Village Scenes near Larkhill?

[WhiteStarLine]

Hi, these photos were taken either in villages near Larkhill from July - August 1917 or near Shefford, Bedfordshire in September - December 1917. If anyone can identify them, that would be great, as we are visiting both localities in September 2012. I have ordered Moonraker's book and hope this assists.

[trajan]

FWIW, the first photo seems to show a millpond and a watermill, but there were watermills at both Larkhill and Shefford.

Trajan

[WhiteStarLine]

One of the photos has 'Figheldean' written on the side, a village on the Salisbury Plain.The church and windmill, I suspect, are located around Shefford.

.

[Stoppage Drill]

Most are Figheldean. The cotts in the photo marked are still there. The river scene is the Salisbury Avon. The large chestnut in several of the pics was famous, and stood over the village smithy. Church is, I think, St Micheal and All Angels.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/33894481@N04/4587383732/

[WhiteStarLine]

Thanks Stoppage Drill. Another AIF diary entry talks about a visit and "in a little village called Figheldean (and by the locals Fiddle-de-de) is a large chestnut tree and underneath is a blacksmith’s shop.

This is supposed to be the original of the Longfellow’s poem, “Under a Spreading chestnut tree” and certainly it looks the part." So that confirms my suspicion.

What do you mean by "cotts in the photo marked are still there"?

Thanks, Bill

[grantowi]

Cotts = Cottages

Grant

[Moonraker]

I was out that way on Monday. Many soldiers enjoyed walking in the Avon Valley (between Amesbury and Upavon) where even today the villages and hamlets retain "olde-worlde" charm. eBay nearly always has on offer postcards showing the smithy at Figheldean (pronounced "File-dean"). (There are three such today.)

The river looks a bit wide to be the Avon at Figheldean, but I wouldn't bet money either way.

I'm a bit puzzled by Trajan's observation that there was a watermill "at Larkhill", which is two miles from any place on the Avon where a watermill might have been, though a curve in the river does come closer, almost to Woodhenge. I don't think the windmill was in Wiltshire.

For a few weeks in 1914-15 manor houses at Figheldean and neighbouring Ablington (and at Bulford) became hospitals for Canadian soldiers suffering from the dismal conditions on the Plain.

Moonraker

[trajan]

... I'm a bit puzzled by Trajan's observation that there was a watermill "at Larkhill", which is two miles from any place on the Avon where a watermill might have been, though a curve in the river does come closer, almost to Woodhenge....

Have to admit I was working on memory from visits to archaeological sites in the area in the 1970's. I was certain there was a watermill site in or near Larkhill... How about Fiddle-dee-dee, does / did that have one? The first photo in the OP certainly looks more like a millpond rather than a river view. Note, e.g., the raised bank on the left side with the path on it, the bank being higher than the ground level of the cottage on the extreme left - I don't think any English river has levees but millponds did. Also the building at the far centre has a wall that sems to rise vertically from the water, so I/m 99% certain that's a mill!

Trajan

[Stoppage Drill]

Hello All

Her's a few photos of Figheldean courtesy Francis Frith from the '50's. Number 6 shows the cottages which I said are still there. The sluice shows the mill, but that's gone. You'll recognise the river.

The church in White Star's photo has battlements, so may not be Figheldean church, unless the battlements were later removed.

The legend of the chestnut being the inspiration of Longfellow's poem was widespread locally, but wishful thinking.

As Moonraker said, the First Canadian Contingent were billeted in our villages on the upper Avon in the winter of 1914-15. They had been under canvas between Durrington and Larkhill, but suffered terribly in a very wet winter which caused extensive flooding. Until the mid 90's there was graffiti chipped into a wall in Netheravon " SH of C, 19/11/14" (Sutherland Highlanders of Canada). The owner wished to demolish the wall, but was prevented from doing so. Would you believe that it was "accidentally" demolished when a truck backed into it. Owner was a nasty man, Freemason in the Ludgershall Lodge.

Moonraker:- There is still some AIF graffiti from 1939/40 on the gate post of the Abbey Lodge opposite Lords Walk in Amesbury - the Aussies were out at Lopcombe as I'm sure you know.

http://www.francisfr...e-c1955_f95013/

and the village website.

http://www.figheldean.org/millpond

[mrjustinhayward]

I would concur with Stoppage Drill that the Church is not Figheldean. The neo Norman tower top at Figheldean does not have battlements and to the best of my knowledge never has had since it was restored by J W Hugall in 1851. Rather heavy handedly in my opion BTW.

