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A long list of relevant Wikipedia entries around Combe Down

Timeline of Somerset history

Key dates in the history of Somerset

Timeline of Bath, Somerset

The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Bath, Somerset, England.

Prehistory

1st to 5th centuries

  • c. 60s – First Roman temple structures built, around the hot water springs; completed by 76.
  • 2nd century
    • Early: Baths extended.
    • Late: Baths vaulted.
  • 3rd century – By this time, Bath city walls are built for defence.
  • 300–350 – Evidence for Christians in Bath.
  • 5th century – Following the end of Roman rule in Britain, Bath is largely abandoned.

6th to 10th centuries

11th to 17th centuries

  • 1087 – Town, Abbey and mint pass to John of Tours.
  • 1090 – John of Tours, Bishop of Wells, moves the episcopal seat to Bath, giving it city status.
  • Early 12th century? – King's Bath built.
  • 1102 – Bath fair active.[4]
  • 1137 – Major fire.[6]
  • 1148–1161 – Abbey consecrated between these dates.[6]
  • c. 1174 – St John's Hospital founded.
  • 1273 – Old Bridge extant.
  • 1285 – Church of St Michael's Within built in St John's Hospital.
  • c. 1333 – Monks of the abbey establish a weaving trade in Broad Street.[7]
  • 1371 – Market mentioned in charter.
  • c. 1435 – Hospital of St Catherine established.
  • 1482 – "Sally Lunn's House" built.
  • c. 1495 – St Mary Magdalen, Holloway, built as a chapel to a leper's hospital.[6]
  • 1499 – Abbey found derelict by Oliver King, Bishop of Bath and Wells, who begins its reconstruction.[8]
Roman Baths with Abbey beyond as at c.1900
  • 1533 – Rebuilding of Abbey substantially completed by this date.[6]
  • 1539 – January: Dissolution of the Monasteries: Abbey surrendered.
  • 1552
  • 1572
    • The roofless Abbey is given to the corporation of Bath[6] for restoration as a parish church.
    • Dr. John Jones makes the first public endorsement of the medicinal properties of the city's water.
  • 1576 – Queen's Bath built.
  • 1578 – Drinking fountain installed in the Baths.
  • 1590 – Bath chartered (city status confirmed) by Elizabeth I.[10]
  • 1597 – Deserving poor given free use of the mineral water.[11]
  • 1608 – Bellott's Hospital established.
  • 1613 and 1615 - Anne of Denmark, wife of James VI and I, visits Bath for her health
  • 1616 – Abbey Church consecrated.[12]
  • 1625–1628 – Guildhall rebuilt.[13]
  • 1643 – 5 July: Battle of Lansdowne fought near the city.
  • 1657 – Regular coach service from London.
  • 1676 – Dr. Thomas Guidott publishes A discourse of Bathe, and the hot waters there. Also, Some Enquiries into the Nature of the water, the first published account of the medicinal properties of the city's water.
  • 1677 – West Gate pub in business.
  • 1680 – Supposed origin of the Sally Lunn bun.
  • 1687 – Mary of Modena, queen consort of James II of England, visits in the hope that Bath waters would aid conception; by the end of the year she is pregnant with James Francis Edward Stuart.

1700s

View of Bath, 18th century
Royal Crescent, climax of the Woods' Bath
Bath Assembly Rooms
Thomas Rowlandson, Comforts of Bath – The Pump Room (1798)

1800s

Map of the city, drawn in 1818.
  • 1800
  • 1801
    • January: Jane Austen becomes resident in Bath when her father retires here; she will remain until summer 1806 living mostly in the new-built Sydney Place.
    • 1 May: Kennet and Avon Canal opens from Bath to Devizes[48] (completion of the locks at the latter place at the end of 1810 creates through inland water communication to London).[49]
Footbridges over Kennet and Avon Canal in Sydney Gardens

1900s

Empire Hotel with Pulteney Bridge beyond
City centre in 1958, still with signs of the Bath Blitz

2000s

Thermae Bath Spa
Elizabeth Park in the Bath Western Riverside residential development, opened in 2019

Births

John Palmer (postal innovator) at age 75

See also

References

  1. ^ Aston, Mick. "The Bath Region, from Late Prehistory to the Middle Ages" (PDF). Bath Spa University. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 September 2016. Retrieved 27 July 2016.
  2. ^ Geoffrey of Monmouth (1136). Historia Regum Britanniae.
  3. ^ a b "Saxon Bath". The Mayor of Bath. Archived from the original on 1 November 2015. Retrieved 27 July 2016.
  4. ^ a b Letters, Samantha (2005), "Somerset", Gazetteer of Markets and Fairs in England and Wales to 1516, Institute of Historical Research, Centre for Metropolitan History
  5. ^ Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. "Vikings and Anglo-Saxons". British History Timeline. BBC. Retrieved 12 September 2013.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Forsyth, Michael (2003). Bath. Pevsner Architectural Guides. New Haven: Yale University Press. ISBN 978-0-300-10177-5.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t Spence, Cathryn (2012). Water, History & Style – Bath: World Heritage Site. Brimscombe Port: The History Press. ISBN 978-0-7524-8814-1.
  8. ^ "Bath Abbey". Sacred Destinations. Retrieved 1 August 2016.
  9. ^ a b c d e f g h Tymms, Samuel (1832). "Somersetshire". Western Circuit. The Family Topographer: Being a Compendious Account of the ... Counties of England. Vol. 2. London: J. B. Nichols and Son. OCLC 2127940.
  10. ^ a b c d Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Bath (England)" . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 03 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 511–512.
  11. ^ a b "Royal National Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases". Bath Heritage. Retrieved 13 January 2013.
  12. ^ a b "Bath". Great Britain (7th ed.). Leipzig: Karl Baedeker. 1910. hdl:2027/mdp.39015010546516.
  13. ^ a b c Wood, John (1765). Description of Bath (2nd ed.). London: W. Bathoe.
  14. ^ Townsend, George Henry (1867). "Bath". A Manual of Dates (2nd ed.). London: Frederick Warne & Co.
  15. ^ a b c d e f g h Buchanan, R. A. (1969). The Industrial Archaeology of Bath. Bath University Press. ISBN 0-900843-04-7.
  16. ^ a b c d e f g h Peach, R. E. M. (1893). Street-Lore of Bath. London: Simpkin, Marshall.
  17. ^ a b Maxted, Ian (2006). British Book Trades: Topographical Listings. Somerset. Exeter Working Papers in British Book Trade History. Retrieved 12 September 2013.
  18. ^ Kaufman, Paul (1967). "The Community Library: A Chapter in English Social History". Transactions of the American Philosophical Society. 57 (7): 1–67. doi:10.2307/1006043. JSTOR 1006043.
  19. ^ a b c d e f g h i Commemorative inscription.
  20. ^ Haddon, John (1982). Portrait of Bath. London: Robert Hale. ISBN 0-7091-9883-3.
  21. ^ Mortimer, Roger; Onslow, Richard; Willett, Peter (1978). Biographical Encyclopaedia of British Racing. London: Macdonald and Jane's. ISBN 0-354-08536-0.
  22. ^ a b c d Headley, Gwyn; Meulenkamp, Wim (1999). Follies, grottoes & garden buildings. London: Aurum Press. ISBN 978-1-85410-625-4.
  23. ^ a b Historic England. "Masonic Hall formerly Theatre (443204)". Images of England. Archived from the original on 2 November 2012.
  24. ^ Historic England (15 October 2010). "1–30 The Circus (1394142)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 27 July 2016.
  25. ^ a b "Bath (England) Newspapers". Main Catalogue. British Library. Retrieved 12 September 2013.
  26. ^ a b Toone, William (1835). Chronological Historian ... of Great Britain (2nd ed.). London: J. Dowding.
  27. ^ a b Page, William, ed. (1906), "Romano-British Somerset: Part 2, Bath", History of the County of Somerset, Victoria County History, University of London, Institute of Historical Research, vol. 1
  28. ^ a b Green, Mowbray Aston (1904). Eighteenth Century Architecture of Bath. Bath: G. Gregory. OCLC 1718577. OL 6953596M.
  29. ^ "History". Bath: Theatre Royal. Retrieved 13 February 2011.
  30. ^ Rules and orders of the Society Instituted at Bath, for the Encouragement of Agriculture, Arts, Manufactures, and Commerce. 1777. OCLC 85861288.
  31. ^ "About The Museum". Museum of Bath at Work. Retrieved 26 July 2016.
  32. ^ Torrens, Hugh (1990), "The Four Bath Philosophical Societies, 1779–1959", Proceedings of the 12th Congress of the British Society for the History of Medicine, Bath
  33. ^ Thicknesse, Phillip (1780). The Valetudinarians Bath guide, or, The means of obtaining long life and health. Dodsley, Brown and Wood.
  34. ^ Although initially recording it as a comet. Herschel, W.; Watson, Dr. (1781). "Account of a Comet, By Mr. Herschel, F.R.S.; Communicated by Dr. Watson, Jun. of Bath, F.R.S". Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society. London. 71: 492–501. Bibcode:1781RSPT...71..492H. doi:10.1098/rstl.1781.0056. S2CID 186208953.
  35. ^ Historic England (15 October 2010). "The Cross Bath (1394182)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 3 August 2016.
  36. ^ Historic England. "Numbers 1 to 12 (442847)". Images of England. Archived from the original on 18 October 2012.
  37. ^ Historic England (15 October 2010). "South Colonnade at Grand Pump Room (1395196)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 26 July 2016.
  38. ^ Historic England (15 October 2010). "North Colonnade at Grand Pump Room (1395195)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 26 July 2016.
  39. ^ "Key objects of the collection". Bath: Roman Baths. Retrieved 27 July 2016.
  40. ^ Historic England (15 October 2010). "1–8 Bath Street (1394178)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 27 July 2016.
  41. ^ a b c Handy Guide to Bath. Bath: Jolly & Son. 1900. OCLC 12987834. OL 17860578M.
  42. ^ Historic England (15 October 2010). "Grand Pump Room (1394019)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 26 July 2016.
  43. ^ a b c Wright, G. N. (1864). The Historic Guide to Bath. Bath: R. E. Peach, printer. OL 25319615M.
  44. ^ a b Winchester, Simon (2001). The Map That Changed the World: William Smith and the Birth of Modern Geology. New York: HarperCollins. ISBN 0-14-028039-1.
  45. ^ The Trial of Jane Leigh Perrot. 1800.
  46. ^ a b c Clegg, James, ed. (1906). International Directory of Booksellers and Bibliophile's Manual. J. Clarke.
  47. ^ Roth, Cecil (2007). "Bath". In Berenbaum, Michael; Skolnik, Fred (eds.). Encyclopaedia Judaica. Vol. 3 (2nd ed.). Detroit: Macmillan Reference USA. p. 210.
  48. ^ a b Clew, Kenneth R. (1985). The Kennet & Avon Canal: an illustrated history (3rd ed.). Newton Abbot: David & Charles. ISBN 0-7153-8656-5.
  49. ^ Allsop, Niall (1987). The Kennet & Avon Canal. Bath: Millstream Books. p. 5. ISBN 978-0-948975-15-8.
  50. ^ a b c Annals of Bath, from the year 1800 to the passing of the new municipal act. Bath: Printed by Mary Meyler and Son. 1838. OCLC 5258530. OL 23277637M.
  51. ^ Historic England. "Cleveland Baths (Grade II*) (1396146)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 13 September 2013.
  52. ^ a b c d e Wallis, Peter, ed. (2008). Innovation and discovery: Bath and the rise of science. Bath Royal Literary and Scientific Institution; William Herschel Society. ISBN 978-0-948975-82-0.
  53. ^ "History". Bath Royal Literary and Scientific Institution. Retrieved 13 September 2013.
  54. ^ Historic England. "Cleveland Bridge (442453)". Images of England. Archived from the original on 22 October 2012.
  55. ^ "Royal Victoria Park, Bath, Bath, England". Parks & Gardens UK. Parks & Gardens Data Services. 27 July 2007. Archived from the original on 1 March 2014. Retrieved 26 July 2016.
  56. ^ Major, S. D. (1879). Notabilia of Bath. Bath: E.R. Blackett.
  57. ^ "Destruction of Bath Theatre". Bath Chronicle and Weekly Gazette. 24 April 1862. Retrieved 18 October 2015 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  58. ^ "Bath". Handbook for Travellers in Wiltshire, Dorsetshire, and Somersetshire (4th ed.). London: John Murray. 1882. hdl:2027/uc1.l0098676091.
  59. ^ "Photographic Societies of the British Isles and Colonies". International Annual of Anthony's Photographic Bulletin. New York: E. & H. T. Anthony & Company. 1891.
  60. ^ Hobbs, P.R.N; Jenkins, g.O. "Appendix 1 Major recorded landslides in the Bath area In: Bath's 'foundered strata' - a re-interpretation Physical Hazards Programme Research Report OR/08/052" (PDF). British Geological Survey. Retrieved 7 September 2016.
  61. ^ Pearce, David (2015). "The Co-operative Movement in Bath". Proceedings of the History of Bath Research Group. 3:15–18.
  62. ^ "Small Talk of the Week". The Sketch. 18 December 1901.
  63. ^ "Bath Historical Pageant". The Redress of the Past. Retrieved 9 November 2019.
  64. ^ "A Potted History of the RUH". Royal United Hospital. Retrieved 13 September 2013.
  65. ^ Rothnie, Niall (1983). The Bombing of Bath: the German air raids of 1942. Bath: Ashgrove. ISBN 0-906798-29-9.
  66. ^ Wilson, A. N. (2007). Betjeman. London: Arrow Books. ISBN 978-0-099-49837-7.
  67. ^ Abercrombie, Patrick; Owens, John; Mealand, H. Anthony (1945). A Plan for Bath. London: Pitman.
  68. ^ "Brutal Bath" (PDF). Museum of Bath Architecture. 2014. Retrieved 30 November 2018.
  69. ^ Fergusson, Adam (1973). The Sack of Bath: a record and an indictment. Salisbury: Compton Russell. ISBN 978-0-85955-002-4.
  70. ^ a b "Population Statistics". Bath and North East Somerset District Council. Archived from the original on 13 May 2012. Retrieved 12 September 2013.
  71. ^ Britten, Elise (15 December 2019). "Looking back on the day an IRA bomb exploded in Bath city centre". SomersetLive. Reach. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
  72. ^ Dean, Malcolm (22 July 2017). "Maggie Roper". The Guardian. London. p. 37.
  73. ^ Bath and North East Somerset Council, Bath and North East Somerset Cultural Strategy 2011-2026 (PDF), p. 40
  74. ^ "Bath Festival of Children's Literature". Archived from the original on 11 October 2007. Retrieved 12 September 2013.
  75. ^ "Bath". BANES 2011 Census Ward Profiles. Retrieved 2 May 2015.(Combined populations of the 16 wards that made-up the unparished area at the time of the 2011 census.)
  76. ^ "Bath tipper truck crash kills child and three adults". BBC News. 9 February 2015. Retrieved 22 December 2016.
  77. ^ Barltrop, Paul (25 August 2023). "Bath air quality improves since introduction of clean air zone". BBC News. Retrieved 26 August 2023.

