Place Names of Calne: Cop Croft

Cop Croft appears c. 1900 with several houses along the path that led to the allotments, now Sainsbury's, however the area has been known as Cop Croft since at least Thomas Cruse's 1828 map of Calne. The original houses including 1 Cop Croft "Fair View" and the terraces, are of hammer-chipped stone. When it was for sale in 1951, we see that it had two double bedrooms with fireplaces on the first floor, with another two bedrooms on the second floor. It had a washroom with bath already installed, along with a coal and wood house[1].

Cop Croft

The year 1927 saw the town clerk write to the owners of Cop Croft about their willingness to sell, so the council could build more housing, the response was negative. They looked to Mill Street and Eastmead Street (see Anchor Road and Broken Cross) instead[2]. More housing on Cop Croft could have given us a very different looking Calne, with perhaps no Sainsbury's - would that have been better or worse?

Cop Croft is an interesting choice of name, which was a general name for the field garden, owned by the Marquis of Lansdowne and Lord Crewe.  Later the land became allotments and has gradually been built on. In Old English 'cop' refers to a hill, however that doesn't seem to be right for this location. Perhaps Cop is shortened from copse, which is a small group of trees. This would align with 'Pippin', which likely refers to apple trees, grown in the field gardens or allotments.



References:
[1] 'Sale of the Detached Town Residence, known s "Fair View" Cop Croft, Calne'  Wiltshire Times and Trowbridge Advertiser, Saturday 13 January 1951 [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0001671/19510113/189/0006 [Accessed on 26 September 2019]
[2] 'Health and Housing: Prospective Building Sites'  Wiltshire Times and Trowbridge Advertiser, Saturday 14 May 1927 [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0001557/19270514/142/0008 [Accessed on 26 September 2019]

Meeting The High Sheriff of Wiltshire

Left to right: Andrew Jones (Friends Of The Marden Valley), The High Sheriff of Wiltshire
Dr Olivia Chapple, myself Cllr Tim Havenith, Chilvester and Abberd, and
Robert MacNaughton, Calne and Wiltshire Cllr and Founder of Friends of the Marden Valley.

Today, I had the pleasure of meeting The High Sheriff of Wiltshire, Dr Olivia Chapple OBE when she visited to discover the work of Friends Of The Marden Valley, of which I am a member and Calne Town Council representative.

While we were exploring Castlefields park and explaining the good work of Castlefields CARP, we met PCSO Nicole Sheppard of Calne Police with Colin Conway, the Citizens in Policing Manager and the Neighbourhood Harm Reduction Team performing a sweep in the area.

The High Sheriff of Wiltshire, Dr Olivia Chapple and Dave Phelps

The High Sheriff also met Dave Phelps, one of our most recognisable members of the team at the council due to the amazing work he does in the town. Olivia spent time congratulating him on his 23-year career at Calne Town Council and the positive impact he has on the town.

As the High Sheriff showed a genuine interest in the town, it was a pleasure to highlight the great work of so many community groups in the town, including River Warriors Calne.

As a parting gift, I was given a packet of Wiltshire wildflower seed mix from the charity, Horatio's Garden, of which Olivia is the founder and chair of trustees. This charity nurtures the wellbeing of people after spinal injury in beautiful sanctuaries, so please check it out!

Many thanks to the High Sheriff for taking the time to visit Calne and gain an understanding the special community this town is fortunate to have.

Place names of Calne: Canal Close

Calne, From the Canal by William Westall

Canal Close

Canal Close, c. 1990s (approx) is a cul de sac of brick and stone built houses ranging from 3 to 6 bedroom houses.

Canal Close is named for the Calne branch of the Wilts and Berks Canal that opened in 1802. The peak of the canal was 1840, however by 1849, competition from the Great Western Railway took most of the business. The canal struggled on, but was formally abandonded by Act of Parliament in 1914, although traffic had ceased by 1906.

While the canal didn't obtain its Act of Parliament to build until 1795, there were thoughts on a canal running through Calne back to at least 1788. A letter to Salisbury and Winchester Journal in August 1788 repeatedly mentioned how such a canal would be for the 'good of that public' and 'would be of the greatest advantage at all times', clearly someone thought the canal would be a good idea, but who? The letter is signed by 'Amicus', simply the Latin for 'friend'[1].

