Purton
Encyclopedia
Purton is a village and civil parish in Wiltshire. The civil parish includes the village of Purton Stoke
and the hamlets of Bentham, Hayes Knoll, Restrop and Widham
.
The village is a linear settlement along the old road between the historic market towns of Cricklade
4 miles (6.4 km) to the north and Royal Wootton Bassett 3 miles (4.8 km) to the south. Purton is on a minor road 1 miles (1.6 km) from the B4553 and 3 miles (4.8 km) from junction 16 of the M4 motorway
. It is 4 miles (6.4 km) northwest of the centre of Swindon
Purton is on the brow of a hill, with views across to Cricklade and the Thames floodplain. Nearby, Bradon Forest stretches out to Minety
in the west.
Village amenities include several shops, a sub-post office, a library, public house
s and restaurants, a GP's practice, dentist, and veterinary surgery. The village has grown such that its retailers are not all concentrated in one centre. A few shops are on the main road at the junction with Pavenhill, and a few are around the bend in the road near the Village Hall
.
The Church of England parish church
of Saint Mary the Virgin
is unusual in having a tower at each end, one of which has a spire
. It is one of only three parish church
es in England with both a spire and another tower. The other two are at Wanborough
and Ormskirk
.
Until 1978 Purton Stoke
had its own primary school. It opened in 1894; and at its peak had 100 pupils. However, numbers dropped continually from the 1930s when older pupils were educated in Purton, until there were only around 30 pupils left in the 1970s. The school closed in 1978. The building is now used for the Jubilee Gardens Project and is situated on the Purton to Cricklade
road.
nature reserve
s in the parish:
Restrop Farm and Brockhurst Wood
is a Site of Special Scientific Interest
. It is at the end of Mud Lane, or at the end of Brockhurst Lane but is mainly private land. Brockhurst Meadow is part of the farm.
There are two members' clubs: The Red House Club on Church Street, and The Working Men's Club, now Purton Club on Station Road.
Several former pubs in Purton have closed:
Purton is derived from the Old English pirige for "pear" and tun for "enclosure" or "homestead".
has evidence of settlement during the Neolithic period but is considered to be an Iron Age hill fort dating from about 50 B.C. There is suggestion that the remains of a Roman villa
lie under the soil at Pavenhill, on the Braydon side of Purton. At The Fox on the east side of the village, grave goods and bodies from a pagan Saxon cemetery have been excavated.
gave 35 hides
from Purton to the Benedictine
Malmesbury Abbey
. The Abbot of Malmesbury continued to be the chief landlord of Purton throughout Saxon and Norman times, suggesting that an earlier church stood at Purton.
appears at one time to have dedicated to Saint Nicholas
. The surviving parish registers date from 1558 for Marriages and Burials and 1564 for Baptisms. There are some gaps between 1641 and 1647 which coincide more or less with the disruptions of the English Civil War
.
There was a Friends' Meeting House
at Purton Stoke in the parish during the late 17th century and early 18th century. Later there were two Methodist
chapels belonging to different Methodist denominations. There was a Congregational chapel where the Scout Hut is now in the High Street; it was demolished in 1969. There is a Methodist
church in Purton Stoke.
in the Restrop area. A cannon ball
was discovered in the area and several place names refer to a battle; including the alternative name of Restrop Road, Red Street (which may signify the road was covered in blood) and Battlewell. A mile away there is Battle Lake in Braydon Wood, and Battlelake Farm.
through the parish was opened in 1841 and was absorbed by the Great Western Railway
in 1843. Purton railway station opened in 1841 and was actually at Widham. British Rail
ways closed the station in 1963 but the line remains open.
in the parish, which were part of the defences of southern England during the Second World War. They form a rough line, along which a deep trench also ran, between Ballards Ash near Royal Wootton Bassett and the River Ray
near Blunsdon railway station
. RAF Blakehill Farm
, north of Purton Stoke, was a RAF Transport Command
station that operated from 1944 until 1946. United States troops were stationed in Braydon Wood, and attended dances at the local dances in the Angel Hotel. Anti-tank devices (chains across the road, set in concrete blocks) were installed on the parish boundary across Tadpole Bridge that spans the River Ray. The Cenotaph on Purton High Street is a memorial to those who died in both World Wars.
the Maskelyne family were significant landlords and landowners in Purton, having inherited rights granted by the last Abbot of Malmesbury Abbey to the Pulley or Pulleyne family, from whom they descended on the distaff side. The Reverend Dr Nevil Maskelyne
(1732–1811) was appointed Astronomer Royal
in 1765. The Maskelynes were involved in Purton life for more than four centuries from the 16th century. Nevil Maskelyne was born in London, lived at Down Farm and is buried in Purton churchyard. A Miss Maskelyne who lived in the village died in the 1960s aged over 100.
, who served as MP for the nearby Wootton Bassett constituency
in the 1630s, lived at College Farm in the centre of Pyrton. It is likely that his daughter Anne Hyde
, first wife of James II
also lived here for a time. After serving Charles II
during his years of exile under the Commonwealth and Republic, Hyde later became Lord Chancellor
of England, was ennobled as Earl of Clarendon
, and appointed Chancellor of the University of Oxford.