Bibliography

Christopher Anstey, author of The New Bath Guide, with his daughter, painted by Bath resident artist William Hoare c.1777

Published in 18th century

Published in 19th century

1800s-1840s

1850s-1890s

Published in 20th century

  • Emanuel Green (1902). Bibliotheca Somersetensis. Vol. 1: Bath Books. Taunton: Barnicott and Pearce. OCLC 7080200.
  • G. K. Fortescue, ed. (1902). "Bath". Subject Index of the Modern Works Added to the Library of the British Museum in the Years 1881–1900. London: The Trustees.
  • William Tyte (1903). Bath in the Eighteenth Century. Bath: Chronicle Office.
  • Robert Donald, ed. (1908). "Bath". Municipal Year Book of the United Kingdom for 1908. London: Edward Lloyd. hdl:2027/nyp.33433081995593.
  • Bryan Little (1947). The Building of Bath 47-1947: an architectural and social study. London: Collins.
  • Walter Ison (1948). The Georgian Buildings of Bath from 1700 to 1830. London: Faber.
  • Benjamin Boyce (1967). The benevolent man: a life of Ralph Allen of Bath. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press.
  • "Bath in the Eighteenth Century". Apollo. London. November 1973.
  • Peter Coard (1973). Vanishing Bath: buildings threatened and destroyed (3rd ed.). Bath: Kingsmead Press. ISBN 0-901571-67-9.
  • Adam Fergusson (1973). The Sack of Bath: a record and an indictment. Salisbury: Compton Russell. ISBN 978-0-85955-002-4.
    • Adam Fergusson; Tim Mowl (1989). The Sack of Bath and after. Salisbury: Compton Russell. ISBN 0-85955-161-X.
  • Charles Robertson (1975). Bath: an architectural guide. London: Faber. ISBN 0-571-10750-8.
  • Larry R. Ford (1978). "Continuity and Change in Historic Cities: Bath, Chester, and Norwich". Geographical Review. 68 (3): 253–273. Bibcode:1978GeoRv..68..253F. doi:10.2307/215046. JSTOR 215046.
  • Bryan Little (1980). Bath Portrait: the story of Bath, its life and its buildings (4th ed.). Bristol: Burleigh Press. ISBN 0-902780-06-9.
  • R. S. Neale (1981). Bath 1680-1850: a social history. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul. ISBN 978-0-7100-0639-4.
  • Christopher Pound (1981). Genius of Bath: the city and its landscape. Bath: Millstream. ISBN 978-0-948975-01-1.
  • Barry Cunliffe; Peter Davenport, eds. (1985). The Temple of Sulis Minerva at Bath. Monograph 7. Vol. 1: The site. Oxford University Committee for Archaeology. ISBN 0-947816-07-0.
  • Barry Cunliffe (1986). The City of Bath. Gloucester: Alan Sutton. ISBN 0-86299-297-4.
  • Tim Mowl; Brian Earnshaw (1988). John Wood: architect of obsession. Bath: Millstream Books. ISBN 978-0-948975-13-4.
  • Peter Davenport, ed. (1989). Archaeology in Bath 1976–1985. Monograph 28. Oxford University Committee for Archaeology. ISBN 0-947816-28-3.
  • G. A. Kellaway, ed. (1991). Hot Springs of Bath. Bath City Council. ISBN 978-0-901303-25-7.
  • Peter Davenport (1999). Archaeology in Bath: excavations 1984–1989. BAR British series 284. Oxford: Archaeopress. ISBN 1-84171-007-5.
  • Peter Borsay (2000). Image of Georgian Bath, 1700–2000. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-820265-2.
  • Barry Cunliffe (2000). Roman Bath Discovered (3rd ed.). Stroud: Tempus. ISBN 0-7524-1902-1.

Published in 21st century

  • Peter Davenport (2002). Medieval Bath uncovered. Stroud: Tempus. ISBN 0-7524-1965-X.
  • Michael Forsyth (2003). Bath. Pevsner Architectural Guides. New Haven: Yale University Press. ISBN 978-0-300-10177-5.
  • John Wroughton (2004). Stuart Bath: Life in the forgotten city, 1603–1714. Bath: Lansdown Press. ISBN 0-9520249-5-0.
  • Peter Borsay (2006). "Myth, Memory, and Place: Monmouth and Bath 1750–1900". Journal of Social History. 39 (3): 867–889. doi:10.1353/jsh.2006.0001. JSTOR 3790298. S2CID 144152506.
  • John Wroughton (2006). Tudor Bath: Life and strife in the little city, 1485–1603. Bath: Lansdown Press. ISBN 0-9520249-6-9.
  • Peter Wallis, ed. (2008). Innovation and discovery: Bath and the rise of science. Bath Royal Literary and Scientific Institution; William Herschel Society. ISBN 978-0-948975-82-0.
  • Cathryn Spence (2010). Bath – City on Show. Brimscombe Port: The History Press. ISBN 978-0-7524-5674-4.
  • Dan Brown & Cathryn Spence (2012). Bath in the Blitz: Then & Now in colour. Brimscombe Port: The History Press. ISBN 978-0-7524-6639-2.
  • Roger Rolls (2012). Douched and Doctored: thermal springs, spa doctors and rheumatic diseases. London Publishing Partnership. ISBN 978-1-907994-09-8.
  • Cathryn Spence (2012). Water, History & Style – Bath: World Heritage Site. Brimscombe Port: The History Press. ISBN 978-0-7524-8814-1.
  • Mike Jenner (2013). The Classical Buildings of Bath. Bristol: Redcliffe. ISBN 978-1-908326-03-4.

External links

51°23′N 2°22′W / 51.38°N 2.36°W / 51.38; -2.36

Wansdyke

The Wansdyke on Tan Hill, Wiltshire

Wansdyke (from Woden's Dyke) is a series of early medieval defensive linear earthworks in the West Country of England, consisting of a ditch and a running embankment from the ditch spoil, with the ditching facing north.

There are two main parts: an eastern dyke which runs between Savernake Forest, West Woods and Morgan's Hill in Wiltshire, and a western dyke which runs from Monkton Combe to the ancient hill fort of Maes Knoll in historic Somerset. Between these two dykes there is a middle section formed by the remains of the London-to-Bath Roman road. There is also some evidence in charters that it extended west from Maes Knoll to the coast of the Severn Estuary but this is uncertain. It may possibly define a post-Roman boundary.

Usage

Wansdyke consists of two sections, 14 and 19 kilometres (8.7 and 11.8 mi) long with some gaps in between. East Wansdyke is an impressive linear earthwork, consisting of a ditch and bank running approximately east–west, between Savernake Forest and Morgan's Hill. West Wansdyke is also a linear earthwork, running from Monkton Combe south of Bath to Maes Knoll south of Bristol, but less substantial than its eastern counterpart. The middle section, 22 kilometres (14 miles) long, is sometimes referred to as 'Mid Wansdyke', but is formed by the remains of the London to Bath Roman road. It used to be thought that these sections were all part of one continuous undertaking, especially during the Middle Ages when the pagan name Wansdyke was applied to all three parts. However, this is not now considered to be certain.

Defence of an unrecorded border

Among the largest defensive earthworks in the United Kingdom, Wansdyke may be compared to both Offa's Dyke (later, and forming a Mercian border with Wales) and Hadrian's Wall (earlier, and forming a border between Britannia and Caledonia). Nennius, an 8th-century Welsh monk who had access to older chronicles since lost, describes these defences and their purpose, and links them to the legends of King Arthur.[1]

Nomenclature and dating

The earthwork is named after their god Woden (Odin), possibly indicating that the incoming Anglo-Saxons had no information about the origins of a structure that was there when they arrived, and which was of no significance to locals at that time.[2] Its name occurs in charters of the 9th and 10th century AD. Its relationship to the expansion of the West Saxons was considered in 1964 by J.N.L. Myres, who maintained that Wansdyke was constructed by some sub-Roman authority.[3] Fowler speculates that it was a fortification intended for use against invading Saxons in the 490s, and abandoned when the news of British victory at Mons Badonicus made it redundant.[4] The name 'Woden's Dyke' eventually became Wansdyke.

East Wansdyke

East Wansdyke in Wiltshire, on the south of the Marlborough Downs, has been less disturbed by later agriculture and building, and is more clearly traceable on the ground than the western part. In places the bank is up to 4 m (13 ft) high and the ditch as much as 2.5 m (8.2 ft) deep. Since at least the tenth century, there have been gaps, "gates", in the work. The ditch is on the north side, so Wansdyke may have been intended by the Romano-Britons as a defence against West Saxons encroaching from the upper Thames Valley westward into what is now the West Country. Fowler suggests that its plan is consistent with those of Roman border fortifications such as Hadrian's Wall: not just a military defence but intended to control locals and travellers along the Wessex Ridgeway.[5] He suggests further that the works were never finished, abandoned in the face of a political change which removed their rationale.[4]

Lieut.-General Augustus Pitt Rivers carried out excavations at the Wansdyke in Wiltshire in the late 19th century, considering it the remains of a great war in which the south-west was being defended.[6] In 1958, Fox and Fox attributed its construction to the pagan Saxons, probably in the late sixth century.[7]

West Wansdyke

Although the antiquarians like John Collinson[8] considered West Wansdyke to stretch from Bathampton Down south east of Bath, to the west of Maes Knoll,[9] a review in 1960 considered that there was no evidence of its existence to the west of Maes Knoll.[7] Keith Gardner refuted this with newly discovered documentary evidence.[10] In 2007 a series of sections were dug across the earthwork which showed that it had existed where there are no longer visible surface remains.[11] It was shown that the earthwork had a consistent design, with stone or timber revetment. There was little dating evidence but it was consistent with either a late Roman or post-Roman date. A paper in "The Last of the Britons" conference in 2007 suggests that the West Wansdyke continues from Maes Knoll to the hill forts above the Avon Gorge and controls the crossings of the river at Saltford and Bristol as well as at Bath.[12]

As there is little archaeological evidence to date the whole section, it may have marked a division between British Celtic kingdoms or have been a boundary with the Saxons. The evidence for its western extension is earthworks along the north side of Dundry Hill, its mention in a charter and a road name.[13]

The area became the border between the Romano-British Celts and the West Saxons following the Battle of Deorham in 577 AD.[14] According to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, the Saxon Cenwalh achieved a breakthrough against the Britons, with victories at Bradford on Avon (in the Avon Gap in the Wansdyke) in 652 AD,[15] and further south at the Battle of Peonnum (at Penselwood) in 658 AD,[16] followed by an advance west through the Polden Hills to the River Parrett.[17] It is however significant to note that the names of the early Wessex kings appear to have a Brythonic (British) rather than Germanic (Saxon) etymology.[18]

A 1,330-yard (1,220 m) section of Wansdyke in Odd Down, which has been designated as an Ancient monument,[19] appears on the Heritage at Risk Register as being in unsatisfactory condition and vulnerable due to gardening.[20]

Modern use of name

The Western Wansdyke gave its name to the former Wansdyke district of the county of Avon, and also to the Wansdyke constituency.

Route and points of interest

Point Coordinates
(Links to map resources)
OS Grid Ref Notes
Maes Knoll hillfort 51°23′28″N 2°34′34″W / 51.391°N 2.576°W / 51.391; -2.576 (Maes Knoll hillfort) ST599659 Maes Knoll
Stantonbury Camp 51°22′12″N 2°28′16″W / 51.370°N 2.471°W / 51.370; -2.471 (Stantonbury Camp) ST672636 Stantonbury Camp
Joining the River Avon 51°21′22″N 2°19′37″W / 51.356°N 2.327°W / 51.356; -2.327 (Joining the River Avon) ST773620 Monkton Combe
River Avon to Lacock 51°24′43″N 2°07′05″W / 51.412°N 2.118°W / 51.412; -2.118 (River Avon to Lacock) ST918681 Lacock
Morgan's Hill 51°24′07″N 1°57′32″W / 51.402°N 1.959°W / 51.402; -1.959 (Morgan's Hill) SU029670 Morgan's Hill
Shepherds' Shore 51°23′38″N 1°55′59″W / 51.394°N 1.933°W / 51.394; -1.933 (Shepherds' Shore) SU047661
Milk Hill 51°22′26″N 1°51′11″W / 51.374°N 1.853°W / 51.374; -1.853 (Milk Hill) SU102639
Shaw House 51°23′13″N 1°48′40″W / 51.387°N 1.811°W / 51.387; -1.811 (Shaw House) SU131654
Savernake Forest 51°22′59″N 1°40′48″W / 51.383°N 1.68°W / 51.383; -1.68 (Savernake Forest) SU221649 Savernake Forest

See also

References

  1. ^ Gardner, Keith S. "The Wansdyke Diktat? – A Discussion Paper". Wansdyke Project 21. Retrieved 1 July 2008.
  2. ^ Fowler 2001, pp. 195–196.
  3. ^ Myres, The English Settlements (1986:156); H. Trevor-Roper, "Wansdyke and the origins of Wessex" in Essays in History
  4. ^ a b Fowler 2001, p. 197.
  5. ^ Fowler 2001, p. 193.
  6. ^ Pitt-Rivers, "Excavations in Bokerly and Wansdyke', 1892
  7. ^ a b Cyril and Aileen Fox, "Wansdyke reconsidered", Archaeological Journal (1958)
  8. ^ Collinson, The History and Antiquities of the County of Somerset, 1791
  9. ^ For example see Major, A "The course of Wansdyke through Somerset", Somerset Archaeology and Natural History Society Proceedings Vol 70, 22–37 (1924)
  10. ^ Keith Gardner, ""The Wansdyke Diktat? Bristol and Avon Archaeology (1998).
  11. ^ Jonathan Erskine, "The West Wansdyke: an appraisal of the dating, dimensions and construction techniques in the light of excavated evidence", Archaeological Journal 164.1, June 2007:80–108). https://doi.org/10.1080/00665983.2007.11020707 https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00665983.2007.11020707
  12. ^ Keith Gardner, "The Land of Cyngar the Priest, The Last of the Britons 400–700", published 2009
  13. ^ "Maes Knoll". Wansdyke Project. Retrieved 1 January 2012.
  14. ^ The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, 501–97 AD.
  15. ^ The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, 645–56 AD
  16. ^ The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, 658–75 AD
  17. ^ The Victoria History of the County of Somerset, Vol 1 (1906)
  18. ^ Hills, C., (2003) Origins of the English, Duckworth. p. 105: "Records of the West Saxon dynasties survive in versions which have been subject to later manipulation, which may make it all the more significant that some of the founding 'Saxon' fathers have British names: Cerdic, Ceawlin, Cenwalh."
  19. ^ Historic England. "Wansdyke: section 1,230 yd (1,120 m) eastwards from Burnt House Inn (1007003)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 10 October 2013.
  20. ^ "Wansdyke: section 1,230 yards (1,120 metres) eastwards from Burnt House Inn, Southstoke — Bath and North East Somerset (UA)". English Heritage. Archived from the original on 22 October 2014. Retrieved 10 October 2013.

External links

  • Wansdyke Project 21 – A project to preserve Wansdyke (the earthwork), last updated 2008
  • Wansdyke – Devizes Heritage website, archived in 2010

Combe Down

Prior to Now on Combe Down link: Combe Down development timeline

Combe Down
Holy Trinity Church
Combe Down is located in Somerset
Combe Down
Combe Down
Location within Somerset
Population5,419 (2011)[1]
OS grid referenceST763625
Unitary authority
Ceremonial county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townBATH
Postcode districtBA2
Dialling code01225
PoliceAvon and Somerset
FireAvon
AmbulanceSouth Western
UK Parliament
List of places
UK
England
Somerset
51°21′40″N 2°20′31″W / 51.361°N 2.342°W / 51.361; -2.342

Combe Down is a village on the outskirts of Bath, England, in the Bath and North East Somerset unitary authority area, within the ceremonial county of Somerset.

Combe Down village consists predominantly of 18th- and 19th-century Bath stone-built villas, terraces and workers' cottages; the post World War II Foxhill estate of former and present council housing; a range of Georgian, Victorian and 20th-century properties along both sides of North Road and Bradford Road; and the 21st-century Mulberry Park development on the site of former Ministry of Defence offices.

Location

Combe Down sits on a ridge above Bath, approximately 1+12 miles (2.4 km) to the south of the city centre. The village is adjoined to the north by large areas of natural woodland (Fairy Wood, Long Wood, Klondyke Copse and Rainbow Wood) with public footpaths offering views overlooking the city. Parts of these woods are owned and managed by Bath & Northeast Somerset Council, but the majority are owned and managed by the National Trust; the Bath Skyline trail runs north of the woods.[2] To the south of the village are views of the Midford Valley.

Etymology

"Combe" or "coombe" is a word meaning a steep-sided valley derived from Old English "cumb" and possibly from the same Brythonic source as the Welsh cwm. "Down" comes from the Old English "dūn" or "dūne", shortened from adūne ‘downward’, from the phrase of dūne ‘off the hill’.[3]

Governance

Formerly part of the parish of Monkton Combe, Combe Down was incorporated into the city of Bath in the 1950s.[4]

There have been a number of boundary changes and local government changes affecting Combe Down.