The Calne branch began at Stanley, heading through Hazeland and Studley before reaching the wharf at Calne, always close to the River Marden. The part of the canal below the top lock at Chaveywell Wharf was restored in 1989, is part of Castlefields park within the Calne Conservation Area, and since 2011 has been owned by Calne Town Council. This area is very well managed by the Castlefields Canal and River Park association.



References:
[1] 'To the Printer etc.'  Salisbury and Winchester Journal, Monday 18 August 1788 [ONLINE] Available at https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000361/17880818/014/0004 [Accessed 24 September 2019]

Councillor Work: 𝐁𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐕𝐢𝐞𝐰 𝐃𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐝 𝐊𝐞𝐫𝐛𝐬

In March 2022, I submitted a Highways Improvement Request to create accessible access to the Bremhill View green space.

At the time, the hedge was poorly maintained, meaning that there was no visibility for users coming out of the green space. Additionally, there was a bollard that made it difficult, if not impossible, for those with prams, pushchairs, or mobility scooters to access or leave the open space at this point. But, most importantly, there was no dropped kerb access to this open space at this entrance.

No dropped kerbs here meant that those wishing to access the green space need to either access via the Bremhill View Social Club car park, or cross Lickhill Road twice to access School Road and the green space.

My thanks go out to the councillors of Calne Town Council that agreed 30% funding for this project. Also, thanks to Wiltshire Council officers and councillors that continued to work on this project throughout a difficult period of staff shortages and the discovery of electrical cabling under the proposed site.

The maintenance of the hedge, removal of bollard and installation of dropped kerbs has made the entrance to this green space accessible and allows easier access to other locations from this entrance.

This work on the dropped kerbs and new pavement was completed on the 18 and 19 June.

𝐇𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐑𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐬 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐛𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐛𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐞, not just councillors - although we're always happy to help with sharing information and the process these requests progress through. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐛𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐧𝐥𝐨𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞.

Honeymead's Wildflower Haven Unveiled

Mural team rom Left to Right: Sandi Sayer, Samantha Elliott, Tegan Godwin-Deveney, Tim Havenith, and Penny Erroll.

A vibrant new mural celebrating the beauty of wildflowers has been unveiled at Honeymead in Calne. The project, spearheaded by the Calne Clean Up Crew, is the latest addition to the town's growing collection of public art.

Local residents expressed a desire for a mural that would showcase the area's natural beauty. Artist Sam Elliott, known for her passion for wildflowers and their role in supporting pollinators, was commissioned to create the piece. The mural features a colourful array of wildflower species and stylized pollinators, making it a visual delight for passers-by.

Cath Crofts, a founder of the Calne Clean Up Crew, commented, "We were approached by residents of Honeymead who loved the town murals and wanted one of their own! After consultations with the residents and no objections, funding was secured, and a date was set!

We are so pleased to have been able to brighten up this area for the residents, thank you for asking us."

The Honeymead Wildflower Haven mural was created with the assistance of local artists Penny Errill and Sandi Sayer, as well as volunteers Tegan Godwin-Deveney and Tim Havenith. Funding for the project was gratefully received from housing association GreenSquareAccord (GSA) Melissa Shephard, a Housing Officer at GSA who supports their customers in Calne said “ This project originated as a request from GSA customers to brighten up their street. That has certainly been achieved.

“The mural looks fantastic, and it has been amazing to see how the community has been included in process of creating this piece of public. GSA were delighted to award £1000 from our Community Investment Fund to Calne-based artists to support this project.”

Passers-by who witnessed the mural's creation were enthusiastic about the progress and design, offering positive feedback and encouragement to the artists and volunteers involved. The mural joins other recent additions to Calne's public art scene, including two murals commemorating the 250th anniversary of Joseph Priestley's discovery of oxygen at Bowood House while living in Calne. These projects have helped to enhance the town's visual appeal and create a sense of community pride.

Cllr Havenith said: "It was an absolute pleasure to be part of the team that brought this beautiful mural to life at Honeymead, a project requested by our local residents.

A heartfelt thanks to the Calne Clean Up Crew and their passionate volunteers for all they do for our town, from routine litter picking, supporting local events, and creating stunning artwork such as this new mural."

The public art of Calne has been uploaded on an interactive map, available from Calne Heritage and Amenities Organisation at the following website: www.calneheritageandamenities.org.uk

This article has been republished by various media:
Calne News
BBC
Wiltshire Times
Wiltshire Gazette and Herald