Hyde's Whig arch-rival, Sir Anthony Ashley-Cooper, 1st Earl of Shaftesbury, also had property in Purton parish. The Ashley-Cooper family also held the advowson
of St. Mary's parish church.
until his death. A strict but generous benefactor, Sadler gave the cricket ground and Working Men's Institute to the village. Described as the last unofficial Squire of Purton, his father was Dr Samuel Champernowne Sadler, F.R.C.S., of Purton. In 1859 or 1860 Dr Sadler had the Pump House built at Salt's hole, a natural hotspring used for medicinal purposes since the Middle Ages and possibly earlier. Under Dr Sadler and subsequent owners, attempts were made to develop this natural attraction as Purton Spa, and to market the spring waters for their healing qualities.
of Purton, Wiltshire, with ramifications elsewhere in North Wilts. and beyond, under the auspices of Richard Carruthers-Żurowski, a Canadian-based, Oxford-trained historian and genealogist.
volume covering the hundreds of Cricklade and Staple, including Purton, is planned to be published within the next few years.
Charter Club Standard and is affiliated to Wiltshire Football Association
.
– Other locally prominent, or gentry, families include those of Bathe, Canning, Hill, Carter, Digges, Ernle
, Francome, Kemm, Langton, Martlewright alias Morse, Nanfan, Phillips alias Major, Plummer, Prower, Richmond (Richman), Sheppard, Stephens, Wykeham-Martin.
–
– Old village names include Bunce, Cook, Gleed, Hayward, Holliday, Iles, Jefferies, Kibblewhite, Large, Moulden, Newth, Ovens, Rawlings, Shurmer, Telling, Warman, and Paish.
A rare creature called Chloe Mccoy finds habitat in the Purton location. Identifiable for it's bushy ombre mane, dark almost black skin and lovely white teeth. Usually found roaming around Reids Piece smoking fags, drinking wine or throwing up.
Purton Stoke
Purton Stoke is a small village in north Wiltshire, situated within the civil parish of Purton. The village is located along a side road off of the Purton to Cricklade road, approximately one mile north of Purton village. A small country lane gives access to the nearby hamlet of Bentham, to the...
and the hamlets of Bentham, Hayes Knoll, Restrop and Widham
Widham
Widham is a small hamlet now encompassed within the village and parish of Purton, Wiltshire.Originally, Widham consisted of a few houses along the highway and parts of Witts lane and the toll house at Collins lane, with Widham Common in the centre. In time, Purton engulfed the hamlet, and only one...
.
The village is a linear settlement along the old road between the historic market towns of Cricklade
Cricklade
Cricklade is a town and civil parish on the River Thames in north Wiltshire in England, midway between Swindon and Cirencester.On 25 September 2011 Cricklade was awarded The Royal Horticultural Society's 'Champion of Champions' award in the Britain in Bloom competition.Cricklade is twinned with...
4 miles (6.4 km) to the north and Royal Wootton Bassett 3 miles (4.8 km) to the south. Purton is on a minor road 1 miles (1.6 km) from the B4553 and 3 miles (4.8 km) from junction 16 of the M4 motorway
M4 motorway
The M4 motorway links London with South Wales. It is part of the unsigned European route E30. Other major places directly accessible from M4 junctions are Reading, Swindon, Bristol, Newport, Cardiff and Swansea...
. It is 4 miles (6.4 km) northwest of the centre of Swindon
Swindon
Swindon is a large town within the borough of Swindon and ceremonial county of Wiltshire, in South West England. It is midway between Bristol, west and Reading, east. London is east...
Purton is on the brow of a hill, with views across to Cricklade and the Thames floodplain. Nearby, Bradon Forest stretches out to Minety
Minety, Wiltshire
Minety is a village located in north Wiltshire, between Malmesbury and Swindon. Minety takes its name from the water mint plant found growing in ditches around the village, and has previously been known as Myntey....
in the west.
Village amenities include several shops, a sub-post office, a library, public house
Public house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
s and restaurants, a GP's practice, dentist, and veterinary surgery. The village has grown such that its retailers are not all concentrated in one centre. A few shops are on the main road at the junction with Pavenhill, and a few are around the bend in the road near the Village Hall
Village hall
In the United States, a village hall is the seat of government for villages. It functions much as a city hall does within cities.In the United Kingdom, a village hall is usually a building within a village which contains at least one large room, usually owned by and run for the benefit of the local...
.
The Church of England parish church
Church of England parish church
A parish church in the Church of England is the church which acts as the religious centre for the people within the smallest and most basic Church of England administrative region, known as a parish.-Parishes in England:...
of Saint Mary the Virgin
St Mary's Church, Purton
St Mary's Church is in the village of Purton in north Wiltshire, England. It is an active Anglican parish church in the Diocese of Bristol. It is one of only three churches in England to have both a western tower and a central spire...
is unusual in having a tower at each end, one of which has a spire
Spire
A spire is a tapering conical or pyramidal structure on the top of a building, particularly a church tower. Etymologically, the word is derived from the Old English word spir, meaning a sprout, shoot, or stalk of grass....
. It is one of only three parish church
Parish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
es in England with both a spire and another tower. The other two are at Wanborough
Wanborough, Wiltshire
Wanborough is a village and civil parish in the borough of Swindon, Wiltshire. The village is about southeast of Swindon town centre. The parish includes the hamlet of Foxhill, southeast of the village.-History:...
and Ormskirk
Ormskirk
Ormskirk is a market town in West Lancashire, England. It is situated north of Liverpool city centre, northwest of St Helens, southeast of Southport and southwest of Preston.-Geography and administration:...
.
Education
There are currently two schools in Purton:- St. Mary's Church of England Primary School is the local infant school. It is split between two sites. Infants are taught in the original Victorian building which opened in 1861; juniors in the buildings further up College Road which opened in the 1970s, along with the school's swimming pool.