Amenities

Bradford Road Post Office and store

Combe Down has many local amenities including schools, churches, shops, local societies and pubs. It has two allotment sites: 64 plots on a privately owned site at Church Road, established in 1895, and 10 plots at Foxhill owned by the parish council.

The local state primary school is Combe Down CEVC (Church of England Voluntary Controlled) Primary School, housed partly in a log cabin imported from Finland.[6] The nearest state secondary school (with sixth form) is Ralph Allen School. The independent Monkton Combe School is in the nearby village of Monkton Combe while its prep school, pre-prep and nursery are all in Combe Down village. Prior Park College, an independent Catholic secondary school, is adjacent to the village.

The centre of the village has a range of shops and small businesses. The post office closed in 2006 despite public opposition and the nearest post office branch is now inside a grocery store in a row of shops on the Bradford Road.

There is an Anglican church (Holy Trinity[7]) and a non-conformist chapel (Union Chapel[8]). A Roman Catholic church (Saint Peter and Saint Paul) is on the edge of the village, adjacent to the Foxhill estate.

The village pubs are the King William IV,[9] the Hadley Arms[10] and the Forester & Flower (formerly The Foresters). The King William has not reopened since the pandemic of 2020 and the Forester & Flower opens only for one evening a week, so as at December 2023 the Hadley Arms is the only fully operational village pub.

Combe Down has two flourishing rugby union clubs and a cricket club, a children's nursery, a doctors' surgery and a dentist as well as an active Cub and Scout Group (10th Bath) with its own Scouts' Hut. There are several societies, including an active local history group (the Combe Down Heritage Society), a branch of the Women's Institute and two art groups.

The Hadley Arms

There is a private hospital, Bath Clinic (owned by Circle Health Group) on Claverton Down Road, based at Longwood House, the former home of the Mallet family of Mallet Antiques. Margaret Mary Mallett (1882–1959), who lived at Longwood House, and her daughters Margaret Elizabeth Mallett (1905–1991) and Barbara Penelope Mallett Lock (1896–1978) donated 347 acres (140 ha) of land on Combe Down and Claverton Down including Rainbow Wood farm, Klondyke Copse, Fairy Wood and Bushey Norwood to the National Trust.[11] Opposite the hospital is a 4-star hotel and health club, Combe Grove Manor, with 69 acres (28 ha) of gardens and woodland.[12]

A public open space (Firs Field) incorporates the village war memorial and a play area with children's play equipment. Three parcels of land make up the Firs Field open space, two of which are under the control of the local Council. The deeds state that the Firs Field is intended for the recreation of the residents of Combe Down in perpetuity.[13] Firs Field was restored to meadowland status following the successful completion of the stone mine stabilisation works in 2010. A residents' group (The Friends of Firs Field) exists to ensure the appropriate representation of local residents' interests with regard to the management of the field. In 2015 Firs Field was granted "commemorative" status and designated an official Fields in Trust "Centenary Field".[14]

In July 2014[15] the Ralph Allen CornerStone was opened. It is run by a charity, the Combe Down Stone Legacy Trust, as a sustainable building and educational centre. The Combe Down Heritage Society has museum-standard secure archiving space in the basement where it catalogues and stores unique local heritage material, and which can be accessed by researchers.[16]

There are daily bus services to the village from Bath city centre. The privately owned Bath 'circular tour' bus passes the outskirts of the village and down Ralph Allen Drive on its route to the city centre. The Bath Circular bus (service number 20A) passes through Combe Down and caters for students travelling to the University of Bath and Bath Spa University.

History

It is believed that a Roman villa was situated on the southern slopes of the village somewhere below Belmont Road,[17] the site of which was discovered in the 1850s.[18] An inscription on a stone recovered from the area reads "PRO SALVTE IMP CES M AVR ANTONINI PII FELICIS INVICTI AVG NAEVIVS AVG LIB ADIVT PROC PRINCIPIA RVINA OPRESS A SOLO RESTITVIT". This can be translated as: "For the health of Imperator Caesar Marcus Aurelius Antoninus Pius Felix Invictus Augustus, Naevius the imperial freedman, helped to restore from its foundations the procurator's headquarters which had broken down in ruins." It is thought to date from AD 212–222.[19] Many finds from the site were taken to the Somerset County Museum at Taunton.

John Leland, the 16th century antiquarian and traveller, noted some stone mining activity in Combe Down as he passed by.

By 1700, small open stone quarries were operating on Combe Down. Most of the land and the quarries were purchased by Ralph Allen in 1726 but there was as yet little habitation.[20]

In 1791 John Collinson describes Combe Down as still undeveloped:

"On the summit of Combedown a mile northward from the church [mc], among many immense quarries of fine free stone, are large groves of firs, planted by the late Ralph Allen, esq; for the laudable purpose of ornamenting this (at that time rough and barren) hill. Among these groves is a neat range of buildings belonging to this parish. It consists of eleven houses [De Montalt Place], built of wrought stone, raised on the spot ; each of which has a small garden in front. These were originally built for the workmen employed in the quarries, but are now chiefly let to invalids from Bath who retire hither for the sake of a very fine air-, (probably rendered more salubrious by the Plantation of firs) from which many have received essential benefit. The surrounding beautiful and extensive prospects ; the wild, but pleasing irregularities of the surface and scenery, diversified with immense quarries, fine open cultivated fields, and extensive plantations of firs...".[21]

From their 1924 history of Combe Down, D. Lee Pitcairn and Rev. Alfred Richardson state that:

"The houses in Isabella Place were built about 1800, and in 1805 when the De Montalt Mills were founded cottages were erected in Quarry Bottom and Davidge's Bottom to take the place of wooden booths which labourers and workmen had hitherto occupied for the day and in which they had sometimes slept during the week. From this time onwards the place began to develop little by little... In 1829 when the Combe Down quarries were disposed of by Mrs. Cruickshank, building further increased...".[22]

The population increased from 1,600 in 1841 to 2,372 in 1901[23] and was 5,419 in 2011.[24]

Stone mines and quarries

Inside the Combe Down quarry

Combe Down village sits above an area of redundant 18th and 19th century stone quarries, many of which were owned and developed by Ralph Allen in the 1720s. These quarries were fully infilled and stabilised during a central government-funded project which took place between 2005 and 2010.[25] Over 40 quarry sites have been identified on Combe Down.[26] Only one working quarry (Upper Lawn Quarry) remains on the edge of the village, located off Shaft Road. This supplies high quality Bath stone to the city and across the UK.[27]

John Leland, the 16th century antiquarian and traveller, wrote in the 1500s that he approached Bath from Midford "...And about a Mile farther I can to a Village and passd over a Ston Bridge where ranne a litle broke there & they caullid Midford-Water..2 good Miles al by Mountayne and Quarre and litle wood in syte..."[28] which could be a reference to quarrying around Horsecombe Vale, between Midford and Combe Down.

The mines at Combe Down were Oolitic (oolite) limestone mines. Stone was extracted by the "room and pillar" method, by which chambers were mined out, leaving pillars of stone to support the roof. The Bath stone used for many of the buildings in Bath – as well as for other important buildings around the United Kingdom including Buckingham Palace – was mined from beneath and around Combe Down. Many of these workings were once owned by the eighteenth century entrepreneur Ralph Allen (1694–1764). [29] The mines were closed in the 19th century but building work continued above ground, with some roads and houses eventually resting on only a thin crust – in places between only one and two metres deep – above large underground cavities with inadequate support.[29]

A five-year central government-funded project began in late 2005 to stabilise and fill the abandoned mine workings. Bath and North East Somerset Council approved the planning application in June 2003 and approximately 760 village properties were included within its boundary.[29] All mine workings inside the boundary of the planning application were stabilised using foam concrete to satisfy a 100-year design life while ensuring archaeologically important areas and bat habitats were protected. In some hydrologically sensitive areas, "stowing" – an infill with limestone aggregate – was undertaken. Archaeologically important areas were filled with sand and new bat caves and tunnels were created.[29]

The £154.6 million grant for the works came from the Land Stabilisation Programme which was set up by the government in 1999 to deal with "abandoned non-coal mine workings which are likely to collapse and threaten life and property" and managed by English Partnerships, the national regeneration agency. The total amount included £22.7m which had already been used for emergency stabilisation work before the approval of the main project.[29] Several public art projects celebrated the completion of the stabilisation works.[29]

Foxhill Estate and Mulberry Park

From 1935 to 2011 the Admiralty (later part of the Ministry of Defence) owned a 46 acre site called Foxhill (previously a farm) on the Bradford Road. In 2013, the Curo housing organisation purchased the site where it is developing 700 new homes (151 of those to be social homes) with open spaces and community facilities, to be called Mulberry Park. Foxhill already had nearly 900 homes, and in 2014 Curo wanted to redevelop Queens Drive, Kewstoke Road, local shops and Sedgemoor Road. In 2018, Curo decided not to demolish the Foxhill Estate and instead will improve the existing rented properties on the estate. The development of Mulberry Park continued and is set to complete in 2024, although many properties are already occupied and a school and community centre are in full operation.[30]

Combe Down railway tunnel

Combe Down Tunnel was opened in 1874 and emerges below the southern slopes of the village. It was once the UK's longest railway tunnel (1,829 yards) without intermediate ventilation.[31] The tunnel now forms part of the £1.8 million Two Tunnels Greenway walking and cycling path which opened on 6 April 2013. At over a mile long, the Combe Down tunnel is the longest cycling tunnel in Britain and features an interactive light and sound installation as well as mobile phone coverage.[32] Its custodian is Wessex Water.

Jewish burial ground

The Jewish burial ground is a site of historic value on Bradford Road and is one of only fifteen in the country to survive from the Georgian period.[33] While the burial ground suffered a period of neglect since it ceased to be used in the early 20th century, much remains intact to serve as an important reminder of Bath's historic Jewish community. It dates from 1812, and the last recorded burial was in 1942. The site contains a small building, once thought to be a prayer house (Ohel), but more recent research by the Friends of Bath Jewish Burial Ground.[34] who manage the site, have shown that it was a cottage used by the caretakers of the burial ground, and not used for religious purposes. English Heritage gave the Burial Ground a Grade II listing in 2006. The site contains two chest tombs and some fifty gravestones, dating from between 1842 and 1921, with both Hebrew and English inscriptions. Funds to restore the cottage, conserve the grave stones, repair the boundary wall, replace the gates and develop interpretation of the site have been obtained from a number of charitable sources and a series of restoration works have been undertaken in the period 2015-2022. The site is opened for public visiting several times a year and private access can be arranged by appointment through the Friends.[34]

De Montalt Mill

The De Montalt paper mill stood on the southern slopes of the village during the 19th century; it gradually fell into picturesque ruin until it was converted into housing during 2007. The mill was built on land owned by Thomas Ralph Maude, Viscount Hawarden (1767–1807) in the early 19th century and was owned by John Bally (1773 – 1854), (a bookseller in Milsom Street in Bath), William Allan or Ellan (1781 – 1832) and George Steart (d.1837), all trading as paper-makers under the name of John Bally & Co.[35]

A print dating from the 1850s shows the mill which then possessed the largest water wheel in England, measuring 56 feet (17 m) in diameter. It has subsequently been discovered that most of the coloured papers used by J. M. W. Turner (1775–1851) for a good number of his approximately twenty thousand drawings and watercolours were made at De Montalt Mill.[35] The collection is now housed in The Turner Bequest at the Tate Gallery, London. The paper was of a very high standard and the watercolour boards were made without being pasted together which ensured they remained free from mildew; however, despite the early success of the business, it failed in 1834 .[36] The premises were then sold to wholesale stationer William Jennings Allen (1807 – 1839).[36] After his death it was sold to Charles Middleton Kernot (1807 – 1876) to be used as a ‘manufactory of patent interlocked and dovetailed felted cloths’.[36] By 1859 it was used for a laundry run by the Bath Washing Company Ltd. and later used for a variety of purposes including market gardening (1871); and cabinet making from (1875) until the lease expired in 1905 and it closed.[37] In the 20th century cows and pigs were being reared on the site.[38]

Various parts of the mill have Grade II listed building status, including the southern range which consisted of the apprentice shops and stores,[39] the main east block which was the printing works where notes were printed for the Bank of England – later converted to cabinet manufacturing[40] and the chimney.[41] De Montalt, an Italianate villa set in the grounds is also grade II listed.[42]

The mill and its associated buildings were converted to residential use during 2007, with the main mill building being converted into four apartments.[43] Elements of the conversion featured in the Channel 4 television programme Grand Designs.[44]

Local flora

A local woodland wild flower is the Bath Asparagus, also known as the Spiked Star of Bethlehem (Ornithogalum pyrenaicum). The flowers appear in June after the leaves die; the leaves resemble bluebell leaves but are a softer green and not as glossy. The flowering spike is up to one metre high.[45] At the unopened stage the flowers used to be gathered in small quantities as a fresh vegetable by local people; it was also occasionally sold in local markets, but picking the flowers today is not encouraged as wild asparagus is becoming rare. According to research carried out by Avon Wildlife Trust the plant is found throughout Europe but has only a limited UK distribution. It is possible that the flower was first brought to the Bath area as seeds carried on the wheels and hooves of Roman vehicles and animals.

Allium ursinum, also known as Ramsons or wild garlic, is abundant in the National Trust woodlands adjacent to Combe Down during the spring.2015.

Grade I and II listed buildings on Combe Down

There are 79 Grade I and Grade II listed buildings – a building officially designated as being of special architectural, historical, or cultural significance – on Combe Down, the earliest dating from 1729 and the latest from 1909. They are from three main phases of building activity.

The first phase was c. 1700–1742. These are the buildings at Combe Grove, and the buildings commissioned by Ralph Allen at Prior Park and at De Montalt Place on Church Road.

The second phase was c. 1800 – c. 1820. These are mainly buildings along Combe Road, Summer Lane, and Church Road at Isabella Place and from Claremont House to Hopecote Lodge, which were built soon after the death of Cornwallis Maude, 1st Viscount Hawarden (1729–1803) who died with substantial debts[46] which led to the break-up of the De Montalt estate in Bath,[47] as speculators in property and mining took the opportunity.

The third phase was Victorian, from c. 1830 to 1860. Combe Down had become known as a place for convalescence and "good air" (away from polluted cities) and, being only about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) from Bath, was perfect for this as well as for middle class professionals. These are mainly buildings along North Road, The Avenue, Belmont Road and Church Road east of Hopecote Lodge.

A list of these listed buildings with links to Images of England – an online photographic record of all the listed buildings in England at the date of February 2001 – is given below.

Notable residents

Henry John Patch (better known as Harry Patch, the "Last Fighting Tommy") was born in Combe Down in 1898; both his father and grandfather were Combe Down stonemasons. His family home is still in existence in Gladstone Road. Patch was briefly the third oldest man in the world[120] and the last trench veteran of World War I, a status which earned him international fame during the early 21st century. He died in July 2009, aged 111, by which time he was the last soldier to have fought in the trenches during World War One as well as the second last surviving British war veteran and one of four surviving soldiers from the conflict worldwide. His memoir The Last Fighting Tommy (published in 2007) records his Combe Down childhood in some detail. His funeral cortège passed through Combe Down village on its way to his burial in Monkton Combe churchyard.

Herbert Lambert (1881–1936), society portrait photographer and harpsichord and clavichord maker.[121]

Frederic Weatherly (1848–1929), the composer of the song Danny Boy, lived at Grosvenor Lodge (now renamed St Christopher )[86] in Belmont Road during the second decade of the 20th century.[122]

Charlie McDonnell, once the most subscribed YouTube vlogger in the United Kingdom, grew up in Combe Down before moving to London in 2010.[123]

Chris Anderson, founder of Future Publishing and curator of TED lived at Combe Ridge on Belmont Road for some years in the late 20th and early 21st century.

