A photograph taken in the 1930s, showing where the Bath Road meets Church Street, Warminster. The Parish Church of St. Denys, The Minster, in the background.
1930s Photograph Showing Where Bath Road Meets Church Street, Warminster
Category: Around And About Warminster
Information and pictures for locations in the parish of Warminster, Wiltshire, featuring streets, buildings, shops, views, etc.
The Will Of The Reverend William Henry Wilkinson Of Warminster
1933
The Reverend William Henry Wilkinson, clerk, of Abbotsford, Boreham Road, Warminster, Wiltshire, died 10th August 1933. Administration (with will) at London, 16th September 1933, to Lily Wilkinson, widow. Effects £7,461 15s. 10d.
Rowland Fitz Of Boreham (Such Men Form The Backbone Of English Character)
From The Warminster & District Parish Magazine, August 1933:
Warminster, St. John’s. Rowland Fitz
On St. James’s Day we laid to rest the mortal remains of Rowland Fitz, who has passed on to his rest after many months of weary suffering and acute pain. The choir was present, and the hymns “”Fight The Good Fight” and “”Glory Be To Jesus” were sung and a large congregation were present.
It is wonderful what the influence of a good, quiet man can have in the vicinity in which he lives. Wherever one went, people were deeply moved at the news of Rowland Fitz’s death at such a comparatively early age. A man of fine physique, a zealous and most conscientious workman, home-loving, deeply religious without any outward show or boast, and devoted to his wife and children. Such men form the backbone of English character. Even men who were seldom in his company readily testify to his fine Christian character and his charm and gentle manner. By his death St. John’s has bid farewell to a son of whom she is proud.
Our deepest sympathy goes out to Mrs. Fitz and her daughters in their irreparable loss. No patient was ever nursed with more tender devotion, patience and care, night and day, than was Rowland Fitz by his wife and daughters. Even when on the verge of exhaustion they carried on, hoping against hope. Such love and charity are never wasted, even though they may seem to us to be. These deeds are noted in the Book of Life. We pray for the comfort of the Holy Spirit for those who mourn his loss and that eternal rest may be granted to him who is gone before.
Burial. July 25th – Rowland Fitz, of 27, Boreham, aged 53 years. R.I.P.
First Building Plot At Westbury Road, Warminster
The first residential building plot at Westbury Road, Warminster, was sold at the beginning of June 1933.
Bath Road, Warminster, Residents In 1933
Residents at Bath Road, Warminster, in 1933:
Left hand side from town ~
Miss B. Taylor, 1 Bath Road, Warminster.
W. H. Doel, 2 Bath Road, Warminster.
Mrs. Butcher, 3 Bath Road, Warminster.
Mrs. Cuff, 4 Bath Road, Warminster.
Mrs. F. E. Langley, Domus, Bath Road, Warminster.
Sidney Smith, The Croft, Bath Road, Warminster.
Arthur Pitman, Keeper’s Cottage, Norridge Wood, Warminster.
Right hand side from town ~
Edwin James Blackmore, The Haven, Bath Road, Warminster.
Richard Chapman, Ravensworth, Bath Road, Warminster.
Mrs. Price, 13 Bath Road, Warminster.
N. Burt, 12 Bath Road, Warminster.
Mrs. M. James, 11 Bath Road, Warminster.
William George Lapham, 10 Bath Road, Warminster.
George Thomas Frost, 9 Bath Road, Warminster.
William Randall, The Woodlands, Bath Road, Warminster.
Residents At Bleeck’s Buildings, West Street, Warminster, 1933
Residents at Bleeck’s Buildings, West Street, Warminster, 1933:
F. Butcher, 1 Bleeck’s Buildings.
C.W. Presley, 2 Bleeck’s Buildings.
M.G. Trollope, 3 Bleeck’s Buildings.
A.G. Pearce, 4 Bleeck’s Buildings.
R.J. Pearce, 5 Bleeck’s Buildings.
W.H. Scane, 6 Bleeck’s Buildings.
J. Croome, 7 Bleeck’s Buildings.
R.C. Prince, 8 Bleeck’s Buildings.
W. Grist, 9 Bleeck’s Buildings.
G. Whatley, 10 Bleeck’s Buildings.
J. Dyer, 11 Bleeck’s Buildings.
W. Sims, 12 Bleeck’s Buildings.
Residents At Ash Walk, Warminster, 1933
Residents at Ash Walk, Warminster, in 1933:
Walter Siminson, Holmwood, 1 Ash Walk, Warminster.