- Bradon Forest School is the secondary school. It was built in 1962 and caters for pupils from Purton parish, Lydiard Millicent, Cricklade, Ashton Keynes and West Swindon. The school has no sixth form, so students go on to either Wootton Bassett Sixth FormWootton Bassett SchoolWootton Bassett School is a co-educational, comprehensive secondary school in the Wiltshire town of Wootton Bassett.The school has technology college status, and operates an on-site Sixth Form department...
, Cirencester CollegeCirencester CollegeCirencester College is a tertiary college with its main campus situated on the outskirts of Cirencester, Gloucestershire. The college also has premises at The Castle, Cecily Hill, Cirencester and in Tetbury at the Tetbury centre. A number of other venues are used for part-time courses...
, Swindon CollegeSwindon CollegeSwindon College is a further education college in Swindon, England. Its campus is at North Star, just outside the town centre. The college has HNC/Ds and Foundation Degrees, through to BA courses and a postgraduate programme....
or New CollegeNew College, SwindonNew College is a further and higher education institution, founded in 1983 and located in Swindon, England. The latest OFSTED report rated the college as good stating that: "This is a good college with outstanding features and good capacity to improve.." and that: "Achievement and standards are...
, SwindonSwindonSwindon is a large town within the borough of Swindon and ceremonial county of Wiltshire, in South West England. It is midway between Bristol, west and Reading, east. London is east...
.
Until 1978 Purton Stoke
Purton Stoke
Purton Stoke is a small village in north Wiltshire, situated within the civil parish of Purton. The village is located along a side road off of the Purton to Cricklade road, approximately one mile north of Purton village. A small country lane gives access to the nearby hamlet of Bentham, to the...
had its own primary school. It opened in 1894; and at its peak had 100 pupils. However, numbers dropped continually from the 1930s when older pupils were educated in Purton, until there were only around 30 pupils left in the 1970s. The school closed in 1978. The building is now used for the Jubilee Gardens Project and is situated on the Purton to Cricklade
Cricklade
Cricklade is a town and civil parish on the River Thames in north Wiltshire in England, midway between Swindon and Cirencester.On 25 September 2011 Cricklade was awarded The Royal Horticultural Society's 'Champion of Champions' award in the Britain in Bloom competition.Cricklade is twinned with...
road.
Nature reserves
There are four Wiltshire Wildlife TrustWiltshire Wildlife Trust
The Wiltshire Wildlife Trust is a wildlife trust covering the county of Wiltshire, England. The organisation is Registered Charity No. 266202.-Sarsen Trail:Sarsen Trail and Neolithic Marathon 2012Run it, Walk it, Bike it, Enjoy it...
nature reserve
Nature reserve
A nature reserve is a protected area of importance for wildlife, flora, fauna or features of geological or other special interest, which is reserved and managed for conservation and to provide special opportunities for study or research...
s in the parish:
- Brockhurst Meadow is at the end of Brockhurst Lane, just below Ringsbury CampRingsbury CampRingsbury Camp is an Iron Age hill fort, thought to date from approximately the year 50BC. It is located in the civil parish of Purton in Wiltshire.-Structure:...
. Brockhurst Meadow is a rushy hay meadow with signs of Ridge and furrowRidge and furrowRidge and furrow is an archaeological pattern of ridges and troughs created by a system of ploughing used in Europe during the Middle Ages. The earliest examples date to the immediate post-Roman period and the system was used until the 17th century in some areas. Ridge and furrow topography is...
farming. Wildlife includes many wildflowers of wet meadowWet meadowA wet meadow is a semi-wetland meadow which is saturated with water throughout much of the year. Wet meadows may occur because of poor drainage or the receipt of large amounts of water from rain or melted snow. They may also occur in riparian zones....
s: ragged robinRagged RobinLychnis flos-cuculi, commonly called Ragged Robin, is a herbaceous perennial plant in the family Caryophyllaceae. It is species is native to Europe, where it is found along roads and in wet meadows and pastures...
, sneezewortSneezewortAchillea ptarmica is a species in the genus Achillea. It has loose clusters of white, button-like flowers that bloom from June to August...
, meadowsweetMeadowsweetFilipendula ulmaria, commonly known as Meadowsweet, is a perennial herb in the family Rosaceae that grows in damp meadows. It is native throughout most of Europe and Western Asia...
, marsh thistle, common spotted orchidCommon spotted orchidThe Common Spotted-orchid is acommonly occurring species of European orchid. It is widely variable in colour and height, ranging from 15 to 60 cm in height. The flower colour can vary from white to pale purple with purple spots. The lip has three lobes...
, heath spotted orchidDactylorhiza maculataThe Heath Spotted Orchid or Moorland Spotted Orchid , is an herbaceous perennial plant belonging to the family Orchidaceae.-Etymology:...
, adder's-tongue fern, sedgeCyperaceaeCyperaceae are a family of monocotyledonous graminoid flowering plants known as sedges, which superficially resemble grasses or rushes. The family is large, with some 5,500 species described in about 109 genera. These species are widely distributed, with the centers of diversity for the group...
species and the insects which feed on them such as the Marbled White butterfly. . - Blakehill Farm, partly in Purton parish, is the former RAF Blakehill FarmRAF Blakehill FarmRAF Blakehill Farm was an RAF base situated in Wiltshire, England. The station was opened in 1944 as a base for transport aircraft of No. 46 Group Transport Command. In 1948 the airfield was a satellite of RAF South Cerney and used by training aircraft before the airfield closed in 1952 and was...
airfield from the Second World War. Its grasslands are habitat for mammals including roe deerRoe DeerThe European Roe Deer , also known as the Western Roe Deer, chevreuil or just Roe Deer, is a Eurasian species of deer. It is relatively small, reddish and grey-brown, and well-adapted to cold environments. Roe Deer are widespread in Western Europe, from the Mediterranean to Scandinavia, and from...
and brown hareHareHares and jackrabbits are leporids belonging to the genus Lepus. Hares less than one year old are called leverets. Four species commonly known as types of hare are classified outside of Lepus: the hispid hare , and three species known as red rock hares .Hares are very fast-moving...