Eliza Margaret Jane Humphreys (1850–1938), a novelist using the pen name 'Rita', lived in Richardson Avenue (now The Firs) in the 1920s before moving to the house called West Brow.[124]

Rod Adams (born 1945), a former professional footballer who started his career in Foxhill Rangers.[125]

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  68. ^ Historic England. "Isabella House (444191)". Images of England. Archived from the original on 6 June 2011.
  69. ^ Historic England. "16 to 22 Combe Road (445141)". Images of England. Archived from the original on 6 June 2011.
  70. ^ Historic England. "24 Combe Road (445143)". Images of England. Archived from the original on 6 June 2011.
  71. ^ Historic England. "26 to 30 Combe Road (445144)". Images of England. Archived from the original on 8 November 2007.
  72. ^ Historic England. "158 to 162 Priory Place (447006)". Images of England. Archived from the original on 4 December 2007.
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  76. ^ Historic England. "Rock Hall House (447265)". Images of England. Archived from the original on 10 December 2007.
  77. ^ Historic England. "62 Combe Road (445148)". Images of England. Archived from the original on 6 June 2011.
  78. ^ Historic England. "1 to 3 Byfield Buildings (445149)". Images of England. Archived from the original on 6 June 2011.
  79. ^ Historic England. "1 to 5 Byfield Place (445150)". Images of England. Archived from the original on 6 June 2011.
  80. ^ Historic England. "1 to 13 Quarry Vale Cottages (447480)". Images of England. Archived from the original on 6 June 2011.
  81. ^ Historic England. "1 to 3 De Montalt Cottages (447485)". Images of England. Archived from the original on 5 December 2007.
  82. ^ Historic England. "West Brow (444375)". Images of England. Archived from the original on 1 December 2007.
  83. ^ Historic England. "Ashlands (444381)". Images of England. Archived from the original on 10 November 2007.
  84. ^ Historic England. "Belmont (444380)". Images of England. Archived from the original on 9 December 2007.
  85. ^ Historic England. "Combe Ridge (444379)". Images of England. Archived from the original on 31 October 2007.
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  87. ^ Historic England. "Vale View House (444377)". Images of England. Archived from the original on 18 November 2007.
  88. ^ Historic England. "71 to 79 Church Road (444896)". Images of England. Archived from the original on 13 November 2007.
  89. ^ Historic England. "81 Church Road (444897)". Images of England. Archived from the original on 15 November 2007.
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  95. ^ Historic England. "Hope Cote Lodge (444903)". Images of England. Archived from the original on 11 November 2007.
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  97. ^ Historic England. "Combe Lodge (444904)". Images of England. Archived from the original on 22 November 2007.
  98. ^ Historic England. "Lodge to the Brow (444982)". Images of England. Archived from the original on 3 December 2007.
  99. ^ Historic England. "The Brow (444981)". Images of England. Archived from the original on 13 November 2007.
  100. ^ Historic England. "141 Church Road (444905)". Images of England. Archived from the original on 17 November 2007.
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  109. ^ Historic England. "The Priory (447137)". Images of England. Archived from the original on 29 August 2016.
  110. ^ Historic England. "Palladian Bridge (443307)". Images of England. Archived from the original on 18 October 2012.
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  113. ^ Historic England. "Middle gateway (448529)". Images of England. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016.
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External links

Combe Down RFC

Combe Down
Full nameCombe Down Rugby Club
UnionSomerset RFU
Founded1896; 128 years ago (1896)
LocationCombe Down, Bath, Somerset, England
Ground(s)Holly's Corner
ChairmanJamie Knight
PresidentKelvin Cox
Coach(es)Chris Thompson
Captain(s)Tom Wheatley
League(s)Southern Counties South
2021-226th

Combe Down Rugby Club is an English Rugby Union Club found in Combe Down, Bath. Founded in 1896 the club currently play home fixtures at Holly's Corner. The club currently has two teams; the 1st XV who play in Southern Counties South (tier 7) following their promotion as champions of Dorset & Wilts 1 North at the end of 2018-19 season, and the 2nd XV play who play in Dorset & Wilts 2 North (tier 9).

History

No records exist of the circumstances regarding the club's founding, or who the moving spirits were behind its inception, but photographs showing the early teams, together with their playing records show that rugby on Combe Down was adopted with enthusiasm and played with instinctive ability.

The original team in jerseys of chocolate and gold played its first season on the Firs Field. Subsequent years saw the Club, with its colours changed to black and amber, playing on various fields on Combe Down from the Monument field to the water tank. A red letter day in the club's history came in 1957 when a long-held ambition was realised and the club was able to buy the ground at Holly's Corner which it had tenanted since 1922.

As the grounds were changed so were the headquarters and from the one time Church Rooms in Tyning Road they moved to the headquarters on Firs Field and to the King William IV. Finally the club became proud possessors of their own headquarters which were erected on the ground, and on 4 April 1966 the Combe Down R.F.C. Club house was officially opened by Alec Lewis, the old Bath F.C. international.

Senior Teams

Combe Down has successfully fielded two senior teams since 1947 and a Third XV was formed in 1968 which has seen inconsistent appearances. There are currently two sides at the club.
Recent achievements saw the 2nd XV win Dorset and Wilts North 2 in 2014/15 and the 1st XV win Dorset and Wilts North 1 in 2015/16. In the same year the club enjoyed a tour to Oldershaw RFC in Wallasey, Liverpool.
Combe Down RFC is a family club with traditional rugby values at its core. Senior teams train on a Tuesday and Thursday evening and new players are always welcome.

Notable players

John Horton - John played 13 times for England and made over 375 appearances for Bath, captaining the club in the 1979-80 season. He was regarded as being part of the team that changed the style of rugby at Bath, from a forwards game to a more open, running game. John spent several seasons at Combe Down RFC.
Brian Jenkins - Brian played 290 1st Team games for Bath Rugby Club and another 120 for the 2nd XV between 1970-1980. He also played 20 times for Somerset in the County Championship between 1975 and 1979 earning him the Somerset Cap. In his day job, Brian worked for Royal Mail and played for the National Side. Brian played over 100 times for Combe Down, captaining the club in 1982 and has been instrumental off the field in securing the club's future, holding several key positions on the committee (Treasurer 1984, Chairman 2000-2003, President 2004-2006) and is currently the disciplinary officer. Brian's brothers Peter, Alan and David also represented Combe Down and Bath.
Wyn Bailey - with over 1130 appearances for the club Wyn has been an integral part of the history. He was Club Captain in 1974, Honorary Fixture Secretary between 1971-1995, Chairman from 1993-1996 and President from 1998-2001.
Kevin Adams -grew up on the down and played for the colts. He also played for the 3rd, 2nd & 1st teams He went to school at Culverhay and in 1975 played for England U16 Schools. He then joined Avon and Somerset Police where he was selected for England Colts. He represented British Police, Somerset and played at Bath during the 1984/85 seasons before injuries forced an early retirement in 1986.

Jer Burns - father of Freddie and Billy Burns, Jer joined Combe Down in 2014 and has played alongside his other two sons Jack and Sam.
The club has had many players that have played for Bath Rugby over the years including Keith Ridewood, Simon Jones, Kevin Adams, John West, Roger Willcox, John Millman, Kelvin Cox, Bob Gay and Andy Burr. Another two notable players are Combe Downs current front row props Bill "grrr bear" Fairman and Joel Lye, they love nothing more than a good scrum.

Honours

1st team:

2nd team:

Junior and Mini Section

A Colts XV was formed in 1974 but there were many years that this part of the club was missing until a recent rejuvenation with the help of Jerry King, Jamie Knight, and Lee Dyte, all who had sons playing in the U13 team for the 2008/09 season. Charlie Knight, Ed Hall and Sam Dyte all went on to represent the 1st XV in later years.
Current Club coach Dave Cobb and Committee member Giles White formed another U13 team the following season (2009/10) and also enjoyed success in later years by winning the U17 Bristol Combination Cup. They were also runners-up in the U16 Somerset Cup in 2012/13. From that group, James Vecchio and Tom Dabell represented Bath Academy.
Following the success of the junior section, a mini section was formed by Adrian Sprake in 2010, who is now Chairman of the junior section while Steve Cottle now leads the minis.

References

1. double/story-20062944-detail/story.html[permanent dead link]

2. https://web.archive.org/web/20151216122701/http://www.bathchronicle.co.uk/Combe-RFC-14s-praised-Chris-Robshaw-award/story-26842016-detail/story.html

3. http://www.bathchronicle.co.uk/Combe-celebrate-JD-Lettings-sponsorship-[permanent dead link]

4. http://www.bathchronicle.co.uk/Bath-Rugby-150-mercurial-John-Horton-looks/story-28341894-detail/story.html[permanent dead link]

5. http://www.bathchronicle.co.uk/run-teams/story-11334222-detail/story.html[permanent dead link]

6. http://www.bathchronicle.co.uk/Combe-Rugby-Club-minis-juniors-ndash-1013/story-15110779-detail/story.html[permanent dead link]

7. http://www.bathchronicle.co.uk/Combe-players-reunite-remember-Somerset-Cup/story-18644712-detail/story.html[permanent dead link]

8. http://www.bathchronicle.co.uk/Combe-RFC-pink-Hope-4-Harmonie-Fairford-beaten/story-23622576-detail/story.html[permanent dead link]

9. http://www.pitchero.com/clubs/combedown/news/rob-lambern-trophy-match-1547263.html

External links

Stone Mines

Prior to Now on Combe Down link: Combe Down Quarries

Combe Down and Bathampton Down Quarries
Site of Special Scientific Interest
Combe Down and Bathampton Down Mines is located in Somerset
Combe Down and Bathampton Down Mines
Location within Somerset
LocationAvon
Grid referenceST761625
Coordinates51°21′40″N 2°20′41″W / 51.36106°N 2.34465°W / 51.36106; -2.34465
InterestBiological
Area15.37 acres (0.0622 km2; 0.02402 sq mi)
Notification1991 (1991)
Natural England website

Combe Down and Bathampton Down Quarries (grid reference ST761625) make up a 6.22 hectare (15.37 acre) Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in Bath and North East Somerset, England, important for its bat population. The disused quarries date from the 17th and 18th centuries and were the source of Bath stone for the city of Bath and elsewhere in the UK. A five-year project to stabilise the quarry workings was largely completed by November 2009.

Geology

Combe Down forms a plateau capped by Great Oolite limestones between the valley of the River Avon and Horsecombe Vale. The geology of the region is dominated by rocks of Middle and Early Jurassic ages. The Great Oolite is the uppermost lithology, underlain by the clays of the Fuller's Earth Formation, which in turn is underlain by limestones of the Inferior Oolite and the Midford Sands of the Lias. The Great and Inferior Oolite formations provide effective aquifers (rock in which water can be stored and pass through) for public and private water supplies.[1]

History

The stone from the Great Oolite Group (Forest Marble, Bath Oolite, Twinhoe Beds and Combe Down Oolite), used for building purposes, formed over 146 million years ago when the area was underneath a deep tropical sea on which ooliths were deposited. The ooliths bonded together to form the distinctive rock known as oolitic limestone or locally as Bath stone. The Romans found that it was easily worked and used it for important fortifications. During the 17th century, small quarries were opened, with major quarries being developed in the 18th century to produce the stone used for many of the buildings in Bath and elsewhere in the UK, including Buckingham Palace. Stone was extracted by the "room and pillar" method, by which chambers were mined, leaving pillars of stone to support the roof.[1] These mines were once owned by Postmaster General Ralph Allen (1694–1764).

The mines contain a range of features including well preserved tramways, cart-roads and crane bases. The walls and pillars are studded with pick and tool marks and show evidence of the use of huge stone saws, all of which bear testimony to the variety of techniques used to extract the stone over their three hundred-year history.[2]

No mine abandonment plans – either of the tunnels or the caverns, known as voids – were made prior to the 1872 Mining Act.[1]

During 1989 a utilities contractor unexpectedly broke through into part of the mine complex whilst excavating a trench, which resulted in Bath City Council commissioning studies to survey the condition of the mines. It was clear that the mines were in very unstable condition, and some experts considered them to be the largest, shallowest and most unstable of their kind in Europe.[3]

Mine and environmental survey

An underground survey of the Firs and Byfield mine areas was carried out in 1994, commissioned by Bath City Council. It was found that approximately 80% of the mines had less than 6 m cover, reducing to 2 m in some places.[4] Irregular mining and robbing stone from supporting pillars had left the mines unstable.[1]

An Environmental Impact Assessment was completed for the stabilisation scheme and submitted to the Local Planning Authority in December 2002. This highlighted that the mine is within the World Heritage Site of the City of Bath; adjacent to the Cotswold Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB); within a conservation area, containing a number of listed buildings; a Site of Special Scientific Interest; a candidate Special Area of Conservation; of international importance for Greater and Lesser Horseshoe bats; and of international geological importance, partly due to the work of William Smith.[1]

During the access and emergency works, Oxford Archaeology produced large scale plans of visible areas and substantial photography was carried out as the modern roadways allowed access. There were also trials of video photography and laser scanning, so that a substantial record was produced of some 20% of the known workings.[2]

The mine also lies above a Grade 1 aquifer from which water for public and private use is extracted via the springs that issue at the base of these units, in particular at the Prior Park, Whittaker and Tucking Mill springs.[1]

Mine stabilisation project

In March 1999, the then Department of Environment, Transport and Regions (DETR) announced a Land Stabilisation Programme, based on the Derelict Land Act 1982. This was designed to "deal with abandoned non-coal mine workings which are likely to collapse and threaten life and property". A Bath and North East Somerset Council outline bid for a two-phase stabilisation project was accepted in August 1999, by English Partnerships who administered the programme for the then Office of the Deputy Prime Minister.[1] A parliamentary Statutory Instrument (2002 No. 2053) was needed before the work could be undertaken.[5]

Approximately 760 properties were included within the planning application boundary; estimates were that ca. 1660 people lived within this area, which also included a primary school, a nursery and three churches.

Foamed concrete was selected for the large-scale infilling of the old mine works: the single largest application of foamed concrete on a project in the UK. The work was largely complete by November 2009, by which time approximately 600,000 cubic metres of foamed concrete had been used to fill 25 hectares of very shallow limestone mine, making it the largest project of its kind in the world.[6]

Biological interest

Greater Horseshoe bat

The site was notified as a Site of Special Scientific Interest in 1991, for its importance as a hibernation site for several species of bat, including Greater and Lesser Horseshoe.[7] Since 2005 it has formed part of the Bath and Bradford-on-Avon Bats Special Area of Conservation.[8]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g "Combe Down Stone Mines Land Stabilisation Project". BANES. Archived from the original on 17 January 2006. Retrieved 13 July 2006.
  2. ^ a b "Combe Down Mines". Oxford Archeology. Retrieved 7 October 2010.
  3. ^ "Combe Down Mines". ISSMGE: 5th International Congress on Environmental Geotechnic. Retrieved 13 July 2006.
  4. ^ "Combe Down Stone Mines Project". Scott Wilson. Archived from the original on 5 May 2006. Retrieved 13 July 2006.
  5. ^ "The Derelict Land Clearance Area (Combe Down Stone Mines, Bath) Order 2002". Statutory Instruments HMSO, the Queen's Printer of Acts of Parliament. Archived from the original on 21 October 2008. Retrieved 13 July 2006.
  6. ^ Tipping, Christopher. "'1479 plates', Combe Down Stone Mines Project". Axisweb. Retrieved 29 August 2017.
  7. ^ "Combe Down and Bathampton Down Mines" (PDF). English Nature SSSI Citation Sheet. 1991. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 February 2017.
  8. ^ "Bath and Bradford-on-Avon Bats Special Area of Conservation" (PDF). Natural England. 20 March 2019. Archived from the original on 8 February 2021. Retrieved 8 February 2021.

