areas so wouldn't count this as a polissoir."

 So, it looks like the marks on this stone were probably made by plant roots prior to the sand hardening and creating the stone.

The addition of a sarsen stone, along with the thatch, really ties the bus shelter with the history of the surrounding area and creates a unique and well executed building. One for Cherhill to be proud of and one I always glance at, with admiration, when passing.


References:
1: The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald. 2018. Bus shelter arriving soon | The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.gazetteandherald.co.uk/news/7396166.Bus_shelter_arriving_soon/. [Accessed 06 July 2018].
2:  The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald. 2018. All slow for thatch appeal | The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.gazetteandherald.co.uk/news/7390192.All_slow_for_thatch_appeal/. [Accessed 06 July 2018].

Calne War Memorial

The Calne War Memorial stands proudly in the grounds of St. Mary the Virgin, is Grade II listed, and is based on a design by Sir Reginald Blomfield, who had visited Calne to provide advice and guidance.


This memorial dates from around 1921 and is constructed from Portland Stone and the shaft of the cross has a downward facing bronze sword affixed to it. The cross, which was assembled by Blackford and sons of Calne is set into an octagonal plinth, which lists 133 names of the fallen from the Great War, the inscription reads:

IN GRATEFUL

AND

ABIDING REMEMBRANCE

OF THE MEN

WHO WENT FROM THE

PARISH OF CALNE

TO THE

GREAT WAR

1914 - 1918

AND GAVE THEIR LIVES

IN THE CAUSE OF

FREEDOM AND RIGHT 

Below this, a second plinth lists the names of the fallen from World War II, with an instription that reads:

ALSO

IN MEMORY OF THOSE

WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES

IN THE WAR OF

1939 - 1945.

Below the plinth are three octagonal steps, which are surrounded by paving.

 Re-dedication of the War Memorial

In 2018, after four years of fund raising and planning by the Calne branch of the Royal British Legion, the extensive restoration of the memorial took place. This £10,000 project entailed replacing old and broken stonework, cleaning the memorial with a pressure steam jet, and the re-cutting and re-painting of the inscriptions and the names of the fallen. This work was undertaken by The War Memorial Restoration Company and took just over a month to complete.

Upon completion there was a re-dedication service took place on May 26 2018. During this service, the names of the 177 men listed were read aloud by children from the Brownies, police cadets, RAF cadet force and the Scouts. The event was well attended with many gathered to watch as Lord Lansdowne unveiled the re-dedicated war memorial and Calne Mayor, Glenis Ansell and Paul Mayo, Chairman of Calne Royal British Legion, laid wraths on the monument to commemorate the occasion.

See the outstanding video below recorded by Pete Stedman that shows some of the repair work, preparations for the re-dedication and the re-dedication service itself.

Since the restoration work was completed, Calne Town Council look after the maintenance of the War Memorial with a dedicated fund.

History of the Cross of Sacrifice Design

The Calne memorial is based on the Cross of Sacrifice, designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield, a senior architect overseeing the design of British war cemeteries, in 1918. He designed the monument to be abscract, impersonal and infinite, adding the downward facing sword as an overtly Christian symbol - an idea that came to him from a sword that hung in his own home in Rye. 

The Imperial War Graves Committee (now the Commonwealth War Graves Committee), funded the construction of 3 cemeteries to ensure that the architects ideas would work well in the field. This lead to the formal adoption of the Cross of Sacrifice, in January 1919, the only cross that the IWGC ever used.

It was such a popular design and there are 1000's of this memorial and duplicates, such as Calne's, all over Europe, the United States, and Gibraltar. While nobody knows how the Cross of Sacrifice actually got its name, this hasn't stopped it from becoming an iconic piece of artwork, comfort, and solice to those that visit any one of the thousands of this design.

The Great War commemoration

The commemoration for those who died in The Great War is on the upper level of the memorial base. I have created a images, so that all the inscription for this commemoration can be seen. Under the collages, I have typed the names in the order they appear on the memorial.

