Timeline Calne: 1340/1341, Calne's Great Fire (with notes on subsequent fires)

Calne Fire Station, Station Road.

Depending on the source, we can see that 1340 or 1341 saw a serious fire within Calne. One that destroyed the greater part of the best houses of Calne, which were likely to have been wooden structures.[1]

Marsh tells us that the Church Registers detail the frequent occurrence of fires within Calne after this event.


Some of the major fires that have happened in Calne have occurred in and around the mills. Such as the fire next to Kew Lane mill (now Anchor Road). A fire in 1815, saw a warehouse or factory likely destroyed by fire as the Salisbury Journal reported "the engines were immediately procured, but from want of practice they did little service".

In 1884, it was the mill that experienced the destruction of fire. By this time, the road was called Cow Lane, and the mill was occupied by Mr. Robertson. The fire was discovered around one o'clock on 29 February 1884. Luckily Mr. Robertson, who occupied the house next to the mill, escaped without harm, however the mill and house were completely gutted, with only a cottage attached to the south west of the mill surviving. The mill was owned by Lord Lansdowne, who may have repaired the mill.[2] However, by 1899, the buildings had been demolished. The likely home for the mill was on the island near Brewers Lane.

Horsebrook Mill was another that faced a series of fires, and in 1962, Moss' mill was destroyed by fires. In 1967, Castle House was partially destroyed by fire.

We are fortunate to have a fantastic on-call crew that operate from Calne Fire Station on Station Road.

Let's hope Calne never has to experience such devastation again.


References:
[1] Marsh, A., 1903. A HISTORY OF THE BOROUGH AND TOWN OF CALNE. 1st ed. London: HAZELL, WATSON AND VINEY, LTD.
[2] "Fire at Calne" Devizes and Wiltshire Gazette, Thursday 06 March 1884  [ONLINE] Available at https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000360/18840306/069/0004 [Accessed on 19 April 2020]

Place Names of Calne: Luckett Way

Luckett Way

Luckett's portrait hangs with his follow
mayors in the Calne Town Hall.

Luckett Way, built in the 1960s, honours Henry Augustus Luckett, the Mayor of Calne for 1875[1].

He is listed as a draper on Calne's Church Street, in the 1855 and 1875 Post Office Directory. He's also listed as a draper in the 1867 and 1889 editions of Kelly's Directory of Wiltshire.

In his will of 1897, Luckett gave an income of £100 for the benefit of the women living in the almshouse at Christmas, in 1904 £2 4s was spent on coal for them[2].


References:
[1] Marsh, A., 1903. A HISTORY OF THE BOROUGH AND TOWN OF CALNE. 1st ed. London: HAZELL, WATSON AND VINEY, LTD.
[2] Calne: Charities for the poor | British History Online. 2019. Calne: Charities for the poor | British History Online. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/wilts/vol17/pp114-116#anchorn2. [Accessed 04 February 2019].

 

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