External links

Sham Castle

Sham Castle
LocationClaverton Down, Somerset, England
Coordinates51°22′57″N 2°20′15″W / 51.38250°N 2.33750°W / 51.38250; -2.33750
Built1762
ArchitectSanderson Miller
Listed Building – Grade II*
Designated1 February 1956[1]
Reference no.1312449
Sham Castle is located in Somerset
Sham Castle
Location of Sham Castle in Somerset

Sham Castle is a folly on Claverton Down overlooking the city of Bath, Somerset, England. It is a Grade II* listed building.[1][2] It is a screen wall with a central pointed arch flanked by two 3-storey circular turrets, which extend sideways to a 2-storey square tower at each end of the wall.[1]

It was probably designed around 1755 by Sanderson Miller and built in 1762 by Richard James, master mason for Ralph Allen, "to improve the prospect" from Allen's town house in Bath.[3]

Sham Castle is now illuminated at night.[4]

Generic term

Other 18th-century so-called "sham castles" exist at Hagley Hall, Clent Grove, Castle Hill, Filleigh and two at Croome Court (Dunstall and Pirton castles).

Rear view of Sham Castle, showing that the castle was intended to be viewed only from the front.

Ralph Allen's nearby Prior Park Landscape Garden is home to the Sham Bridge.[5] This structure is likewise a screen at the end of the Serpentine Lake which appears to be a bridge. Much like the Sham Castle, it dates from the mid-18th century.

Another nearby folly castle is that of Midford Castle. Sham Castle is one of three follies overlooking Bath, the others being Beckford's Tower and Browne's Folly.

In Piltown, County Kilkenny, Ireland is a partially-built monument known as 'Sham Castle'. It was intended to commemorate someone believed to have died but who later turned up during construction.

References

  1. ^ a b c "Sham Castle". historicengland.org.uk. Retrieved 15 March 2008.
  2. ^ Historic England. "Sham Castle (Grade II*) (1312449)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 6 July 2015.
  3. ^ Dunning, Robert (1995). Somerset Castles. Tiverton: Somerset Books. p. 77. ISBN 0-86183-278-7.
  4. ^ Scott, Shane (1995). The hidden places of Somerset. Aldermaston: Travel Publishing Ltd. pp. 16–17. ISBN 1-902007-01-8.
  5. ^ "Prior Park". Parks and Gardens Data Services Ltd. 27 July 2007. Retrieved 6 July 2015.

Bath stone

Great Pulteney Street, Bath, looking West towards Pulteney Bridge. The style and the Bath stone used are typical of much of the city.

Bath Stone is an oolitic limestone comprising granular fragments of calcium carbonate originally obtained from the Middle Jurassic aged Great Oolite Group of the Combe Down and Bathampton Down Mines under Combe Down, Somerset, England. Its honey colouring gives the World Heritage City of Bath, England its distinctive appearance. An important feature of Bath Stone is that it is a 'freestone', so-called because it can be sawn or 'squared up' in any direction, unlike other rocks such as slate, which form distinct layers.

Bath Stone has been used extensively as a building material throughout southern England, for churches, houses, and public buildings such as railway stations.

Some quarries are still in use, but the majority have been converted to other purposes or are being filled in.

Geological formation

Bath Stone is an oolitic limestone comprising granular fragments of calcium carbonate laid down during the Jurassic Period (195 to 135 million years ago) when the region that is now Bath was under a shallow sea. Layers of marine sediment were deposited, and individual spherical grains were coated with lime as they rolled around the sea bed, forming the Bathonian Series of rocks. Under the microscope, these grains or ooliths (egg stones) are sedimentary rock formed from ooids: spherical grains composed of concentric layers. That name derives from the Hellenic word òoion for egg. Strictly, oolites consist of ooids of diameter 0.25–2 mm. Rocks composed of ooids larger than 2 mm are called pisolites. They frequently contain minute fragments of shell or rock, and sometimes even decayed skeletons of marine life. Bath stone was taken from the Bath Oolite Member and the Combe Down Member of the Chalfield Oolite Formation, part of the Great Oolite Group.[1]

Use as a building stone

An old crane at Freshford Quarry

An important feature of Bath Stone is that it is a freestone, one that can be sawn or 'squared up' in any direction, unlike other rocks such as slate, which have distinct layers. In the Roman and Medieval periods, Bath Stone was extensively used on domestic and ecclesiastical buildings, as well as civil engineering projects such as bridges.[2]

The Royal National Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases, which was founded in 1738, was designed by John Wood the Elder and built with Bath stone.[3] There is a fine pediment on the building, again in Bath stone, which depicts the parable of the good Samaritan.

St Stephen’s Church on Lansdown Hill, Bath, was constructed from a limestone sourced from the Limpley Stoke mine, south of the city.[4]

Arno's Court Triumphal Arch, Bristol

The material has also been used widely outside Bath itself. Claverton Pumping Station at Claverton, which was built of Bath stone in about 1810, pumps water from the River Avon to the Kennet and Avon Canal, using power from the flow of the River Avon.[5] The stone was also used for the Dundas Aqueduct, which is 150 yards (137.2 m) long, and has three arches built of Bath Stone, with Doric pilasters, and balustrades at each end.[6]

Much of Bristol Cathedral was built of Bath stone, and the Wills Tower, which is the dominant feature of the Wills Memorial Building, is constructed in reinforced concrete faced with Bath and Clipsham stone.[7] Bristol's Cabot Tower was also faced with Bath stone. Arno's Court Triumphal Arch was built from Bath stone in about 1760, and was later dismantled before being rebuilt in its current location.

Bath stone was also favoured by architect Hans Price, who designed much of 19th-century Weston-super-Mare. In Barnstable, the 1855 construction of Butchers Row used Bath stone.

In London, the neo-classical Georgian mansion Lancaster House was built from Bath stone in 1825 for the Duke of York and Albany, the second son of King George III, as were St Luke's Church, Chelsea in 1824, and several other churches including Church of Christ the King, Bloomsbury. Apsley House, the town house of the Dukes of Wellington, was remodelled by the 1st Duke using in Bath stone cladding over the original red brick.

In Reading, the original building of the Royal Berkshire Hospital of 1839, together with the wings added in the 1860s, are built of Bath stone, with slate roofs.[8] They are now listed grade II* by English Heritage. In 1860, the nearby Reading railway station, incorporating a tower and clock, was constructed by the Great Western Railway using Bath stone, and the company also used it for Chippenham station.

Tyntesfield

Other mansions which have used Bath stone include Gatcombe Park, Goldney Hall, Tyntesfield, South Hill Park, and Spetchley Park.

In 2002 the East End of Truro Cathedral was completely renovated and restored with some of the ornate Bath stone replaced with harder-wearing Syreford stone. In 2005 the west front was restored similarly.

Mines

Bath stone was mined underground at Combe Down and Bathampton Down Mines,[9] in Somerset; and as a result of cutting the Box Tunnel, at various locations in Wiltshire, including Box and Corsham.[10]

In the early 18th century, Ralph Allen promoted the use of the stone in Bath itself, and demonstrated its potential by using it for his own mansion at Prior Park. Following a failed bid to supply stone to buildings in London, Allen wanted a building which would show off the properties of Bath Stone as a building material.[11] He acquired the stone quarries at Combe Down and Bathampton Down Mines.[12] Hitherto, the quarry masons had always hewn stone roughly providing blocks of varying size. Wood required stone blocks to be cut with crisp, clean edges for his distinctive classical façades.[13] The distinctive honey-coloured Bath Stone was used to build the Georgian city. Stone was extracted by the "room and pillar" method, by which chambers were mined, leaving pillars of stone to support the roof.[14][15] Allen built a railway line from his mine on Combe Down which carried the stone down the hill, now known as Ralph Allen Drive, which runs beside Prior Park, to a wharf he constructed at Bath Locks on the Kennet and Avon Canal to transport stone to London.[16]

In the 18th century mines at Budbury near Bradford on Avon and Corsham the mines were developed by the Methuen and Northey families. The mine at Monkton Farleigh was leased to quarrymen by the Diocese of Salisbury.[17]

Underground extraction of Bath stone continues in the Corsham area but on a smaller scale than previously. For example, Hanson Bath & Portland Stone, part of the HeidelbergCement Group, operates Hartham Park Underground Quarry in the Hudswell district (southwest of Pickwick). The Bath Stone Group operates the Stoke Hill mine.

Box Mine

The Box Mine consists of a network of tunnels, which originate from stone mining work. Stone extraction started during the Roman occupation of Britain and ceased in 1968. The mine is now popular for recreational underground trips, and is home to a large population of bats. Up to 10% of the total British population of greater horseshoe bat uses the mine at times, and a maximum of 230 individuals of the species have been counted at the site. The Lesser Horseshoe Bat also uses the mine, as do the four Myotis species: Whiskered, Brandt's, Natterer's and Daubenton's bats.[18]

Combe Down and Bathampton Down Mines

Combe Down Mine showing a tramway

Combe Down and Bathampton Down Mines date from the 17th and 18th century when stone was extracted by the "room and pillar" method, by which chambers were mined, leaving pillars of stone between them to support the roof.[15] The mine contains a range of mine features including well preserved tramways, cart-roads and crane bases. The walls and pillars of the mine are studded with pick and tool marks, and show evidence of the use of huge stone saws, all of which bear testimony to the variety of techniques used to extract the stone over the mine's three hundred-year history.[19] No mine abandonment plans of either the tunnels or the caverns, known as voids, were made prior to the 1872 Mining Act.[15] Following their closure, the mines were used for a variety of purposes, including a mushroom farm, and as an air-raid shelter during the World War II Baedeker raids on Bath.[19]

Other uses of stone mines

During the 1930s there was a recognition of a need to provide secure storage for munitions in the south of the United Kingdom, and a large area of the quarries around the Corsham area was renovated by the Royal Engineers as one of three major munitions stockpiles. This ammunition depot was serviced by a spur railway line from the main London to Bristol line, branching off just outside the eastern entrance to Box Tunnel. A portion of the underground quarry complex was developed as a 'shadow factory' for aircraft engines, to act as a fallback should the Bristol Engine company Factory at Filton be taken out of action by hostile bombing.[20] In practice this factory was never used.

The Operations Room at RAF Fighter Command's No. 10 Group Headquarters, Rudloe Manor, Wiltshire, showing WAAF plotters and duty officers at work, 1943

In another part of the quarry area, Royal Air Force Box was established as the Headquarters of No10 Fighter Group, Royal Air Force. RAF Box was later renamed RAF Rudloe Manor and expanded to encompass a number of communications functions, including No1 Signal Unit, Controller Defence Communications Network, No1001 Signal Unit Detachment and Headquarters RAF Provost & Security Service. No1SU and CDCN were both housed in bunkers within the quarry complex, which also included an RAF Regional Command Centre for the South West of England.

British defence doctrine during the early Cold War period indicated a requirement for a fallback location for central government outside London, to assume national control in the event of London being destroyed. The quarry complex at Corsham was chosen for this location and development of the site commenced in the 1950s. In the event of an imminent nuclear attack, it was assumed that the government would be evacuated from London by rail or helicopter. The facility would provide a safe haven for the Prime Minister, the Cabinet, commanders of the Royal Air Force, Royal Navy, and British Army and supporting civil servants and military personnel. Facilities inside the complex included accommodation and catering for nearly 4,000 people, including a hospital, organic electrical generation and the ability to seal the complex from the outside environment, contaminated by radiation or other threat.

The defence facilities known by various code names like Stockwell, Turnstile, Hawthorn and Burlington have been built in quarries include Military Command & Control, storage and a fallback seat of national government. Some areas of the quarry complex were hardened and provided with support measures to ensure resilience in the event of a nuclear attack. The site was decommissioned and placed in a state of care & maintenance in the mid 1990s following the fragmentation of the Soviet Union and the end of the cold war. The site has been offered for sale, conditional on a Private Finance Initiative for the continued use of above ground facilities.[21]

Corsham Computer Centre was built into Hudswell Quarry during the 1980s and current examples of other uses include not only defence establishments, but also a wine cellar at Eastlays (near Gastard)[22] and storage for magnetic media (for Off-site Data Protection) at Monk's Park (near Neston).[23]

The mine at Monkton Farleigh was used as a Central Ammunition Depot during World War II.[24] Part of the site which was not used by the military is now a part of the Brown's Folly site of special scientific interest.[25]

Mine rehabilitation

During 1989 a utilities contractor unexpectedly broke through into part of the mines complex at Combe Down whilst excavating a trench. This raised concerns locally, resulting in the then Bath City Council commissioning studies to survey the condition of the mines. It was clear that the mines were in a very dangerous state and some experts considered them to be the largest, shallowest, and most unstable of their kind in Europe.[26] Approximately 80% of the mines, which are up to 9 metres (30 ft) high and cover a total area of about 18 hectares (180,000 m2), had less than 6 metres (20 ft) cover and as little as 2 metres (7 ft) in some places.

In March 1999, the then Department of Environment, Transport and Regions (DETR), now known as the Department for Communities and Local Government, announced a Land Stabilisation Programme, based on the Derelict Land Act 1982. A Parliamentary Statutory Instrument (2002 No. 2053) was needed before the work could be undertaken.[27] Foam concrete was selected as the best material to use in the large-scale infilling of the old mine workings. Over 400,000 cubic metres (523,180 cu yd) of foamed concrete were placed in the shallower underground mines, making it the single largest application of foamed concrete in the United Kingdom.[28][29]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Bath's 'foundered strata' – a re-interpretation" (PDF). Physical Hazards Programme Research Report OR/08/052. British Geological Survey. 2008. Archived (PDF) from the original on 14 December 2014. Retrieved 14 December 2014.
  2. ^ "Tales From The Riverbank". Minerva Stone Conservation. Archived from the original on 28 September 2015. Retrieved 22 September 2015.
  3. ^ "Royal National Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases". Images of England. Historic England. Archived from the original on 17 November 2007. Retrieved 24 June 2006.
  4. ^ "St Stephens Church, Lansdown in Bath". Minerva Stone Conservation. Archived from the original on 11 October 2008. Retrieved 19 May 2008.
  5. ^ Historic England. "Claverton Pumping Station (1214608)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 9 May 2007.
  6. ^ Pearson, Michael (2003). Kennet & Avon Middle Thames:Pearson's Canal Companion. Rugby: Central Waterways Supplies. ISBN 0-907864-97-X.
  7. ^ "Wills Memorial Building". About Bristol. Retrieved 19 July 2017.
  8. ^ Historic England. "Main Block and Flanking Wings at Royal Berkshire Hospital (1156091)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 26 November 2007.
  9. ^ "Strategic Stone Study: A Building Stone Atlas of Somerset and Exmoor" (PDF). English Heritage. p. 17. Retrieved 11 October 2011.
  10. ^ "Bath Stone Mines around Corsham". Archived from the original on 16 May 2008. Retrieved 21 May 2008.
  11. ^ "Prior Park, Bath, England". Parks and gardens UK. Parks and Gardens Data Services Ltd. Archived from the original on 3 November 2013. Retrieved 9 June 2013.
  12. ^ "Ralph Allen Biography". Bath Postal Museum. Archived from the original on 7 June 2009. Retrieved 21 August 2009.
  13. ^ Greenwood, Charles (1977). Famous houses of the West Country. Bath: Kingsmead Press. pp. 70–74. ISBN 978-0-901571-87-8.
  14. ^ "Phases Of Mining Activity". Combe Down Stone Mines Project. Bath and North East Somerset Council. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 22 September 2015.
  15. ^ a b c "Combe Down Stone Mines Land Stabilisation Project". Bath and North East Somerset Council. 13 May 2004. Archived from the original on 17 January 2006. Retrieved 13 July 2006.
  16. ^ Durman pp91-94
  17. ^ Hawkins, Derek (2011). Bath Stone Quarries. Folly Books. p. 9. ISBN 9780956440549.
  18. ^ "Box Mine" (PDF). Site of Special Scientific Interest citation sheet. English Nature. Archived (PDF) from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 22 September 2015.
  19. ^ a b "Combe Down Mines". Oxford Archeology. Archived from the original on 22 July 2011. Retrieved 30 August 2009.
  20. ^ Hawkins, Derek (2011). Bath Stone Quarries. Folly Books. pp. 11–12. ISBN 9780956440549.
  21. ^ "For sale: Britain's underground city". Archived from the original on 11 January 2006.
  22. ^ Corsham Cellars Archived 31 May 2008 at the Wayback Machine at Octavian Vaults corporate web site. Retrieved on 16 March 2008
  23. ^ Storage and Retrieval Archived 15 April 2008 at the Wayback Machine at Wansdyke Security Limited website. Retrieved on 16 March 2008
  24. ^ "Site Name: Monkton Farleigh Ammunition Depot - Farleigh Down Tunnel". Subterranea Britannica. Archived from the original on 6 September 2008. Retrieved 22 September 2015.
  25. ^ "Brown's Folly" (PDF). Site of Special Scientific Interest citation. English Nature. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 22 September 2015.
  26. ^ "Combe Down Mines". ISSMGE: 5th International Congress on Environmental Geotechnic. Archived from the original on 15 December 2005. Retrieved 13 July 2006.
  27. ^ "The Derelict Land Clearance Area (Combe Down Stone Mines, Bath) Order 2002". Statutory Instruments HMSO, the Queen's Printer of Acts of Parliament. Archived from the original on 21 October 2008. Retrieved 13 July 2006.
  28. ^ "The World's Largest Foamed Concrete Pour". Pro Pump Engineering. Archived from the original on 15 June 2015. Retrieved 22 September 2015.
  29. ^ "Foamed concrete - Examples of the use". The Concrete Society. Archived from the original on 9 December 2017. Retrieved 9 December 2017.

