Ron Fear (born 22 July 1912), in a tape-recorded interview made by Danny Howell, on 4 April 1986 (transcribed extracts of which were published in Remember Warminster Volume Three, by Danny Howell), said: “You can go from Lower Marsh up to Hillwood along a path called Druck. It’s always been known to us as Druck.”
Category: Gazetteer
A geographical dictionary providing reference information about places and place names in Warminster and other civil parishes in the surrounding area.
Scratchbury Camp Hill Fort
From Hillforts Of The Wylye And Avon Valleys, by the Hillfort Study Group, Salisbury, April 1984:
ST 911442
This fine univallate hill fort is situated on the north side of the Wylye valley overlooking the river just downstream from Battlesbury.
The site is multi-period, though details of the different phases are not yet clear. The earliest known features on the site are five round barrows, three at least of which have been excavated. Recognised since 1812 (Colt Hoare) has been the enclosure in the centre of the subsequent hillfort, which looks D-shaped on account of its butting up against a bank which subdivides the fort. O.G.S. Crawford thought that this earlier enclosure might be a Neolithic causewayed camp, but excavations in 1957 showed it to be earlier Iron Age.
Air photographs seem to show a crop mark continuing the circle to the south-east of the linear bank, so that it seems likely to have been originally near circular. The linear bank which seems to have cut across this enclosure runs south-west to north-east and appears to be overlain by the main hillfort earthwork at the north-east entrance, as well as disappearing under the rampart at the south-west corner. It has been suggested that this may have been the original line decided for the hillfort rampart, and that there was subsequently a change of plan; this could only be shown if excavation were to prove the chronology to be suitable. Whatever the answer, the main hillfort rampart postdates the linear bank, and consists of a single bank and ditch with counterscarp enclosing over 15 hectares.
There are three entrances, in the north-west, north-east and south-east, none of them apparently of great complexity, though the overlapping, passage-style of that in the north-east contrasts with the more direct entry afforded by the other two entrances.
Signs of the quarry ditch are visible in the south-east, while small depressions at the north-west may represent hut sites or pits. Following all this activity a bank cuts off a small section of the southern part of the fort, and presumably dates to the Romano-British period or later.
Stray finds from the fort recorded by Colt Hoare include a jade axe, a ground flint axe and “British and Roman pottery’. A Roman bronze spoon was found in 1804. Trial excavations in 1957 yielded Iron Age pottery from the primary filling of the ditch of the inner enclosure. One of the barrows near the north-east gate produced a cremation, and Cunnington’s 1802 excavation of one of those in the south-west yielded only animal bones and burnt stones. His same-day excavation of the central tumulus was more profitable: the haul was a bronze dagger, bronze pin, a large amber ring and fifty amber beads.
Emwell Cross And The Obelisk, Warminster
John Halliday, in a hardback exercise book he titled Warminster Notes, in which he compiled various handwritten notes about Warminster and district for local history slide shows he was giving during the 1980s, penned the following:
The Obelisk. Erected 1782 with some surplus funds remaining to the Commissioners for the inclosure of waste and open lands. The stones of the base may well be from the older Emwell Cross which stood in a market place here and may even have attracted the first markets to this spot. [Emwell Cross] may have been a memorial, market, preaching, weeping, boundary or sanctuary cross, or a combination of two or more of these.
Cyril van der Merwe Succeeded Arthur Longhurst As A Warminster Traffic Warden
October 1982
Cyril van der Merwe succeeded Arthur Longhurst as a Warminster traffic warden (assistant to senior traffic warden Brian Hewton), during October 1982.
A Connection With Dye House Field?
John Halliday, in 1981, when compiling some local history notes concerning Warminster, questioned the whereabouts of Dye House Lane and wondered whether it had any connection with a “Dye House Field” which he thought was behind Portway House. He suggested there might have been a dye house on the river Were in this vicinity.
Keeper’s Lodge, Crabtree, 1981
From a directory of Corsley residents, 1981:
John R. McDermott, Keeper’s Lodge, Crabtree.
Bradley Road, Warminster, 1980
In Christ Church, Warminster, The First 150 Years, a booklet published in October 1980, to celebrate the 150th birthday of Christ Church, the Rev. John C. Day (Vicar) wrote:
. . . on the far south of the parish, in Bradley Road, known by older folk as The Tynings. Here on the left hand side [south side] was the old Isolation Hospital now converted into an Ambulance Station. The locals tell me there was an even earlier Disease Hospital or ‘Pest House’ as they were once called, in Cannimore Woods.