, birds including kestrelKestrelThe name kestrel, is given to several different members of the falcon genus, Falco. Kestrels are most easily distinguished by their typical hunting behaviour which is to hover at a height of around over open country and swoop down on prey, usually small mammals, lizards or large insects...
, skylarkSkylarkThe Skylark is a small passerine bird species. This lark breeds across most of Europe and Asia and in the mountains of north Africa. It is mainly resident in the west of its range, but eastern populations are more migratory, moving further south in winter. Even in the milder west of its range,...
, wheatearWheatearThe wheatears are passerine birds of the genus Oenanthe. They were formerly considered to be members of the thrush family Turdidae, but are now more commonly placed in the flycatcher family Muscicapidae...
, whinchatWhinchatThe Whinchat Saxicola rubetra is a small migratory passerine bird breeding in Europe and western Asia and wintering in Africa.Its scientific name means "small rock-dweller", in reference to its habitat...
and stonechat and butterflies include Small Copper and Brown HairstreakBrown HairstreakThe Brown Hairstreak is a butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. The range includes most of the Palaearctic.-Subspecies:...
. The Trust bought the site from the Ministry of DefenceMinistry of Defence (United Kingdom)The Ministry of Defence is the United Kingdom government department responsible for implementation of government defence policy and is the headquarters of the British Armed Forces....
to form a large meadowMeadowA meadow is a field vegetated primarily by grass and other non-woody plants . The term is from Old English mædwe. In agriculture a meadow is grassland which is not grazed by domestic livestock but rather allowed to grow unchecked in order to make hay...
of about 600 acres (242.8 ha), and opened it to the public in 2005. It rears a small quantity of organicOrganic movementThe organic movement broadly refers to the organizations and individuals involved worldwide in the promotion of organic farming, which is a more sustainable mode of agriculture...
grade beef, usually rare breeds such as Longhorn cattleLonghorn cattleLonghorn cattle are a long-horned brown and white breed of beef cattle originating from Craven in the north of England. They have a white patch along the line of their spine and under their bellies....
. These cattle ensure grasses and other common plants do not begin to dominate over the other rarer plants. . - Stoke Common MeadowsStoke Common MeadowsStoke Common Meadows is a 10.2 hectare biological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Wiltshire, notified in 1994.-References:*. Accessed August 14, 2006-External links:*...
are at the end of Stoke Common Lane in Purton StokePurton StokePurton Stoke is a small village in north Wiltshire, situated within the civil parish of Purton. The village is located along a side road off of the Purton to Cricklade road, approximately one mile north of Purton village. A small country lane gives access to the nearby hamlet of Bentham, to the...
. Stoke Common Meadows consist of a small wood and grasslands, with ancient hedgerows and ditches. The meadows are habitat for many wildflowers including pepper saxifrage, sweet vernal-grass, heath spotted orchidDactylorhiza maculataThe Heath Spotted Orchid or Moorland Spotted Orchid , is an herbaceous perennial plant belonging to the family Orchidaceae.-Etymology:...
, adder’s-tongue fern (Ophioglossum), bugleBugle (plant)Ajuga , also known as Bugleweed, Ground pine or Carpet bugle, is a genus of about 40–50 species of annual and perennial herbaceous flowering plants in the mint family Lamiaceae, with most species native to Europe, Asia, and Africa, but also two species in southeastern Australia...
, ox-eye daisy and common knapweedCentaurea nigraCentaurea nigra is a species of flowering plant in the daisy family known by the common names Lesser Knapweed, Common Knapweed and Black Knapweed...
. Some of the fields are a Site of Special Scientific InterestSite of Special Scientific InterestA Site of Special Scientific Interest is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom. SSSIs are the basic building block of site-based nature conservation legislation and most other legal nature/geological conservation designations in Great Britain are based upon...
. . - Red Lodge Pond is at the beginning of Red Drive in Braydon Wood, just off the B4042 road between BraydonBraydonBraydon is a village and civil parish in Wiltshire, England, near Swindon, best known for sharing its name with Braydon Forest.The population is now 49 and was 48 in 1881.-History:...
Crossroads and Minety Crossroads. The reserve includes a large pond and a small meadow with a concrete platform in the middle: the remains of an old sawmillSawmillA sawmill is a facility where logs are cut into boards.-Sawmill process:A sawmill's basic operation is much like those of hundreds of years ago; a log enters on one end and dimensional lumber exits on the other end....
. Wildlife includes plants such as water horsetailWater HorsetailThe water horsetail , also known as the Swamp Horsetail, is a perennial horsetail that commonly grows in dense colonies along freshwater shorelines or in shallow water, growing in ponds, swamps, ditches, and other sluggish or still waters with mud bottoms...
, common spotted orchidCommon spotted orchidThe Common Spotted-orchid is acommonly occurring species of European orchid. It is widely variable in colour and height, ranging from 15 to 60 cm in height. The flower colour can vary from white to pale purple with purple spots. The lip has three lobes...