Combe Down Tunnel

Prior to Now on Combe Down link: Combe Down Tunnel

Combe Down Tunnel
The tunnel portal in 2013
Overview
LineSomerset and Dorset Joint Railway
Locationc. 2.5 mi (4.0 km) from Bath Green Park
Operation
Opened1874
Closed1966 (railway)
OwnerWessex Water
Technical
Length1,829 yards (1,672 m)
No. of tracksSingle
Tunnel clearanceThe crown of the arch is between 14 ft 9 in (4.50 m) and 18 ft (5.5 m) above the invert.
WidthVaries from 11 ft 6 in (3.51 m) to 13 ft 7 in (4.14 m)
GradeMostly 1 in 100 (1%) descending towards Midford (away from Bath)[1]

Combe Down Tunnel is on the now-closed Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway main line, between Midford and Bath Green Park railway station, below high ground and the southern suburbs of Bath, England, emerging below the southern slopes of Combe Down village.

Opened in 1874, this 1,829-yard (1,672 m) long disused railway tunnel was once the UK's longest without intermediate ventilation.[2] The tunnel now forms part of the £1.8 million Two Tunnels Greenway walking and cycling path opened on 6 April 2013 and is the longest cycling tunnel in Britain.[3] Its custodian is Wessex Water.

Overview

Combe Down Tunnel in 2005

The tunnel was on the "Bath Extension" line of the Somerset & Dorset Railway, built in 1874. The extension effectively bankrupted the independent company. The extension line was later made double-track northwards from Evercreech Junction to the viaduct at Midford, but the substantial civil engineering works associated with the tunnel and the steep approach into Bath, including the shorter Devonshire Tunnel, caused the northernmost section to remain single-track throughout its working life.

Goods trains heading south from Bath were often banked (assisted in rear) by a locomotive that detached itself from the train at the entrance to Combe Down tunnel, and then returned down the gradient to Bath. This operation was a very rare example of two trains being permitted to run within a single-line section at once, although the train engine carried an electric tablet and the banking engine a staff, both of which had to be returned to their appropriate signalling instruments before other trains could be dispatched into the section. Sometimes the banking engine would be conveying additional goods vehicles for Bath Co-op Siding (situated within the single line section), so the bank engine (carrying the bank staff) would shunt the siding on its way back to Bath Junction whilst the main train (with the single-line tablet) would continue on its way to Midford. This unusual method of working operated right up to the closure of the S&D in 1966.

Accident

Combe Down tunnel had no intermediate ventilation and there were significant problems with fumes. On 20 November 1929, the driver and fireman of a northbound goods train were overcome by smoke. The train was moving very slowly in the tunnel due to a heavy load and due to starting from a standstill at Midford. The locomotive, S&DJR 2-8-0 No. 89, continued on slowly and eventually breasted the summit of the gradient. Its downward course to Bath was accomplished more quickly, and the train ran away, crashing into the goods yard on the approach to Bath Green Park railway station, killing the driver, Henry Jennings, and two railway employees in the yard.[4]

The fumes that overcame the footplate crew were a consequence of the restricted bore, lack of ventilation shafts, the exceptional humidity and lack of breeze, and the very slow speed of the train, running tender first. The inspecting officer, Colonel A. C. Trench recommended that maximum loads should be reduced or assistant engines provided to prevent a recurrence.[5]

Two Tunnels Shared Path

This section of the Somerset and Dorset Railway, including the tunnels, is now incorporated into a shared-use walking and cycling path. Planning permission was approved in May 2008 and much of the funding came from a Sustrans Connect2 grant.

The fourth and final £100,000 tranche of council funding was made in the 2011/12 financial year; the tunnel was equipped with a cycle-friendly surface and LED lighting. The route was opened on 6 April 2013.

The Combe Down tunnel path has been used as the site of a 200-mile underground ultramarathon challenge called "The Tunnel".[6][7]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Two Tunnels Greenway". Twotunnels.org.uk. Archived from the original on 13 August 2014. Retrieved 15 September 2013.
  2. ^ Yorke, Stan (2007). Lost railways of Somerset. Newbury: Countryside Books. pp. 48–60. ISBN 978-1-84674-057-2.
  3. ^ "Bath Two Tunnels Circuit - Map". Sustrans. Retrieved 15 September 2013.
  4. ^ Smith, Peter W. (1978). Footplate over the Mendips. Oxford: Oxford Publishing Company. pp. 87–88. ISBN 0-86093-022-X.
  5. ^ "Accident Report" (PDF).
  6. ^ "The Tunnel". Cockbain Events Ltd. Retrieved 17 January 2023.
  7. ^ "Running 200 miles in a tunnel - the mind-bending ultra-marathon in the dark". BBC Sport. Retrieved 17 January 2023.

51°21′22″N 2°20′29″W / 51.3560°N 2.3415°W / 51.3560; -2.3415

Two Tunnels Greenway

NCN Route 244
Two Tunnels Greenway
The western portal of the Devonshire Tunnel on the Greenway's opening day in 2013
Length3.8 miles (6.1 km)[1]
LocationSomerset, United Kingdom
Established6 April 2013
DesignationUK National Cycle Network
TrailheadsEast Twerton (west) to Midford (east)
UseCycling
Highest pointCombe Down Tunnel, 91.4 m (300 ft)
Lowest pointEast Twerton, 18.8 m (62 ft)
DifficultyEasy
Websitehttps://www.sustrans.org.uk/find-a-route-on-the-national-cycle-network/route-244/
Combe Down Tunnel in 2005

The Two Tunnels Greenway is a shared use path for walking and cycling in Bath, Somerset, England.[2] The route links National Cycle Route 24 south of Bath with National Cycle Route 4 in the town centre,[3] and is designated as National Cycle Route 244.[4]

Route

The route follows the disused railway trackbed of the Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway from East Twerton through the Bath suburb of Oldfield Park to the Devonshire Tunnel. It emerges into Lyncombe Vale before entering the Combe Down Tunnel, and then coming out to cross Tucking Mill Viaduct at Tucking Mill into Midford.[5] The new route links National Cycle Route 4 in Bath and National Cycle Route 24, 2.5 miles (4 km) south of the city.

History

NCN24, crossing Midford viaduct, at the south end of the 'Two Tunnels' route, opened in 2005. Sustainable transport charity Sustrans has met with success with its bid for National Lottery funding to start construction of the route.[2] A 'Two Tunnels Steering Group' was established, consisting of the Two Tunnels group, Bath and North East Somerset Council and Sustrans, to ensure the route's successful development.[6]

In June 2009 the major structures were surveyed in preparation for their transfer into the ownership of the local authority from Wessex Water, but the costs of refurbishing the Tunnels exceeded the total project budget then estimated to be £1.9M, with £1M coming from Sustrans.[7] Subsequently, it was agreed that Sustrans should take ownership of the tunnels and be responsible for their refurbishment.

Work began in March 2010 with the excavation of the then-buried western portal of the Devonshire Tunnel, and the project was completed and opened on 6 April 2013.[8] In July 2010, Wessex Water transferred the care of the Devonshire and Combe Down tunnels to Sustrans.[7] Development plans were said to include the installation of motion-sensitive lighting, mobile phone coverage and CCTV within the tunnels,[9] though at the time the Greenway opened, no plans existed for mobile phone coverage in the tunnels.[10]

The Combe Down tunnel reopened on 6 April 2013.[11]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Route 244". Sustrans. Retrieved 9 May 2022.
  2. ^ a b "The Two Tunnels Shared Use Path". Bath & North East Somerset Council. Archived from the original on 7 November 2007. Retrieved 3 October 2007.
  3. ^ "Route 244". Sustrans. Retrieved 9 May 2022.
  4. ^ "Route 244 – Map Sustrans". Sustrans. Retrieved 9 March 2014.
  5. ^ "Two Tunnels path opens in Bath". Ordnance Survey. Archived from the original on 3 July 2013. Retrieved 11 June 2013.
  6. ^ "Statement by Frank Tompson of 'Two Tunnels Group'" (PDF). Bath & North East Somerset Council. 7 March 2007. Archived (PDF) from the original on 17 November 2011.
  7. ^ a b "Railway tunnels handed to cycle charity Sustrans". BBC News. 17 July 2010. Retrieved 17 July 2010.
  8. ^ "Two Tunnels Shared Path". Archived from the original on 26 January 2013. Retrieved 4 February 2013.
  9. ^ "The Two Tunnels Project". Proud of Twerton. April 2008. Archived from the original on 13 May 2008. Retrieved 9 July 2008.
  10. ^ "Mark Annand (Two Tunnels Group secretary) on Twitter".
  11. ^ Morris, Steven (22 March 2013). "Bath's Combe Down railway tunnel to reopen for cyclists and hikers". The Guardian. Retrieved 23 March 2013.

External links

Claverton, Somerset

Claverton
Gray stone building with slate roof. Attached to the right is a wooden structure over water, partially obscured by trees
Claverton is located in Somerset
Claverton
Claverton
Location within Somerset
Population115 [1]
OS grid referenceST784642
Unitary authority
Ceremonial county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townBATH
Postcode districtBA2
Dialling code01225
PoliceAvon and Somerset
FireAvon
AmbulanceSouth Western
UK Parliament
List of places
UK
England
Somerset
51°22′36″N 2°18′40″W / 51.3768°N 2.3110°W / 51.3768; -2.3110

Claverton is a small village and civil parish about 2 miles (3 km) east of Bath at the southern end of the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, in Somerset, England. The parish has a population of 115.[1]

History

The parish was part of the hundred of Hampton.[2]

Claverton Pumping Station was designed in 1810–13 by John Rennie to lift water from the River Avon to the Kennet and Avon Canal, using power from the flow of the river.[3][4]

Claverton Manor, on the valley slope above the village, is a country house designed by Jeffry Wyatville and completed in 1820. A Grade I listed building in extensive gardens, it has housed the American Museum since 1961.[5][6]

Claverton was recognised as being of special architectural and historic interest and was designated a Conservation Area in November 1981.[7]

Governance

The parish falls within the unitary authority of Bath and North East Somerset which was created in 1996, as established by the Local Government Act 1992. It provides a single tier of local government with responsibility for almost all local government functions within its area including local planning and building control, local roads, council housing, environmental health, markets and fairs, refuse collection, recycling, cemeteries, crematoria, leisure services, parks, and tourism. It is also responsible for education, social services, libraries, main roads, public transport, trading standards, waste disposal and strategic planning, although fire, police and ambulance services are provided jointly with other authorities through the Avon Fire and Rescue Service, Avon and Somerset Constabulary and the Great Western Ambulance Service.

Bath and North East Somerset's area covers part of the ceremonial county of Somerset but it is administered independently of the non-metropolitan county. Its administrative headquarters is in Bath. Between 1 April 1974 and 1 April 1996, it was the Wansdyke district and the City of Bath of the county of Avon.[8] Before 1974 the parish was part of the Bathavon Rural District.[9]

The Claverton parish council has responsibility for local issues, including setting an annual precept (local rate) to cover its own operating costs, and producing annual accounts for public scrutiny. The parish council is consulted on local planning applications and works with the local police, unitary council officers, and neighbourhood watch groups on matters of crime, security, and traffic. The parish council's role also includes initiating projects for the maintenance and repair of parish facilities, such as the bus shelter. The Parish does not have any public playing fields, playgrounds or community hall. It consults with the unitary council on the maintenance, repair, and improvement of highways, drainage, footpaths, public transport, and street cleaning. Its views are also sought on conservation matters, including trees and listed buildings, and on environmental issues.

Claverton is represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom as part of North East Somerset, which elects one member of parliament by the first past the post system of election. It was also part of the South West England constituency of the European Parliament prior to Britain leaving the European Union in January 2020, which in 2019 elected seven MEPs using the d'Hondt method of party-list proportional representation.

Religious sites

Mausoleum containing the tomb of Ralph Allen

The church of St Mary the Virgin has a Norman tower and contains a peal of six bells including three dated 1637. Other parts of the church date from the 13th century, but underwent extensive renovation in 1858.[10][11] Ralph Allen of Prior Park is buried in a pyramid-topped tomb in Claverton churchyard.[12]

Notable people

References

  1. ^ a b "Claverton Parish". Neighbourhood Statistics. Office for National Statistics. Archived from the original on 1 January 2014. Retrieved 31 December 2013.
  2. ^ "Somerset Hundreds". GENUKI. Retrieved 8 October 2011.
  3. ^ "Claverton Pumping Station". Retrieved 14 January 2008.
  4. ^ Historic England. "Claverton Pumping Station (1214608)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
  5. ^ Historic England. "Claverton Manor (The American Museum) and Screen Walls to North and South (1214609)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
  6. ^ "The History of Claverton Manor". American Museum & Gardens. Archived from the original on 23 May 2015. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
  7. ^ "Claverton Conservation Character Appraisal". Bath and North East Somerset Council. Archived from the original on 5 November 2007. Retrieved 14 January 2008.
  8. ^ "The Avon (Structural Change) Order 1995". HMSO. Archived from the original on 30 January 2008. Retrieved 9 December 2007.
  9. ^ "Bathavon RD". A vision of Britain Through Time. University of Portsmouth. Retrieved 4 January 2014.
  10. ^ "St Mary the Virgin Church, Claverton". The benefice of St Nicholas, Bathampton & St Mary the Virgin, Claverton. Retrieved 28 January 2014.
  11. ^ "St Mary's Church". historicengland.org.uk. Retrieved 14 January 2008.
  12. ^ "Mausoleum to Ralph Allen, in churchyard to south of St Mary's Church". historicengland.org.uk. Retrieved 14 January 2008.
  13. ^ Thomas, Rod (2008). A Sacred landscape: The prehistory of Bathampton Down. Bath: Millstream Books. pp. 58–59. ISBN 978-0-948975-86-8.

External links

Claverton Manor

Claverton Manor link: Claverton Manor

Claverton Down from the Bath Skyline trail

Claverton Down is a suburb on the south-east hilltop edge of Bath, Somerset, England. It is linked to the Bathwick area of the city by Bathwick Hill.

Primarily a rural area with relatively few houses, it is home to the University of Bath, the headquarters of Wessex Water and a private golf course, the Bath Golf Course.

The American Museum is based at Claverton Manor, below Claverton Down on the road to the village of Claverton.[1] Claverton Manor was designed by Jeffry Wyattville and built in the 1820s, and is a Grade I listed building.[2]

Claverton Down was the location of an isolation hospital, constructed in 1876. It consisted of a number of temporary wooden ward blocks and two "fever tents." Permanent buildings were erected in 1931-34.[3] In 1950, at the age of 13, food writer and cook Mary Berry contracted polio and spent three months at the hospital.[4][5]

References

51°22′30″N 2°19′26″W / 51.375°N 2.324°W / 51.375; -2.324


Prior Park

Prior to Now on Combe Down link: Ralph Allen and Prior Park

Prior Park
LocationBath, Somerset, England
Coordinates51°21′54″N 2°20′40″W / 51.36500°N 2.34444°W / 51.36500; -2.34444
Built1742
Built forRalph Allen
ArchitectJohn Wood, the Elder
Architectural style(s)Neo-Palladian
Listed Building – Grade I
Official namePrior Park (Now Prior Park College)
Designated12 June 1950[1]
Reference no.1394453
Prior Park is located in Somerset
Prior Park
Location of Prior Park in Somerset

Prior Park is a Neo-Palladian house that was designed by John Wood, the Elder, and built in the 1730s and 1740s for Ralph Allen on a hill overlooking Bath, Somerset, England. It has been designated as a Grade I listed building.

