Written by Danny Howell, March 1989.
First published in Warminster & District Archive magazine,
Spring 1989:
When passing through the ancient hamlet of Tytherington, south of Heytesbury, in the Wylye Valley, you can hardly fail to notice the huge, hollow trunk of a long-dead elm tree which stands, as a memorial to time, on the village green. It measures 28 feet 8 inches in circumference (about 3 feet above ground level), and stands 16 feet or so high. The lofty branches which grew out from the top of the gnarled trunk have been cut off, no doubt for safety reasons. What’s left below is now sporting a fungus, while stout twigs of elder (which often grows around tall trees used as roosts by starlings and other birds) are springing up around the base. Part of the trunk, on the south/south east facing side, had disappeared, allowing access to the tree’s hollow interior. The diameter of the area inside the trunk is about 10 feet.
I have often wondered what secrets of Tytherington this dead elm must hold, because it must be very old, and it is sure to have seen many changes in the village over the years. One hundred years ago, when the elm at Tytherington was already well-known for its hollow shape and size, the population of the village was 140 – today it is less than 50. In the 18th and 19th centuries Tytherington was very much an agricultural community, the people either working on the land or in the wool trade. The number of cottages at Tytherington has decreased – some were situated east of the village street, between the Church of St. James (built in the early part of the 12th century and reputed to be the oldest church in Wiltshire) and the cottage known as Littlecroft (part of which was a former bakehouse).
I was delighted when I recently discovered the following news item in the Saturday 24th July 1875 issue of the Warminster Herald. It reads:
“THE CHINESE LEAF HONOURED. – On Tuesday last the quiet hamlet of Tytherington was the scene of one of the most primeval tea parties that Father Time has ever had the privilege to chronicle.â€
“On the green of the little village stands an immense hollow elm tree, within which, some few years ago, two fine grunters [pigs] were fattened; but this deed was quite eclipsed by some of the good folks of the place taking it into their heads to turn the old elm tree for the nonce into a banqueting room.â€
“Early in the day brooms, carpets, tables, chairs, trays, and the odds and ends that secure a good cup of tea, were seen moving towards the venerable trunk, and when the inside was cleanly brushed, the cobwebs removed, the ground carpeted, and the rude apartment neatly furnished with table and chairs, a beautiful repast was laid out, and seventeen persons sat down together to enjoy the liquor of the cheering leaf. No one will dare to insinuate that the pot was in any way Horningshamised but comfort reigned supremely within the wooden walls; and songs brought to a close a very merry and happy gathering. Now, surely the old elm tree will be for ever remembered as the Bacon and Tea Tree.â€
Note: The adjective “Horningshamised†which appears in the news item reproduced above probably arises from an 18th century property deal. The Marquis of Bath bought Tytherington in 1785 for £163 4s. 6d., but by the Heytesbury Enclosures Act of 1785 he exchanged it for parcels of land near Longleat at Horningsham. These were owned by the Rev. Charles Greene. The memory of Lord Bath’s exchange of Tytherington for land at Horningsham, was obviously still a talking point for Tytherington residents one hundred years later.
If any readers, particularly Tytherington residents past or present, can recall other anecdotes with regards the ‘Bacon and Tea Tree’ I would be pleased to hear from them. Email dannyhowellnet@gmail.com