; and woodlandWoodlandEcologically, a woodland is a low-density forest forming open habitats with plenty of sunlight and limited shade. Woodlands may support an understory of shrubs and herbaceous plants including grasses. Woodland may form a transition to shrubland under drier conditions or during early stages of...
butterflies including Eurasian White AdmiralLimenitis camillaThe White Admiral, Limenitis camilla, is a butterfly of the Nymphalidae family. They are found in woodland throughout southern Britain and much of Europe and Asia, extending as far east as Japan....
and Silver-washed FritillarySilver-washed FritillaryArgynnis paphia is a common and variable butterfly found over much of the Palaearctic ecozone – Algeria, Europe, temperate Asia and Japan.-Subspecies:*A. p. butleri Krulikovsky, 1909 Northern Europe, Central Europe...
. .
Restrop Farm and Brockhurst Wood
Restrop Farm and Brockhurst Wood
Restrop Farm and Brockhurst Wood is a 56.5 hectare biological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Wiltshire, notified in 1992. The site contains the Iron Age hill fort of Ringsbury Camp.-Source:* -External links:...
is a Site of Special Scientific Interest
Site of Special Scientific Interest
A Site of Special Scientific Interest is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom. SSSIs are the basic building block of site-based nature conservation legislation and most other legal nature/geological conservation designations in Great Britain are based upon...
. It is at the end of Mud Lane, or at the end of Brockhurst Lane but is mainly private land. Brockhurst Meadow is part of the farm.
Public houses
There are three pubs in the parish:- The Angel Hotel in the High Street is thought to be the oldest public housePublic houseA public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
in the village. It was built in 1702. - The Bell is Purton StokePurton StokePurton Stoke is a small village in north Wiltshire, situated within the civil parish of Purton. The village is located along a side road off of the Purton to Cricklade road, approximately one mile north of Purton village. A small country lane gives access to the nearby hamlet of Bentham, to the...
's only pub. - The Royal George is the oldest pub in Pavenhill.
There are two members' clubs: The Red House Club on Church Street, and The Working Men's Club, now Purton Club on Station Road.
Several former pubs in Purton have closed:
- The Blue Pig was on Purton's boundary at the BrinkworthBrinkworthBrinkworth could be*Brinkworth, South Australia*Brinkworth, Wiltshire, UK...
to Minety and Purton to Garsdon crossroads near to Ravensroost WoodRavensroost WoodRavensroost Wood is a 43.7 hectare biological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Wiltshire, notified in 1989.-Source:* -External links:*...
. It closed a couple of decades ago. - The Forester's Arms was next door to the Royal George in Pavenhill. It closed in 1904.
- Another pub called The Forester's Arms was situated on the parish boundary at Common Platt. It closed in 2010.
- The Fox Inn served the Fox area.
- The Railway Hotel was renamed the Ghost Train after British RailBritish RailBritish Railways , which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was the operator of most of the rail transport in Great Britain between 1948 and 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the "Big Four" British railway companies and lasted until the gradual privatisation of British Rail, in stages...
ways closed Purton railway station in 1963. The pub closed in early 2008. - The Hope Inn at the Collins Lane junction was closed in 1995 and is now the Elmgrove Saddlery.
- The Live and Let Live in Upper Pavenhill had the best views of any pub in the parish, looking over the BraydonBraydonBraydon is a village and civil parish in Wiltshire, England, near Swindon, best known for sharing its name with Braydon Forest.The population is now 49 and was 48 in 1881.-History:...
area. It closed in 1967. - The Mason's Arms was in the recently demolished house in Thompson's Garage in the Upper Square. It was a pub until 1945.
- The New Greyhound in Pavenhill. It closed in early 2008.
- The Queen's Arms was near the sub-post office in the High Street.
Toponym
The toponymToponymy
Toponymy is the scientific study of place names , their origins, meanings, use and typology. The word "toponymy" is derived from the Greek words tópos and ónoma . Toponymy is itself a branch of onomastics, the study of names of all kinds...
Purton is derived from the Old English pirige for "pear" and tun for "enclosure" or "homestead".
Archaeology
Ringsbury CampRingsbury Camp
Ringsbury Camp is an Iron Age hill fort, thought to date from approximately the year 50BC. It is located in the civil parish of Purton in Wiltshire.-Structure:...
has evidence of settlement during the Neolithic period but is considered to be an Iron Age hill fort dating from about 50 B.C. There is suggestion that the remains of a Roman villa
Roman villa
A Roman villa is a villa that was built or lived in during the Roman republic and the Roman Empire. A villa was originally a Roman country house built for the upper class...
lie under the soil at Pavenhill, on the Braydon side of Purton. At The Fox on the east side of the village, grave goods and bodies from a pagan Saxon cemetery have been excavated.
Manor
The earliest known written record of Purton dates from AD 796 when the Saxon King Ecgfrith of MerciaEcgfrith of Mercia
Ecgfrith was a King of Mercia who briefly ruled in the year 796. He was the son and heir of King Offa of Mercia and his wife Cynethryth. In 787, Offa had Ecgfrith crowned as co-ruler. He succeeded his father in July 796, but despite Offa's efforts to secure his son's succession, it is recorded...
gave 35 hides
Hide (unit)
The hide was originally an amount of land sufficient to support a household, but later in Anglo-Saxon England became a unit used in assessing land for liability to "geld", or land tax. The geld would be collected at a stated rate per hide...
from Purton to the Benedictine
Order of Saint Benedict
The Order of Saint Benedict is a Roman Catholic religious order of independent monastic communities that observe the Rule of St. Benedict. Within the order, each individual community maintains its own autonomy, while the organization as a whole exists to represent their mutual interests...