The house was built in part to demonstrate the properties of Bath stone as a building material. The design followed work by Andrea Palladio and was influenced by drawings originally made by Colen Campbell for Wanstead House in Essex as well as the twelve sided plan form of the Roman theatre (of which the house's natural setting reminded Wood).[2] The main block had 15 bays and each of the wings 17 bays each. The surrounding parkland had been laid out in 1100 but following the purchase of the land by Allen 11.3 hectares (28 acres) were established as a landscape garden. Features in the garden include a bridge covered by Palladian arches, which is also Grade I listed.

Following Allen's death the estate passed down through his family. In 1828, Bishop Baines bought it for use as a Roman Catholic College. The house was then extended and a chapel and gymnasium built by Henry Goodridge. The house is now used by Prior Park College and the surrounding parkland owned by the National Trust.

History

Construction

Ralph Allen, an entrepreneur and philanthropist, was notable for his reforms to the British postal system. He moved in 1710 to Bath, where he became a post office clerk, and at the age of 19, in 1712, became the Postmaster.[3] In 1742 he was elected Mayor of Bath,[4] and was the Member of Parliament for Bath between 1757 and 1764.[4] The building in Lilliput Alley, Bath (now North Parade Passage), which he used as a post office, became his town house.[5]

Prior Park above Ralph Allen's railway in 1750, from an engraving by Anthony Walker

Allen acquired the stone quarries at Combe Down and Bathampton Down.[4] The unique honey-coloured Bath stone was used to build the Georgian city, and as a result he made a second fortune. Allen instructed John Padmire to build a wooden wagon-way from his mine on Combe Down which carried the stone down the hill, now known as Ralph Allen Drive, which runs beside Prior Park, to a wharf he constructed at Bath Locks on the Kennet and Avon Canal for onward transport to London.[6] An engraving of Prior Park, made in 1752 from a drawing by Anthony Walker and showing the railway passing the house, is the first known railway print.[7] Following a failed bid to supply stone to buildings in London, Allen wanted a building which would show off the properties of Bath stone as a building material.[8][9]

Hitherto, the quarry masons had always hewn stone roughly, providing blocks of varying size. Wood required stone blocks to be cut with crisp clean edges for his distinctive classical façades.[10] The stone was extracted by the "room and pillar" method, by which chambers were dug out, leaving pillars of stone to support the roof.[11] Bath stone is an Oolitic limestone comprising granular fragments of calcium carbonate laid down during the Jurassic period (195 to 135 million years ago). An important feature of Bath stone is that it is a freestone, that is one that can be sawn or 'squared up' in any direction, unlike other rocks such as slate, which has distinct layers. It was extensively used in the Roman and Medieval periods on domestic, ecclesiastical and civil engineering projects such as bridges.[12]

John Wood, the Elder was commissioned by Ralph Allen to build on the hill overlooking Bath: "To see all Bath, and for all Bath to see".[4] Wood was born in Bath and is known for designing many of the streets and buildings of the city, such as The Circus (1754–68),[13] St John's Hospital,[14] (1727–28), Queen Square (1728–36), the North (1740) and South Parades (1743–48), the Mineral Water Hospital (1738–42) and other notable houses, many of which are Grade I listed buildings. Queen Square was his first speculative development. Wood lived in a house on the square,[15] which was described by Nikolaus Pevsner as "one of the finest Palladian compositions in England before 1730".[16]

The plan for Prior Park was to construct five buildings along three sides of a dodecagon matching the sweep of the head of the valley, with the main building flanked by elongated wings based on designs by Andrea Palladio.[9] The plans were influenced by drawings in Vitruvius Britannicus originally made by Colen Campbell for Wanstead House in Essex, which was yet to be built.[9][6] The main block had 15 bays and each of the wings 17 bays. Between each wing and the main block was a Porte-cochère for coaches to stop under.[6] In addition to the stone from the local quarries, material, including the grand staircase and plasterwork, from the demolished Hunstrete House were used in the construction.[17][18]

Construction work began in 1734 to Wood's plan but disagreements between Wood and Allen led to his dismissal and Wood's Clerk of Works, Richard Jones, replaced him and made some changes to the plans, particularly for the east wing.[6][19] Jones also added the Palladian Bridge.[20] The building was finished in 1743 and was occupied by Allen as his primary residence until his death in 1764.[21]

Drawing from 1875 by W.Wills after Thomas Hearne incorrectly showing 13 bays in the main house

Later use

After Allen's death in 1764, William Warburton, Allen's relative, lived in the house for some time and it was passed down to other family members and then purchased, in 1809, by John Thomas, a Bristol Quaker.[22][8] After William Beckford sold Fonthill Abbey, in 1822, he was looking about for a suitable new seat, Prior Park was his first choice: ""They wanted too much for it," he recalled later; "I should have liked it very much; it possesses such great capability of being made a very beautiful spot."[23] Prior Park was offered for sale after Thomas's death in 1827 but the asking price of £25,000 was not obtained and the offer of sale withdrawn.[22]

Augustine Baines, a Benedictine, Titular Bishop of Siga and Vicar Apostolic of the Western District of England, was appointed to Bath in 1817. He purchased the mansion in 1828 for £22,000 and set to work to establish two colleges in either wing of the house, which he dedicated to St. Peter and St. Paul respectively, the former being intended as a lay college, the latter as a seminary. The new college never became prosperous, however. Renovations were made according to designs by Henry Goodridge in 1834 including the addition of the staircase in front of the main building.[6][24] A gymnasium was also built in the 1830s including a courtyard for Fives,[25] and three barrel vaulted rooms on the first floor and a terrace roof.[26]

The seminary was closed in 1856 after a fire which, in 1836, had resulted in extensive damage and renovation and brought about financial insolvency. It was bought in 1867 by Bishop Clifford who founded a Roman Catholic Grammar School in the mansion.[8] Prior Park operated as a grammar school until 1904. During World War I the site was occupied by the army and used for officer cadet training. Following the war, several tenants occupied the site. In 1921, the Christian Brothers acquired the building and opened a boarding school for boys in 1924, which continues today as a mixed public school.[27]

The main building (the Mansion) has been badly burnt twice. The 1836 fire left visible damage to some stonework.[28] The 1991 fire gutted the interior, except for parts of the basement.[29] Unusually, the blaze started on the top floor, and spread downwards. Rebuilding took approximately three years.[30]

Architecture

John Wood, the Elder's planned layout for Prior Park

The house described by Pevsner [31] as "the most ambitious and most complete re-creation of Palladio's villas on English soil" was designed by John Wood the Elder, however, Wood and his patron, Allen, quarrelled and completion of the project was overseen by Richard Jones, the clerk-of-works.[9]

The plan consists of a corps de logis flanked by two pavilions connected to the corps de logis by segmented single storey arcades. The northern façade (or garden façade) of the corps de logis is of 15 bays,[1] the central 5 bays carry a prostyle portico of six Corinthian columns. The southern façade is more sombre in its embellishment, but has at its centre, six ionic columns surmounted by a pediment. The terminating pavilions have been much altered from their original design by Wood; he originally envisaged two pavilions at each end of the range; an unusual composition which was ignored by Jones who terminated the range with a single pavilion as is the more conventional Palladian concept.[31] The East Wing was altered around 1830 when it was converted into a school, having included a brewhouse previously when a pedimented three-bay second floor was added by John Pensiston.[32] Around 1834 Goodridge altered the West Wing to include a theatre, which was damaged by bombs during the Bath Blitz of 1942.[9] The central flight of steps and urns, in Baroque style, which front the north portico were added by Goodridge in 1836.[1]

In the 1830s Goodridge put forward plans for a large cathedral to be built in the grounds. However this was never proceeded with and instead was replaced by a plan for a small chapel to be incorporated in the west wing of the mansion.[33] In 1844 Joseph John Scoles created the Church of St Paul which, along with the remainder of the west wing, is Grade I listed.[34][1]

The total length of the principal elevation is between 1,200 feet (370 m) and 1,300 feet (400 m) in length. Of that, the corps de logis occupies 150 feet (46 m).[35] The two-storey building with attics and a basement is topped with a Westmorland slate roof.[1]

Gardens

The Palladian Bridge

The first park on the site was set out by John of Tours the Bishop of Bath and Wells around 1100, as part of a deer park, and subsequently sold to Humphrey Colles and then Matthew Colhurst.[8] It is set in a small valley with steep sides, from which there are views of the city of Bath. Prior Park's 11.3 hectares (28 acres) landscape garden was laid out by the poet Alexander Pope between the construction of the house and 1764. During 1737, at least 55,200 trees, mostly elm and Scots pine, were planted, along the sides and top of the valley. No trees were planted on the valley floor. Water was channeled into fish ponds at the bottom of the valley.[8] Later work, during the 1750s and 1760s, was undertaken by the landscape gardener Capability Brown.[36][37] This included extending the gardens to the north and removing the central cascade making the combe into a single sweep.[8] The garden, as it was originally laid out, influenced other designers and contributed to defining the style of garden thought of as the English garden in continental Europe.[38]

Inside the Palladian Bridge

The features in the gardens include a Palladian bridge (one of only 4 left in the world[39]), Gothic temple, gravel cabinet, Mrs Allen's Grotto,[40] ice house,[41] lodge[42] and three pools with curtain walls[43] plus a serpentine lake. The Palladian bridge, which is a copy of the one at Wilton House,[6] was built by Richard Jones,[44] and has been designated as a Grade I listed building[45] and Scheduled Ancient Monument.[46][45] It was repaired in 1936.[47]

The rusticated stone piers on either side of the main entrance gates are surmounted by entablatures and large ornamental vases,[48] while those at the drive entrance have ornamental carved finials.[49] The porter's lodge was built along with the main house to designs by John Wood the Elder.[50]

In 1993, the National Trust obtained the park and pleasure grounds. In November 2006, the large-scale restoration project began on the cascade, serpentine lake and Gothic temple in the Wilderness area[38] (as shown in special episode 28 of the Time Team). Extensive planting also took place in 2007. The Palladian Bridge is also featured on the cover of the album Morningrise by Swedish progressive metal band Opeth released in 1996.[51][52]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Historic England. "Prior Park College: The mansion with linked arcades) (1394453)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 9 July 2015.
  2. ^ * Hart, Vaughan (1989). ‘One View of a Town. Prior Park and the City of Bath’, RES: Journal of Anthropology and Aesthetics, pp.140-157.
  3. ^ Staff 1964, p. 57.
  4. ^ a b c d "Ralph Allen Biography". Bath Postal Museum. Archived from the original on 4 October 2013. Retrieved 30 April 2017.
  5. ^ Historic England. "Ralph Allen's House, Terrace Walk, Bath (443802)". Images of England. Archived from the original on 18 October 2012.
  6. ^ a b c d e f Durman 2000, pp. 91–94.
  7. ^ Darby, Michael (1974). Early Railway Prints. London: Victoria and Albert Museum. p. 2. ISBN 0-901486-74-4.
  8. ^ a b c d e f "Prior Park, Bath, England". Parks and gardens UK. Parks and Gardens Data Services Ltd. Retrieved 9 June 2013.
  9. ^ a b c d e Forsyth 2003, p. 94.
  10. ^ Greenwood 1977, pp. 70–74.
  11. ^ "Combe Down Stone Mines Land Stabilisation Project". BANES. Archived from the original on 17 January 2006. Retrieved 13 July 2006.
  12. ^ "Tales From The Riverbank". Minerva Conservation. Retrieved 26 February 2017.
  13. ^ Historic England. "The Circus (442451)". Images of England. Archived from the original on 17 October 2012.
  14. ^ Historic England. "St John's Hospital (including Chapel Court House) (442408)". Images of England. Archived from the original on 17 October 2012.
  15. ^ "Queen Square". UK attractions. Archived from the original on 19 April 2008. Retrieved 10 January 2008.
  16. ^ "Queen Square". Bath Net. Archived from the original on 28 September 2007. Retrieved 10 January 2008.
  17. ^ "Hunstrete Grand Mansion". Wessex Archeology. Videotext Communications Ltd. Retrieved 10 February 2009.
  18. ^ "Combe Down, "Alice is a sexy sl*t" Was Here: Modern vs. Historical Graffiti". Bath Daily Photo. Retrieved 28 September 2011.
  19. ^ Varey 1990, pp. 112–117.
  20. ^ Curl 2002, p. 44.
  21. ^ "History of Prior Park College". Prior Park Alumni. Retrieved 22 April 2017.
  22. ^ a b "John Thomas – the forgotten man of Prior Park". Combe Down. Retrieved 22 April 2017.
  23. ^ Benjamin 1910, p. 322.
  24. ^ Richardson 2001, p. 65.
  25. ^ Historic England. "The Gymnasium to north of North Road (447140)". Images of England. Archived from the original on 29 October 2014.
  26. ^ Historic England. "Monument No. 204217". Research records (formerly PastScape). Retrieved 28 September 2011.
  27. ^ Historic England. "Prior Park (1000144)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 22 April 2017.
  28. ^ Colvin & Mellon 2008, p. 1143.
  29. ^ Gillie, Oliver (6 April 1994). "Craftsmen restore country house to former glory: Sculptors use delicate skills to recreate rococo ceiling destroyed by fire". The Independent. London. Retrieved 7 April 2009.
  30. ^ Gillie, Oliver (5 April 1994). "Craftsmen restore country house to former glory: Sculptors use delicate skills to recreate rococo ceiling destroyed by fire". The Independent. Retrieved 22 April 2017.
  31. ^ a b Pevsner 2002, p. 114.
  32. ^ Forsyth 2003, pp. 95–96.
  33. ^ Goodridge 1865, p. 5.
  34. ^ Historic England. "Church of St Paul, with West Wing (1394459)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 29 October 2014.
  35. ^ Kilvert 1857, p. 11.
  36. ^ "Green Priorities for the National Trust at Prior Park".[dead link]
  37. ^ "Prior Park Landscape Garden". National Trust. Retrieved 30 April 2017.
  38. ^ a b "Prior Park Landscape Garden". Minerva Stone Conservation. Retrieved 28 September 2011.
  39. ^ Historic England. "Palladian Bridge (204176)". Research records (formerly PastScape). Retrieved 4 May 2018.
  40. ^ Historic England. "Grotto in grounds of Prior Park (1394467)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 9 July 2015.
  41. ^ Historic England. "Ice-house in grounds of Prior Park (1394461)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 9 July 2015.
  42. ^ Historic England. "Prior Park Lodge (1394608)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 9 July 2015.
  43. ^ Historic England. "Screen wall to pool below the West Pavilion and Church of St Paul (447139)". Images of England. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015.
  44. ^ Forsyth 2003, p. 99.
  45. ^ a b Historic England. "Palladian Bridge in grounds of Prior Park (1394463)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 9 July 2015.
  46. ^ "List of Scheduled Ancient Monuments". Bath and North East Somerset Council. Retrieved 30 April 2017.
  47. ^ Borsay 2000, p. 161.
  48. ^ Historic England. "Gate Posts at entrance to Prior Park (1394605)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 9 July 2015.
  49. ^ Historic England. "Gate Posts to Drive at Prior Park (1394606)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 9 July 2015.
  50. ^ Historic England. "Porters Lodge (443397)". Images of England. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015.
  51. ^ "Morningrise". Last FM. Retrieved 22 April 2017.
  52. ^ "Morningrise Opeth". Metal Archives. Retrieved 22 April 2017.

