01/11/2024

Place names of Calne: Brewers Lane



I have been, so far, unable to find the origin of the name 'Brewers Lane', which is relatively recent, there is a care home called The Maltings on the Shelburne Road side. There were certainly brewers and maltsters in Calne over the centuries and families called Brewer in the town. The road also goes by the informal name of Piggy Lane, as pigs used to be walked up the road in droves.

Brewers Lane replaced a footpath and foot bridge in 1904. A contemporary newspaper article calls it 'The Bridges Road' for the purpose of the report, but it didn't seem to have a name at that point:
'The New Road from Shelburne Road to Cow Lane crossing the Marden on two seperate bridges is completed this week and is now open from end to end'

The Shelburne Road side was more easy in descent than was aparently expected, however the Cow Lane (Anchor Road) junction was then as it is now 'abrupt and awkward'. However it was acknowledged that it would be of advantage to the residents to the north of the new road[1].

The road was first proposed the previous year as a way to relieve traffic in Church Street, which then as now, was a narrow thoroughfare. The expected cost was £85[2].

From the Anchor Road side, Brewers Lane would have originally been the entrance to Kew Lane Mill, which has long since been demolished. This began life as a clothing mill, which in 1228 belonged to the lord of Compton Bassett manor[3]. It belonged to the lord of Compton Bassett between the 17th and 19th centuries, during which time it was used partly for fulling. In the 1800s, the Marden could drive the machinery to make sixteen broad cloths in a week. William Pinniger, who wanted to quit the business attempted to relinquish the mill, but it continued until William Pinniger and Sons became bankrupt in 1827.

By around 1840, the mill was converted to a corn mill and remained so until the 19th century. In 1867 it was being let by Mr. Spencer of Bowood as a flour mill with two pairs of stone, which may be increased to three pairs[4].

1856 saw the tragic death of John Bush, nearly 2, who accidentally drowned close to Kew Lane Mill. The poor boy was found by Mary Ann Lodge of Kew Lane Mill, and her father brought the body out of the water. As part of the verdict, it was recommended that fencing on both sides of the bridge be made more secure[5].

Island Cottage, Brewers Lane
At some point, by Thomas Cruse's 1828 map, probably to service the mill, the Marden was split, creating an island, which was the site of a piggery and a poultry house. In the recent past with three cottages were built, one named Island Cottage.



References
[1] 'The Bridges Road'  Wiltshire Times and Trowbridge Advertiser, Saturday 19 March 1904 [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/BL/0001557/19040319/168/0008?browse=False [Accessed on 25 September 2019]
[2] 'The proposed new road'  Wiltshire Times and Trowbridge Advertiser, Saturday 20 June 1903  [ONLINE] Avialable from: https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/BL/0001557/19030620/109/0008?browse=False [Accessed on 25 September 2019]
[3] Calne: Economic history | British History Online. 2019. Calne: Economic history | British History Online. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/wilts/vol17/pp79-94. [Accessed 25 September 2019]. 
[4] 'Flour mill to let'   Devizes and Wiltshire Gazette, Thursday 26 September 1867  [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000360/18670926/033/0002 [Accessed 25 September 2019]
[5] 'At Calne, on the body of John Bush, nearly two years old'  Devizes and Wiltshire Gazette, Thursday 24 July 1856 [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000360/18560724/011/0003 [Accessed on 25 September 2019]

Place Names of Calne: North End Housing Estate

North End, North Way and North Cote relate to this development being built in North Field. Lansdowne Close, which was originally suggested to be named Macauley Road by the Health and Housing Committee, this was amended to Lansdowne Close, which makes much more sense as large parts of North Field were owned by Marquis of Lansdowne[a]. See also Bremhill View.
North End
North End was the first Borough Council housing estate for Calne and included North Cote, North Way, Bremhill View, Lansdowne Close, and the west side of Lickhill Road. The project began in 1920-21 with around sixty houses. At the time a three bed would cost 8s per week, while a four bed would set you back 10 shillings per week[1].