Malmesbury Abbey
Malmesbury Abbey
Malmesbury Abbey, at Malmesbury in Wiltshire, England, was founded as a Benedictine monastery around 676 by the scholar-poet Aldhelm, a nephew of King Ine of Wessex. In 941 AD, King Athelstan was buried in the Abbey. By the 11th century it contained the second largest library in Europe and was...
. The Abbot of Malmesbury continued to be the chief landlord of Purton throughout Saxon and Norman times, suggesting that an earlier church stood at Purton.
Churches
The current Church of England parish church of St Mary the VirginSt Mary's Church, Purton
St Mary's Church is in the village of Purton in north Wiltshire, England. It is an active Anglican parish church in the Diocese of Bristol. It is one of only three churches in England to have both a western tower and a central spire...
appears at one time to have dedicated to Saint Nicholas
Saint Nicholas
Saint Nicholas , also called Nikolaos of Myra, was a historic 4th-century saint and Greek Bishop of Myra . Because of the many miracles attributed to his intercession, he is also known as Nikolaos the Wonderworker...
. The surviving parish registers date from 1558 for Marriages and Burials and 1564 for Baptisms. There are some gaps between 1641 and 1647 which coincide more or less with the disruptions of the English Civil War
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
.
There was a Friends' Meeting House
Friends meeting house
A Friends meeting house is a meeting house of the Religious Society of Friends , where meeting for worship may be held.-History:Quakers do not believe that meeting for worship should take place in any special place. They believe that "where two or three meet together in my name, I am there among...
at Purton Stoke in the parish during the late 17th century and early 18th century. Later there were two Methodist
Methodism
Methodism is a movement of Protestant Christianity represented by a number of denominations and organizations, claiming a total of approximately seventy million adherents worldwide. The movement traces its roots to John Wesley's evangelistic revival movement within Anglicanism. His younger brother...
chapels belonging to different Methodist denominations. There was a Congregational chapel where the Scout Hut is now in the High Street; it was demolished in 1969. There is a Methodist
Methodist Church of Great Britain
The Methodist Church of Great Britain is the largest Wesleyan Methodist body in the United Kingdom, with congregations across Great Britain . It is the United Kingdom's fourth largest Christian denomination, with around 300,000 members and 6,000 churches...
church in Purton Stoke.
Civil War
It is thought a battle took place during the English Civil WarEnglish Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
in the Restrop area. A cannon ball
Round shot
Round shot is a solid projectile without explosive charge, fired from a cannon. As the name implies, round shot is spherical; its diameter is slightly less than the bore of the gun it is fired from.Round shot was made in early times from dressed stone, but by the 17th century, from iron...
was discovered in the area and several place names refer to a battle; including the alternative name of Restrop Road, Red Street (which may signify the road was covered in blood) and Battlewell. A mile away there is Battle Lake in Braydon Wood, and Battlelake Farm.
Railway
The Cheltenham and Great Western Union RailwayCheltenham and Great Western Union Railway
The Cheltenham and Great Western Union Railway was a broad gauge railway that linked the Great Western Railway at Swindon, Wiltshire, with Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England...
through the parish was opened in 1841 and was absorbed by the Great Western Railway
Great Western Railway
The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
in 1843. Purton railway station opened in 1841 and was actually at Widham. British Rail
British Rail
British Railways , which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was the operator of most of the rail transport in Great Britain between 1948 and 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the "Big Four" British railway companies and lasted until the gradual privatisation of British Rail, in stages...
ways closed the station in 1963 but the line remains open.
Second World War
There are a number of concrete pillboxesBritish hardened field defences of World War II
British hardened field defences of World War II were small fortified structures constructed as a part of British anti-invasion preparations. They were popularly known as pillboxes by reference to their shape.-Design and development:...
in the parish, which were part of the defences of southern England during the Second World War. They form a rough line, along which a deep trench also ran, between Ballards Ash near Royal Wootton Bassett and the River Ray
River Ray, Wiltshire
The River Ray is a tributary of the River Thames in England which flows through Wiltshire.The river rises at Wroughton to south of Swindon and runs to the west of the town via Shaw. It joins the Thames on the southern bank near Cricklade just upstream of Water Eaton House Bridge. The river has...
near Blunsdon railway station
Blunsdon railway station
Blunsdon railway station is a heritage railway station serving the village of Blunsdon, north of Swindon in Wiltshire, England.It was one of the last to be opened by the Midland and South Western Junction Railway in 1895 on a railway that had opened in 1883. It was little more than a...
. RAF Blakehill Farm
RAF Blakehill Farm
RAF Blakehill Farm was an RAF base situated in Wiltshire, England. The station was opened in 1944 as a base for transport aircraft of No. 46 Group Transport Command. In 1948 the airfield was a satellite of RAF South Cerney and used by training aircraft before the airfield closed in 1952 and was...
, north of Purton Stoke, was a RAF Transport Command
RAF Transport Command
RAF Transport Command was a Royal Air Force command that controlled all transport aircraft of the RAF. It was established on 25 March 1943 by the renaming of the RAF Ferry Command, and was subsequently renamed RAF Air Support Command in 1967.-History:...
station that operated from 1944 until 1946. United States troops were stationed in Braydon Wood, and attended dances at the local dances in the Angel Hotel. Anti-tank devices (chains across the road, set in concrete blocks) were installed on the parish boundary across Tadpole Bridge that spans the River Ray. The Cenotaph on Purton High Street is a memorial to those who died in both World Wars.