Bertie Richard Kerr, 2 Ash Walk, Warminster.
John Martin Box, Homelands, Ash Walk, Warminster.
Mrs. Mundy, 4 Ash Walk, Warminster.
Rowland Ede, 4 Ash Walk, Warminster.
S. W. Pinnell, 5 Ash Walk, Warminster.
James Oldnall, 6 Ash Walk, Warminster.
George Saville, 7 Ash Walk, Warminster.
Ernest Richard Moores, 8 Ash Walk, Warminster.
Major Mansel Witherby Mortimer, Manor House, Ash Walk, Warminster.
Miss Bendle, 10 Ash Walk, Warminster.
Sidney Day, carpenter, 11 Ash Walk, Warminster.
Accident At Boreham Road, Warminster
Saturday 12th September 1931
Accident At Boreham Road, Warminster
A serious accident occurred on the Boreham Road, Warminster, on the morning of Saturday 12th September 1931. Brothers Bert and Garf Legg were using a horse-drawn float to deliver milk to the customers of their father Percy Legg, of Home Farm, Boreham. A touring car travelling in the direction of Salisbury, while passing the float, skidded, colliding with the float, and the impact turned the float over. The crash also resulted in a roadside lamp-post being broken off.
Bert and Garf were considerably shaken. Garf Legg was taken to Warminster Cottage Hospital and was treated for a broken arm. Bert, was described as being plucky enough to continue with delivering milk. Unfortunately, the horse was so badly injured that it had to be destroyed on the spot.
The cause of the car skidding was deemed to have been on account of the road surface being extremely greasy. This was doubly emphasised by the fact that another car which had been following the touring car, also skidded on the greasy surface when the driver attempted to pull up when he saw the touring car colliding with the milk float. This second car struck one of the pavement trees and the car’s windscreen was smashed.
The Mancombe Ghost
Victor Strode Manley, in Volume 10 of his Regional Survey of the Warminster District, compiled in the 1920s and 1930s, includes the following note:
Narrator: Mr. Foreman, West Street, Warminster. April 1931.
Re-told by R. Davis.
He worked as a shepherd until lately on Mr. Stiles’ Farm on Warminster Down. No one could be got to remain in the farmhouse because it was said to be haunted. The crockery rattled and fell, doors shut of their own account and were only opened afterwards with difficulty, so it was demolished.
(Query – Was this the same place as mentioned in the tale of the haunted sheepskin?)
Some years ago he took a flock of sheep from there to Tilshead, and returned via Imber, where he had a pint at night. When he reached the foot of Sack Hill, a white form came from the direction of Battlesbury, but it had no definite form. It stood in the middle of the road in front of him and remained there until his near approach, when it glided into a copse at the side of the road. There was no wind but a rustling sound came from the copse.
The same thing happened to him on another occasion.
The Greenland Hut Opened In 1931
7th March 1931
Contrary to what some people think, the Scouts didn’t acquire the land near the south west corner of the Lake Pleasure Grounds (Town Park), where the Greenland Hut was erected. The land belonged to Warminster Urban District Council who gave permission for the hut to be built there.
The hut was not second-hand. It was built by Messrs Holdoway of Westbury, who submitted a much lower tender than any other of the local tenders received for the work. The cost was £300.
The specifications included “An excellent floor will be laid so that dances in aid of Scout funds can be periodically held there, and also other entertainments staged.” The money was loaned upfront to pay the cost and the Scouts repaid it over a long period by holding dances, whist drives and other events.
Lord Bath officially opened the hut on Saturday 7th March 1931. That evening a whist drive was held in the hut to raise funds towards the building costs.
The hut was to measure 60ft by 24ft (some reports say 60ft by 20ft) and was to be able to seat 300 persons at events and to store the equipment and gym items of the Scouts. It was lit by electric and heated by gas.
The previous scout hut at Woodcock (where Robin Close was built much later) had been in use about seven years and had been the initiative of W. A Greenland, who had in turn been a scout, scoutmaster and district commissioner. The new hut at Weymouth Street was named the Greenland Hut after him, “whose energy was due not only to the maintenance of interest in scouting in Warminster but also to the formation of other troops in the neighbourhood. In recognition of all he has done in this direction, it is proposed to name the new hut The Greenland Hut.”
Mr Greenland had already left Warminster before the hut was built, and he was unable to attend the opening ceremony.