Abbott ~ Gravestone Inscription At St. Denys’ Churchyard, Warminster
Summer 1980
From “Parish Church of St. Denys’ Graveyard Survey”, Warminster: inscriptions recorded by students of Kingdown School, Warminster, Summer 1980:
In loving memory of John Abbott born April 20th 1815 fell asleep June 22nd 1908. At rest. Superintendent of the Warminster Police Division 1847 to 1876. Also of Rose Mary wife of the above who passed to her rest April 20th 1913 aged 70 years. R.I.P. George Thomas son of John and Anne Abbott died of cholera at Catrulla 9th April 1875 aged 13 years. Emma Elizabeth only beloved child of John and Anne Abbott fell asleep 23rd October 1875 aged 23 years. Thy will be done. Anne Jane eldest daughter of John and Anne Abbott died 30th August 1867 aged 23 years. Anne the beloved wife of John Abbott departed this life 12th March 1871 aged 59 years.
Plot 729.
The Old Meeting House (Now Dewey House), North Row, Warminster
Some notes compiled by Percy Trollope:
The barn, in Beastleaze meadow, was used for Worship by a numerous people in 1687. The Congregation left the barn and removed to a larger building in 1691. This place of service also was superseded by a more substantial erection in 1704 which had been known by the name Old Meeting, became the “Girls British School” in North Row. It was opened by Dr. Mather of Boston, North America. In 1785 it was used as a nonconformist Sunday School. In 1872 the Girls School moved from Common Close to North Row. The Girls School moved back to the Close in 1923. The infants occupied the North Row school. It was in 1960 when the congregation, which had dwindled away, died out. The Meeting House was sold. It was later a free Library.
Deaths Recorded In Newspapers 1970 To 1979
Name of deceased, followed by date of death;
Arranged alphabetically by surname:
Lily Ellen Abbott, 17 December 1975.
Mary Ann Abbott, 20 November 1977.
William John Abbott, 1 January 1976.
Ernest George Abercrombie, 25 March 1973.
Elsie Mary Adams, 21 September 1976.
Martha Elizabeth Adams, 7 November 1974.
Philip Henry Stephen Adams, 29 May 1977.
Hilda Mary Adkins, 21 May 1979.
Stephen Victor Alfred Adkins, 11 June 1978.
Lily Adlam, 22 July 1976.
Lily Florence Adlam, 24 September 1974.
Mary Lucy Adlam, 24 September 1974.
Victor William Adlam, 3 August 1978.
William Henry Adlam, 12 October 1971.
Elsie Adeline Albrecht, 10 March 1976.
Lily Agnes Alexander, 24 January 1975.
Ada Mary Allan, 26 May 1974.
Eliza Ann Allan, 29 January 1970.
Ethel Mary Chichele Allen, 15 May 1971.
Norah Frances Allen, 6 November 1976.
Rosina Anderson, 16 October 1977.
Ada Andrews, 26 October 1972.
Cecil Leonard Andrews, 26 November 1971.
Elsie Maud Andrews, 16 July 1976,
Fred Andrews, 19 February 1979.
Helena Minnie Andrews, 1 January 1972.
Walter Edward Andrews, 26 September 1977.
Wilfred Gordon Angus, 28 December 1975.
Eva Rose Antcliff, 28 January 1978.
Edith Mary Aplin, 29 January 1979.
Norman Ernest Archer, 15 February 1970.
Evelyn Maud Arnold, 1 July 1972.
Irene Jessie Arnold, 7 March 1979.
Percy James Arnold, 10 November 1975.
Ernest Alexander Arnoldi, 28 August 1975.
Ronald James Arnoldi, 1 March 1971.
Frank Finlay Arnott, 6 April 1972.
Norman George Ashley, 20 November 1972.
Peggy Evelyn Joyce Ashley, 24 May 1978.
William James Ashley, 29 October 1971.
Walter Henry Ashman, 11 April 1977.
John S. Atkinson, 24 March 1971.
Dorothy Auld, 30 May 1977.
Arthur Charles John Aven, 11 December 1978.
Florence Marina Avery, 7 April 1978.
Kathleen Avery, 9 June 1975.
William James Avery, 25 August 1978.
James William Axtell, 14 August 1978.
Blanche Ethel Ayers, 4 January 1977.
Edith Doris Ayers, 29 January 1978.
Alice Ayres, 29 September 1972.
Gladys Amy Yarde, 13 September 1978.
Gordon Duncan Yarde, 27 September 1970.
Alan John Collis Yates, 7 June 1971.
Christine Grace Yeates, 6 April 1974.
Norman Alec Yeates, 25 June 1973.
William John Yeates, 14 January 1973.
Edwin Young, 22 March 1972.
Frederick James Young, 27 April 1979.
George Young, 1 May 1973.
Percival Young, 19 December 1976.