Maskelyne
In the Tudor periodTudor period
The Tudor period usually refers to the period between 1485 and 1603, specifically in relation to the history of England. This coincides with the rule of the Tudor dynasty in England whose first monarch was Henry VII...
the Maskelyne family were significant landlords and landowners in Purton, having inherited rights granted by the last Abbot of Malmesbury Abbey to the Pulley or Pulleyne family, from whom they descended on the distaff side. The Reverend Dr Nevil Maskelyne
Nevil Maskelyne
The Reverend Dr Nevil Maskelyne FRS was the fifth English Astronomer Royal. He held the office from 1765 to 1811.-Biography:...
(1732–1811) was appointed Astronomer Royal
Astronomer Royal
Astronomer Royal is a senior post in the Royal Household of the Sovereign of the United Kingdom. There are two officers, the senior being the Astronomer Royal dating from 22 June 1675; the second is the Astronomer Royal for Scotland dating from 1834....
in 1765. The Maskelynes were involved in Purton life for more than four centuries from the 16th century. Nevil Maskelyne was born in London, lived at Down Farm and is buried in Purton churchyard. A Miss Maskelyne who lived in the village died in the 1960s aged over 100.
Hyde and Ashley-Cooper
The Royalist statesman and author Edward HydeEdward Hyde
Edward Hyde may refer to:* Edward Hyde, 1st Earl of Clarendon , English historian and statesman* Edward Hyde , British MP* Edward Hyde, 3rd Earl of Clarendon , Governor of New York and New Jersey* Edward Hyde Edward Hyde may refer to:* Edward Hyde, 1st Earl of Clarendon (1609–1674), English...
, who served as MP for the nearby Wootton Bassett constituency
Wootton Bassett (UK Parliament constituency)
Wootton Bassett was a parliamentary borough in Wiltshire, which elected two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons from 1447 until 1832, when the rotten borough was abolished by the Great Reform Act.-History:...
in the 1630s, lived at College Farm in the centre of Pyrton. It is likely that his daughter Anne Hyde
Anne Hyde
Anne Hyde was the first wife of James, Duke of York , and the mother of two monarchs, Mary II of England and Scotland and Anne of Great Britain....
, first wife of James II
James II of England
James II & VII was King of England and King of Ireland as James II and King of Scotland as James VII, from 6 February 1685. He was the last Catholic monarch to reign over the Kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland...
also lived here for a time. After serving Charles II
Charles II of England
Charles II was monarch of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland.Charles II's father, King Charles I, was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War...
during his years of exile under the Commonwealth and Republic, Hyde later became Lord Chancellor
Lord Chancellor
The Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain, or Lord Chancellor, is a senior and important functionary in the government of the United Kingdom. He is the second highest ranking of the Great Officers of State, ranking only after the Lord High Steward. The Lord Chancellor is appointed by the Sovereign...
of England, was ennobled as Earl of Clarendon
Earl of Clarendon
Earl of Clarendon is a title that has been created twice in British history, in 1661 and 1776. The title was created for the first time in the Peerage of England in 1661 for the statesman Edward Hyde, 1st Baron Hyde...
, and appointed Chancellor of the University of Oxford.
Hyde's Whig arch-rival, Sir Anthony Ashley-Cooper, 1st Earl of Shaftesbury, also had property in Purton parish. The Ashley-Cooper family also held the advowson
Advowson
Advowson is the right in English law of a patron to present or appoint a nominee to a vacant ecclesiastical benefice or church living, a process known as presentation. In effect this means the right to nominate a person to hold a church office in a parish...
of St. Mary's parish church.
Sadler
By the late 19th century and into the early part of the 20th century, other local families had risen to the gentry level after becoming significant landowners in the parish. Among these was James Henry Sadler, Esq., D.L., J.P., (1843–1929) who, though a Purton native, lived in nearby Lydiard House in the neighbouring parish of Lydiard MillicentLydiard Millicent
Lydiard Millicent is a village and civil parish in Wiltshire, England, about west of the centre of Swindon.The village has a primary school and a parish hall and recreation field...
until his death. A strict but generous benefactor, Sadler gave the cricket ground and Working Men's Institute to the village. Described as the last unofficial Squire of Purton, his father was Dr Samuel Champernowne Sadler, F.R.C.S., of Purton. In 1859 or 1860 Dr Sadler had the Pump House built at Salt's hole, a natural hotspring used for medicinal purposes since the Middle Ages and possibly earlier. Under Dr Sadler and subsequent owners, attempts were made to develop this natural attraction as Purton Spa, and to market the spring waters for their healing qualities.
Genealogy and prosopography
A study of the interconnections of people within the parish, based on the registers and other historical evidence, since the earliest recorded period, is being prepared (2006) under the working title, The Plenteous Pear Tree: Pedigrees and Progress of Purton's People Past and Present, a parish prosopographyProsopography
In historical studies, prosopography is an investigation of the common characteristics of a historical group, whose individual biographies may be largely untraceable, by means of a collective study of their lives, in multiple career-line analysis...
of Purton, Wiltshire, with ramifications elsewhere in North Wilts. and beyond, under the auspices of Richard Carruthers-Żurowski, a Canadian-based, Oxford-trained historian and genealogist.