By 1939, a further 100 houses were built, with more after the war. Pre-war builds included Housing Schemes 3, 4, and 5: North End Housing Scheme No. 3 planned during 1932, with a tender out for 36 three bedroom houses being won by J.C. Wallis[2][3][4]. Another 56 houses were out to tender in June 1938 as schemes 4 and 5, which cost £22,420 with the contract going to E.J.G. Morgan at a cost of £13,236. The other costs for sheds, architects' fees, a Clerk of Works, etc[5].

In the 1960s, this development was extended by Maurice J. Morley & Company, who created Northfields, Braemor Road, and Corfe Crescent as part of their Northend Building Estate.

References:
[a] 'Lansdowne Close'  Wiltshire Times and Trowbridge Advertiser, Saturday 14 January 1939 [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/BL/0001557/19390114/181/0010?browse=False [Accessed on 26 September 2019]
[1] 'Borough of Calne'  Wiltshire Times and Trowbridge Advertiser, Saturday 24 June 1922 [ONLINE] Available from: https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/BL/0001557/19220624/181/0006?browse=False [Accessed 26 September 2019]
[2] 'Borough of Calne'  Wiltshire Times and Trowbridge Advertiser, Saturday 07 May 1932 [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/BL/0001557/19320507/019/0001?browse=False [Accessed on 26 September 2019
[3] 'Calne Town Council'  Wiltshire Times and Trowbridge Advertiser, Saturday 14 May 1932 [ONLINE] Available at https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/BL/0001557/19320514/112/0006?browse=False [Accessed on 26 September 2019]
[4] 'The end of Council building schemes'  Wiltshire Times and Trowbridge Advertiser, Saturday 18 June 1932 [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/BL/0001557/19320618/105/0006?browse=False [Accessed on 26 September 2019]
[5] 'Calne, £22,000 Housing Scheme'  Wiltshire Times and Trowbridge Advertiser, Saturday 16 July 1938 [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/BL/0001557/19380716/160/0006?browse=False [Accessed on 26 September 2019]

13/10/2024

Not Just Oxygen - An Anthology

As part of Priestley250, Calne Wordfest Writers group have compiled an anthology celebrating Priestley and Oxygen, in both fictional stories and factual pieces.

This anthology showcases a captivating collection of short stories and articles penned by local writers. Immerse yourself in 13 thought-provoking pieces from the Calne Wordfest Writers’ Group, and explore 21 imaginative tales crafted by talented schoolchildren inspired by a Priestley 250 competition.

The book includes a piece of my own, describing Priestley's discovery of the artificial carbonation of water and the innovations that came afterwards and that led to today's mass market for fizzy pop!
From the life of Priestley in Calne to the surprising connection between Schweppes and his discoveries, these works offer a fresh perspective on the man and his legacy. Delve into factual accounts and let your imagination soar with tales of oxygen, science, and the potential consequences of altering our atmosphere."



Copies of Not Just Oxygen can be ordered directly from https://amzn.to/3BHJNuZ
Paperback - £16.50
Hardback - £21.99

Or they can be ordered more cheaply from Calne Wordfest by emailing steve@calnewordfest.co.uk
Paperback - £12.00
Hardback - £15.00


All profits go to Calne Wordfest to support their work on local literacy projects.

10/10/2024

π—˜π˜…π—½π—Ήπ—Όπ—Ώπ—² π—ͺπ—Άπ—Ήπ˜π˜€π—΅π—Άπ—Ώπ—² - π‘ͺ𝒂𝒍𝒏𝒆 π‘΅π’π’˜ π‘¨π’—π’‚π’Šπ’π’‚π’ƒπ’π’† 𝒇𝒐𝒓 π‘«π’π’˜π’π’π’π’‚π’…



After a busy day of uploading content, I am pleased to announce that the Calne unit is now available to download in the Explore Wiltshire app.

As part of this, I have made sure that the Calne Wordfest Tale Trails app is linked, so users can reach trails such as the Calne Art Trail and Evie's Book Swap Network directly.
While there is a lot of content on the app now, it is still a work in progress. So, continue to pop ideas in a comment or PM me your (sensible!) suggestions. Thank you to those that have given suggestions!
Very much looking forward to having this new avenue to highlight the fantastic town we live in.
You can find out more about the app and download here: https://events.wiltshire.gov.uk/mobileapp

01/10/2024

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]

25/09/2024

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.