In grateful and abiding remembrance of the men who went from the Parish of Calne to the Great War 1914-1918 and gave their lives in the cause of freedom and right.
Andrews E	Bristow FJ	Cooper ER
Andrews H	Bridges PG	Culley A
Andrews J	Brindel W	Cox CTS
Angell AE	Brewer G	Dean EG
Angell AJ	Brewer VJ	Dolman PA
Angell F	Bull RT	Dunne AS
Angell FEG	Bull VA	Drew FG
Angell E	Brown BH	Drew EJ
Angell PH	Burden AB	Drewett AC
Angell W	Butler HJ	Fell CG
Archard H	Bye VEB	Franklin W
Barton FH	Carpenter E	Freegard G
Beer S	Carpenter EW	Freegard A
Beazley HW	Chivers PG	Ford HJ
Bennett W	Cleverley AJ	Fry A
Blackford E	Cleverley HR	Fussell W
Blackford L	Clifford RI	Gale HA
Blackford S	Corderoy WE	Gingell FW
Bridgeman M	Cooper AP	Gingell G

Gingell, JA	Manners R	Selby A	Taylor E
Godfrey GL	Marshman WL	Slade F	Taylor JJ
Gough L	Mercer Nairne LORD CHA	Slade J	Toogood W
Gough M	Mepham V	Smart F	Topp J
Green A	Moody GH	Smith AH	Tuck A
Green HW	Onslow JW	Smith AC	Waite R
Gunning HJ	Oxx GA	Smith FC	Watkins WH
Haddrell FW	Panting HG	Stapleford F	Weston A
Hai LSE	Park FJ	Stone G	Weston T
Hawkins SC	Parsons RE	Strange AE	Weston WJ
Henly AW	Perrett HL	Strange F	Wheeler FG
Henly F	Pottow EG	Strange HH	Wheeler F
Hillier H	Powell EE	Sumbler AJ	Williams F
Hillier D	Ponting G	Sumbler H	Wild EF
James CJ	Ralph F	Summers EH	Wild W
James RHG	Rawlings JF	Summers FH	Wiltshire W
Large AE	Rumming GCP	Summers AR	Zebedee P
Lawrence LEJ	Rutherford A	Sutton HJ	Henly LF
Lawrence MH	Sage FW	Soley WA	Orton TE

World War II commemoration

The commemoration for those who died in World War II is on the lower level of the base. I have created an image, so that all the inscription for this commemoration can be seen. Under the collage, I have typed the names in the order they appear on the memorial.

Also in memory of those who gave their lives in the war of 1939 - 1945
Angell AE	Dodson HG		Neale RT	Robinson D
Angell DR	Fitzmaurice. Lord Edward Norman		Oliver N	Ross W
Angell WA	Freegard EC		Palandri RS	Sadler EGM
Ash A	Gegg JHK		Pegler HRD	Schubert GE
Ashfield FB	Hall GEJ		Phelps JO	Smart EW
Bowery RHS	Hitchens AEJM		Philbrick N	Smith R
Bowery SSC	Hood GK		Pinniger AF	Somers WA
Bright FA	Kepner W		Ponting B	Stephens J
Brittain H	Lansdowne. The Marquess of.		Ponting R	Trunkle MT
Burgess EWA			Powell J	Turner FW
Dew DA			Ramsay JC	Whale VR
Dixon DI			Topp RJ	Witchell DT

Each November, in Calne, the steps are covered in poppies - a simple way to reflect on those lost in wars past and present. This shows that the monument, installed nearly 100 years ago, is still our thoughts and, perhaps, the first place we'll go when needed to thank those that died to protect the rest of us.

Want to know more?

Download the history of the Calne War Memorial as compiled by Rod Rhodes as part of the funding process for the restoration project. This document details the issues of site choice, funding, and provides copies of the original memorial diagrams by Reginald Blomfield.

An interesting snippet from the June 1930 issue
of the C&T Harris magazine.
Courtesy of Calne Heritage Centre.

 

Resources:
War Memorials Online: Calne
Imperial War Museum: Calne Monument

Sources:

Calne War Memorial, Calne - 1438174| Historic England. 2018. Calne War Memorial, Calne - 1438174| Historic England. [ONLINE] Available at: https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1438174. [Accessed 05 July 2018].

Cross of Sacrifice - Wikipedia. 2018. Cross of Sacrifice - Wikipedia. [ONLINE] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cross_of_Sacrifice#Blomfield_appointment. [Accessed 05 July 2018].
The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald. 2018. War memorial is a fitting tribute | The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.gazetteandherald.co.uk/news/towns/calneheadlines/16261912.War_memorial_is_a_fitting_tribute/. [Accessed 05 July 2018].
The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald. 2018. War memorial restoration work is underway | The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.gazetteandherald.co.uk/news/16155965.War_memorial_restoration_work_is_underway/. [Accessed 05 July 2018].