Victoria County history
The Victoria County HistoryVictoria County History
The Victoria History of the Counties of England, commonly known as the Victoria County History or the VCH, is an English history project which began in 1899 and was dedicated to Queen Victoria with the aim of creating an encyclopaedic history of each of the historic counties of...
volume covering the hundreds of Cricklade and Staple, including Purton, is planned to be published within the next few years.
Sports and leisure
Purton Youth Football Club has teams ranging from under sevens to under eighteens. The club has gained FAThe Football Association
The Football Association, also known as simply The FA, is the governing body of football in England, and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. It was formed in 1863, and is the oldest national football association...
Charter Club Standard and is affiliated to Wiltshire Football Association
Wiltshire Football Association
The Wiltshire County Football Association is the governing body of football in the county of Wiltshire.-External links:*...
.
Notable people
People connected with Purton include:- The Rt. Hon. Sir Anthony Ashley-Cooper, 1st Earl of Shaftesbury
- The Lady Anne HydeAnne HydeAnne Hyde was the first wife of James, Duke of York , and the mother of two monarchs, Mary II of England and Scotland and Anne of Great Britain....
, Duchess of York, first wife of James II of EnglandJames II of EnglandJames II & VII was King of England and King of Ireland as James II and King of Scotland as James VII, from 6 February 1685. He was the last Catholic monarch to reign over the Kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland... - The Right Honourable Sir Edward Hyde, 1st Earl of ClarendonEdward Hyde, 1st Earl of ClarendonEdward Hyde, 1st Earl of Clarendon was an English historian and statesman, and grandfather of two English monarchs, Mary II and Queen Anne.-Early life:...
- James Kibblewhite, pre-Olympic English running champion
- The Reverend Dr Nevil MaskelyneNevil MaskelyneThe Reverend Dr Nevil Maskelyne FRS was the fifth English Astronomer Royal. He held the office from 1765 to 1811.-Biography:...
, D.D. - Dr Desmond MorrisDesmond MorrisDesmond John Morris, born 24 January 1928 in Purton, north Wiltshire, is a British zoologist and ethologist, as well as a popular anthropologist. He is also known as a painter, television presenter and popular author.-Life:...
- The Reverend John PapworthJohn PapworthJohn Papworth After being reared in an orphanage, the Reverend John Papworth has been at various times a baker, journalist, economist - London University graduate, ecologist, a self proclaimed 'futurist' and Church of England priest...
- Billie PiperBillie PiperBillie Paul Piper is an English singer and actress.She began her career in the late 1990s as a pop singer and then switched to acting. She started in acting and dancing and was talent spotted at the Sylvia Young stage school by Smash Hits magazine who wanted a "face" for their magazine...
Other prominent or long-established families
– Other locally prominent, or gentry, families include those of Bathe, Canning, Hill, Carter, Digges, Ernle
Ernle
Ernle was the surname of an English gentry or landed family descended from the lords of the manor of Earnley in Sussex who derived their surname from the name of the place where their estates lay.-Onomastic:...
, Francome, Kemm, Langton, Martlewright alias Morse, Nanfan, Phillips alias Major, Plummer, Prower, Richmond (Richman), Sheppard, Stephens, Wykeham-Martin.
–
– Old village names include Bunce, Cook, Gleed, Hayward, Holliday, Iles, Jefferies, Kibblewhite, Large, Moulden, Newth, Ovens, Rawlings, Shurmer, Telling, Warman, and Paish.
See also
- Purton StokePurton StokePurton Stoke is a small village in north Wiltshire, situated within the civil parish of Purton. The village is located along a side road off of the Purton to Cricklade road, approximately one mile north of Purton village. A small country lane gives access to the nearby hamlet of Bentham, to the...
- Ringsbury CampRingsbury CampRingsbury Camp is an Iron Age hill fort, thought to date from approximately the year 50BC. It is located in the civil parish of Purton in Wiltshire.-Structure:...
- Purton F.C.Purton F.C.Purton F.C. are football club based in Purton, near Cricklade, Wiltshire, England. They joined the Hellenic League Division One in 1986 and won that division in 1995–96...
- River KeyRiver KeyThe River Key is a tributary of the River Thames in England which flows through Wiltshire.The river rises at Braydon Forest near Purton and runs through Purton Stoke, joining the Thames on the southern bank near Cricklade just upstream of the A419 Road Bridge. The river was crossed by the North...
A rare creature called Chloe Mccoy finds habitat in the Purton location. Identifiable for it's bushy ombre mane, dark almost black skin and lovely white teeth. Usually found roaming around Reids Piece smoking fags, drinking wine or throwing up.
Sources & further reading
(on Salt's Hole) (on Purton Spa) (on the ancient parish boundaries of Purton)- Volumes of Kelly's DirectoryKelly's DirectoryKelly's Directory was a trade directory in the United Kingdom that listed all businesses and tradespeople in a particular city or town, as well as a general directory of postal addresses of local gentry, landowners, charities, and other facilities. In effect, it was a Victorian version of today's...
- Wiltshire Archaeological and Natural History MagazineWiltshire Archaeological and Natural History MagazineWiltshire Archaeological and Natural History Magazine is a county journal published by the Wiltshire Archaeological and Natural History Society . It has been published almost annually since 1853 and is distributed to its members, subscribers and exchanged with other linked societies.-External...
- Wiltshire Notes and Queries (a quarterly journal published 1895–1916)
- Wiltshire Record SocietyWiltshire Record SocietyThe Wiltshire Record Society is a publishing association in Wiltshire, England, which edits and publishes historic documents concerned with the history of Wiltshire.-History:...
publications