Figheldean also has a Clerestory which is not evident in the photo. The Church in the photo has a very distictive roofline over the chancel, but I'm struggling to place it in the Avon valley or anywhere else around Larkhill. Its not Netheravon, Fittleton, Enford, Milston, Bulford, Amesbury, Larkhill, Imber, Shrewton nor Orcheston. I cant think of any more candidates.

Justin

[mrjustinhayward]

WhiteStarLine, when you visit Figheldean, try and get access to the WW1 AIF grafitti inside the Church:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/33894481@N04/4606733401/in/set-72157618704716965/

Also looks like you could access some research beforehand at the AWM:

http://www.awm.gov.au/firstopac/bin/cgi-jsp.exe/shelf1.jsp?recno=100017870&userId=&catTable=

Justin H

[WhiteStarLine]

Back from Larkhill and your collective guesses were spot on. Figheldean is little changed. The postman apologised as he had only been there 25 years, but referred us to Reg who identified his house (RHS) and told us he bought it from the Ministry of Defence in the 1970s.

The blacksmith shop looks a little sad and the woman in one of the houses knew nothing about it and seemed not to care anyway.

One of the locals took us to Ablington as he could only remember back 40 years or so. He introduced us to Bill, who could remember the cottages from the 1930s, as pictured above with the AIF soldiers out the front. He remembered the original owner's name and how hard one of the steps was to climb as a child. The two cottages have long been demolished.

Finally, a lucky find in Bedfordshire took us to Old Warden. The side is away from the road and not only were we confident on the structure, but we could match 3 or 4 of the distinctive gravestones.

The windmill is not from Shefford but may be Biggleswade.

[NigelS]

Finally, a lucky find in Bedfordshire took us to Old Warden. The side is away from the road and not only were we confident on the structure, but we could match 3 or 4 of the distinctive gravestones.

Glad you were able to positively identify the church Bill; can I claim bragging rights Click?

NigelS

[WhiteStarLine]

Thanks Nigel. I had even emailed the photographer named on that link, but by the time I visited England I had totally forgotten your suggestion. You were exactly right! Cheers, Bill

[Guest photomoose]

The second image looks like the old mill at Milston, in front of the millpond. I've attached a photo of how it looks today, the millpond is now out of use, although remains of the old mill and sluice gates still exist.

[Moonraker]

The smithy at Fighedlean appears to have been a very popular visitors' attraction, judging from the number of photographic postcards that were published a century ago -18 are on offer on eBay, with a couple of very optimistic pricings -  £14, £18, even £40, though this one has an interesting message from an identifiable Australian soldier.

 

Thanks for posting the "today" photo, photomoose, and welcome to the Forum.

 

Welcome

[WhiteStarLine]

Brilliant, photomoose and thanks - number and placement of windows and the single door seem to match.  The windmill was recently positively identified as Biggleswade using a similar shot taken within 3-4 metres of the same position in the 1920s.

 

The cottages in post #4 were identified by a Figheldean local (in his eighties) as from the same street as the other Figheldean cottage.  He remembered how steep the steps were as a youngster but said the houses were long gone.  The one still standing was bought by the owner from the Army in the 1970s.  The ceiling is so low I really had to stoop.

 

Thanks once again from Canberra, where it was 42 degrees Celsius last week! 

[WhiteStarLine]

In a similar vein, the attached was recently found in a box in my late father's collection.  It is from Larkhill and shows Australian Field Artillery Brigade reinforcements on parade, destined for service with 11th Brigade AIF.  It dates from July / August 1917.  Someone may recognise the specific barracks.

Bill

 

[Stoppage Drill]

That looks like one of the Tidworth barrack blocks.

I don't think there were any structures like this at Larkhill.

[Moonraker]

Never any buildings like that at Lark Hill. The architecture certainly brings to mind Tidworth, which in 1917 was a major Australian Imperial Force barracks.

 

Moonraker

[WhiteStarLine]

Stoppage Drill and Moonraker, once again my eternal gratitude!  Is anything left of any of these buildings?

[Gareth Davies]

Yes, I have an office in one of them.

[Stoppage Drill]

48 minutes ago, WhiteStarLine said:

Stoppage Drill and Moonraker, once again my eternal gratitude!  Is anything left of any of these buildings?

 

Yes, but there is a current programme to demolish and replace most of them. 

[Moonraker]

Which would be a pity, as they have a certain heritage value. But I guess that after 115 years of use they are showing their age.

 

Some of the original soldiers' quarters, c1914, with latrines and wash houses between the living accommodation:

[Stoppage Drill]

There is a large ongoing project called Allenby Connaught operated by a public company, Aspire Defence, which includes some renovation and demolition of barracks in Tidworth, Bulford, Larkhill, Warminster and Aldershot.