Wednesday 12 June 1765:
Fire destroys two-thirds of Heytesbury. A description of ‘The Great Fire’ reads: “Be it remembered that on Wednesday the 12th day of June, 1765 about twelve oc [o’clock] in the forenoon, a dreadful fire began at the west end of the town of Heytesbury in the county of Wiltshire at the house then in the occupation of Mr William Wilkins, which burnt with such irresistible violence, the wind blowing very briskly from the west, and the weather very dry, that notwithstanding the endeavours of the inhabitants and neighbourhood, with the help of three engines to stop its progress, in the space of two hours it burnt down and consumed 65 dwelling houses, the hospital and chapel adjoining thereto, together with the Free Schools, barns, stables, out-houses, ricks of corn and hay belonging to several farms, stockes in trade and other effects; the whole loss being then computed at thirteen thousand pounds. Two persons were miserably burnt, one of them an old woman of between 70 and 80 years of age, the other a child of 19 months old who both died a few days afterwards. Many other inhabitants being destitute of houses were forced to take up their lodgings in the church till houses could be prepared for them.†[The Ancient Village Of Heytesbury, E.D. Ginever, 1974].
The only building, on the north side of the village street, to survive the fire was the lock-up. Middlebrook, in his serial The Wylye Valley, also says three fire engines attended the fire.