Bibliography

External links

Prior Park Landscape Garden

Prior to Now on Combe Down link: Ralph Allen and Prior Park

View from Prior Park over the Palladian bridge towards Bath

Prior Park Landscape Garden surrounding the Prior Park estate south of Bath, Somerset, England, was designed in the 18th century by the poet Alexander Pope and the landscape gardener Capability Brown, and is now owned by the National Trust. The garden was influential in defining the style known as the "English landscape garden" in continental Europe.[1] The garden is Grade I listed in the Register of Historic Parks and Gardens of special historic interest in England.[2]

Around 1100 the site was part of a deer park set out by the Bishop of Bath and Wells John of Tours. In 1720s it was bought by Ralph Allen and landscaped to complement his new house. Further development was undertaken after the house became a seminary and then a Roman Catholic grammar school (which later became Prior Park College). In the 1990s 11.3 hectares (28 acres) of the park and pleasure grounds were acquired by the National Trust and a large scale restoration undertaken. Features of Prior Park Landscape Garden include a Palladian architecture bridge, lake and ancillary buildings.

History

The gardens as they appeared in 1750

Set in a small steep valley overlooking the city of Bath a park was established on the site by John of Tours, the Bishop of Bath and Wells, in around 1100 as a deer park.[3] It was subsequently sold to Humphrey Colles, a lawyer and member of parliament for Somerset,[4] and then another member of parliament, Matthew Colthurst.[5][3] Even before the Dissolution of the Monasteries the walls which had enclosed the deer park had fallen into disrepair and the deer had escaped. The land was then returned to agricultural use.[2]

18th-century design

Purchased by the local entrepreneur and philanthropist Ralph Allen in the 1720s,[2] Prior Park's 11.3 hectares (28 acres) English landscape garden was laid out with advice from the poet Alexander Pope during the construction of the house,[6][7][8] overseen by Allen between the years 1734 and his death in 1764.[9] During 1737, at least 55,200 trees, mostly elm and Scots pine, were planted, along the sides and top of the valley. The valley floor remained as grassland and drainage water was channelled to form fish ponds at the bottom of the valley.[3]

The ice house at Prior Park

Later work, during the 1750s and 1760s, was undertaken by the landscape gardener Capability Brown;[10][11][12] this included extending the gardens to the north, removing the central cascade and making the wooded hillside (combe) into a single sweep.[3] "The garden was influential in defining the style of garden known as the 'English garden' in continental Europe".[1] The gardens were laid out in two distinct areas: those on the east side of the house were set out as vegetable plots on either side of the serpentine path, while on the western side were statues and grottoes, trees and evergreens with climbing and scented plants. Exotic plants which had only recently arrived in Britain included Aristolochiaceae, Passiflora and Bignonia.[13]

In 1828 the house and estate were purchased by Bishop Augustine Baines to create a seminary and then Bishop William Clifford for a Roman Catholic grammar school which later became Prior Park College. Further landscaping was carried out in the 1880s.[2]

Restoration

In 1993 the park and pleasure grounds were acquired by the National Trust and it was opened to the public in 1996.[14][15] In November 2002, a large-scale restoration project began on the cascade, serpentine lake and Gothic temple in the wilderness area, this is now complete. Extensive planting also took place in 2007. Future plans include re-roofing the grotto and building a replica Gothic temple.[15]

Garden features

The garden's features include a Palladian architecture bridge (one of only four of this design left in the world),[6][7][8] Gothic temple, gravel cabinet, Mrs Allen's Grotto,[16] the ice house,[17] lodge[18] and three pools with curtain walls[19] as well as a serpentine lake. The curtain wall by the lake is known as the Sham Bridge and is similar to Kent's Cascade at Chiswick House and Vunus Vale at Rousham House.[14] Ralph Allen was also responsible for the construction of Sham Castle on a hill overlooking Bath.[20]

The rusticated stone piers on either side of the main entrance gates are surmounted by entablatures and large ornamental vases,[21] while those at the drive entrance have ornamental carved finials.[22] The Porter's Lodge was built along with the main house to designs by John Wood the Elder.[23]

Palladian bridge

The Palladian bridge

The Palladian bridge, which is a copy of the one at Wilton House,[24] has been designated as a Grade I listed building[25] and scheduled monument.[26][27] It was repaired in 1936.[28]

The Palladian Bridge later featured on the cover of the 1996 album Morningrise by Swedish progressive metal band Opeth.[29][30]

Bath Skyline

A five-minute walk from the garden leads on to the Bath Skyline, a six-mile (10 km) circular walk around the city that encompasses woodlands, meadows, an Iron Age hill-fort, Roman settlements, 18th-century follies and views over the city.[31]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Prior Park Landscape Garden". Minerva Stone Conservation. Retrieved 28 September 2011.
  2. ^ a b c d Historic England. "Prior Park (Grade I) (1000144)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 2 April 2015.
  3. ^ a b c d "Prior Park, Bath, England - History". Parks and gardens UK. Parks and Gardens Data Services Ltd. Archived from the original on 26 December 2014. Retrieved 29 September 2015.
  4. ^ "Colles, Humphrey (by 1510-70/71), of Barton Grange and Nether Stowey, Som". History of Parliament. The History of Parliament Trust. Retrieved 31 August 2015.
  5. ^ "Colthurst, Matthew (by 1517–59), of Wardour Castle, Wilts. and Claverton, Som". History of Parliament. The History of Parliament Trust. Retrieved 31 August 2015.
  6. ^ a b "Prior Park's History". Prior Park College. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 25 September 2015.
  7. ^ a b "Prior Park Landscape Garden". National Trust. Retrieved 25 September 2015.
  8. ^ a b "Prior Park Landscape Garden". Visit Bath. Retrieved 25 September 2015.
  9. ^ Greeves, Lydia (2006). History and Landscape: The Guide to National Trust Properties in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. National Trust Books. pp. 316–317. ISBN 978-1-905400-13-3.
  10. ^ Bond, James (1998). Somerset Parks and Gardens. Somerset Books. pp. 82–84. ISBN 978-0-86183-465-5.
  11. ^ "Green Priorities for the National Trust at Prior Park".[dead link]
  12. ^ "Prior Park Landscape Garden". National Trust. Archived from the original on 13 April 2009. Retrieved 7 April 2009.
  13. ^ Mowl, Timothy; Mako, Marion (2010). Historic Gardens of Somerset. Redcliffe. pp. 93–99. ISBN 9781906593568.
  14. ^ a b "History: Prior Park, Bath, England". Parks and Gardens UK. Parks and Gardens Data Services Ltd. Archived from the original on 26 December 2014. Retrieved 2 April 2015.
  15. ^ a b "Development of the garden at Prior Park". National Trust. Archived from the original on 3 April 2015. Retrieved 2 April 2015.
  16. ^ Historic England. "Grotto in grounds of Prior Park (1394467)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 9 July 2015.
  17. ^ Historic England. "Ice-house in grounds of Prior Park (1394461)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 9 July 2015.
  18. ^ Historic England. "Prior Park Lodge (1394608)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 9 July 2015.
  19. ^ "Screen wall to pool below the West Pavilion and Church of St. Paul". Images of England. Historic England. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 29 September 2011.
  20. ^ Dunning, Robert (1995). Somerset Castles. Tiverton: Somerset Books. p. 77. ISBN 0-86183-278-7.
  21. ^ Historic England. "Gate Posts at entrance to Prior Park (1394605)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 9 July 2015.
  22. ^ Historic England. "Gate Posts to Drive at Prior Park (1394606)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 9 July 2015.
  23. ^ "Porters Lodge". Images of England. Historic England. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 29 September 2011.
  24. ^ Durman, Richard (2000). Classical Buildings of Wiltshire & Bath: A Palladian Quest. Bath: Millstream Books. pp. 91–94. ISBN 978-0-948975-60-8.
  25. ^ Historic England. "Palladian Bridge in grounds of Prior Park (1394463)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 4 April 2015.
  26. ^ "List of Scheduled Ancient Monuments". Bath and North East Somerset Council. Retrieved 25 September 2015.
  27. ^ Historic England. "Palladian Bridge, Prior Park, Bath (1004514)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 4 April 2015.
  28. ^ Borsay, Peter (2000). The image of Georgian Bath, 1700–2000: towns, heritage, and history. Oxford University Press. p. 161. ISBN 978-0-19-820265-3.
  29. ^ "Prior Park Landscape Garden". Ashwick Parish. Retrieved 10 October 2017.
  30. ^ "Cover Locations". Discogs. Retrieved 10 October 2017.
  31. ^ "Bath Skyline". National Trust. Retrieved 2 April 2015.

External links

51°22′02″N 2°20′37″W / 51.36721°N 2.34374°W / 51.36721; -2.34374

Bath Abbey Cemetery

Prior to Now on Combe Down link: Bath Abbey Cemetery

Bath Abbey Cemetery

The Anglican Bath Abbey Cemetery, officially dedicated as the Cemetery of St Peter and St Paul (the patron saints that Bath Abbey is dedicated to), was laid out by noted cemetery designer and landscape architect John Claudius Loudon (1783–1843) between 1843 and 1844 on a picturesque hillside site overlooking Bath, Somerset, England.

The cemetery was consecrated on 30 January 1844. It was a private Anglican cemetery financed by W. J. Broderick, Rector of Bath Abbey.

The layout is a mixture of formal and informal arranged along a central avenue. It features a mortuary chapel, designed by Bath City Architect G. P. Manners in the then fashionable Norman Revival architectural style.[1]

History

The cemetery is on a site that was used for Roman burials, three stone coffins and Roman coins dating to Constantine the Great and Carausius having been found when the roadway to the chapel was constructed.[2] In 1952 a further Roman coffin was discovered during the removal of a tree root from a footpath.[3][4]

The eccentric William Thomas Beckford was originally buried here, but moved when his former retreat of Lansdown Tower came under threat of becoming a pleasure garden and was transformed into Lansdown Cemetery in the parish of Walcot. "The best monuments are slightly neo-Grecian with canopied tops, dating from the 1840s. Note that to S. M. Hinds d.1847 signed Reeves, the Bath firm of Monumental masons, that flourished from c.1778 to 1860…."[1]

The cemetery and mortuary chapel are Grade II* listed.[5][6][7] 37 monuments in the cemetery are Grade II or II* listed.[8][9] A general trend is that the most elaborate monuments belong to individuals formerly residing at the most exclusive addresses. An interesting trend seems that clerics get Gothic Revival style monuments and military men typically get Greek Revival style monuments.[1]

The Roman Catholic Perrymead Cemetery is adjacent to Bath Abbey Cemetery.[10][11]

Mortuary chapel

The three-bay double-height chapel was built in 1844 to designs by George Phillips Manners in the Norman Revival architectural style with a prominent west tower over a three-sided open porch / porte cochere. The chapel is built above a crypt and was planned to be flanked by open cloister wings containing a columbarium and loculi. Ever since the cemetery's closure, the chapel has also been closed and is in a deteriorating condition.[1] It was listed Grade II historic building on 5 August 1975,[7] but is now Grade II* listed.[6] It remains owned by Bath Abbey, although a lease or sale was considered to Bath's Orthodox church, which never materialized.

List of prominent memorials

  • Crimean War Memorial, c. 1855, an obelisk memorial of polished stone designed in the Greek Revival style.[1]
  • Robert Scott of 3 Duke Street, St James, c. 1861, a white marble memorial designed in the Gothic Revival style[1]
  • Elizabeth Hunt of 72 Pulteney Street, c. 1846, a polished stone obelisk designed in the Gothic Revival style[1]
  • Robert Harvey Forsmann of St Petersburg (records infant death), of 15 Bennet Street, Walcot, a white marble memorial designed in the Greek Revival style[1]
  • Doverton Chalmers Greetree Swan of Island of Ceylon (Sri Lanka) (records infant death) of 36 Pulteney, a white marble memorial designed in the Greek Revival style[1]
  • John Gill (also Louise Gicnac) of 14 Bathwick Street, c. 1851, a white marble memorial designed in the Greek Revival style[1]
  • Francis Hunt of 65 Pulteney, c. 1851, a memorial designed in the Greek Revival style[1]
  • Gen. Paul Anderson of 10 Paragon Buildings, a polished stone memorial designed in the Greek Revival style[1]
  • Joseph Chaning Pearce of Montague House. Lambridge, c. 1847 (House became a museum to his 200 fossil collection), a polished pink granite, and polished stone plinth, designed in the Greek Revival style (Signed Rogers of Bath)[1]
  • Sidney P. Macgreggor of Widcombe House, Widcombe, c. 1855, a marble memorial designed in the Gothic Revival style (signed by Tucker, mason)[1]
  • Ellen Maria Lamb of New Bond Street, St Michael's, c. 1856, a polished stone memorial, designed in the Greek Revival style[1]
  • John Pavin of 5 Cavendish Crescent, Walcot, c. 1848, a white marble memorial designed in the Greek Revival style[1]
  • Julius Hall of 45 Pulteney Street, c. 1869, a white marble memorial obelisk designed in the Gothic Revival style[1]
  • Charles Pratt of Combe Grove Manor, c. 1844, a white marble mini temple memorial designed in the Greek Revival style[1]
  • Henry John Sharpe, Merchant of New York, of Royal Hotel, St James, Doric Column on Pediment WM- designed in the Greek Revival style (Signed by Treasure Mason)[1]
  • John Collingridge of 57 Pulteney Street, c. 1855, a memorial designed in the Greek Revival style[1]
  • James Weeks Williams of 6 Claremont Place, Walcot, c.1848, a marble classical revival mini temple (signed White)[1] "The Williams Memorial[12] is a white marble miniature open Greek temple raised up on a penant stone pedestal. Four painted sets of fluted columns with lotus and acanthus leaf capitals support a canopy over a draped urn flashed by an angel and a female mowner. The equally elaborate inscription is to Jane Wiliams who died at her residence, 17 Kensington Place, Bath, in 1848 aged 88. One side of the base commemorates 17-year-old Henry Williams, ‘who by accidentally falling off the West India docks in a dense London fog was unfortunately drowned’ in 1853."[13] (Listed II*)[9]
  • Stothert (Family) of Hay Hill, c. 1855, a polished stone memorial designed in the Greek Revival style[1]
  • ??daria Lady Hargood of Royal Crescent, c. 1849, a memorial designed in the Gothic Revival style[1]
  • Elizabeth Ingram of 11 South Parade, c. 1845, a memorial designed in the Norman Revival architectural style
  • Samuel Maxwell Hinds of 7 Raby Place, a white marble memorial designed in the Greek Revival style (signed Reeves)
  • Mary Ann Hunter of 7 Edward Street, c. 1869, a white marble cross memorial designed in the Gothic Revival style
  • Robert Neale of Butt Ash Cottage, Widcombe, c. 1873, a white marble obelisk designed in the Gothic Revival style
  • Ann Partis of 58 Pulteney, c. 1846, founder of Partis College, a white marble memorial designed in the Greek Revival style (Listed II*)[8]
  • Lt. Col. Richard Tatton of Blyth, Northumberland, c. 1867, a white marble obelisk designed in the Greek Revival style
  • Eleanor Moody of Pulteney Street, c. 1844
  • Edwin Augustus Lawton of St Mary's Buildings, Lyncombe, c.1863, a white marble headstone designed in the Gothic Revival style
  • Capt. Peter Gapper of Easton Home, Beechen Cliff, c. 1866, a white marble obelisk designed in the Greek Revival style
  • Charles Hamper of the Grove, Bathampton, c.1866, a polished stone memorial designed in the Gothic Revival style
  • Rose Caroline Browne of Bathampton, c. 1858, gabled memorial designed in the Gothic Revival style
  • John Hay Clive of Hastings (late of Bathwick Hill), c. 1853, a memorial designed in the Greek Revival style
  • Charles Rainsford Hall of Bathampton, c. 1848, a memorial designed in the Greek Revival style
  • Benjamin Plim Bellamy of Beacon Hill, Walcot, c.1847, a polished stone monument designed in the Greek Revival style (Signed Reeves)
  • Charles Richardson (briefly) of New Bond Street, c. 1890 (drowned in River Avon), a polished stone memorial designed in the Greek Revival style
  • William Westall of 1 George's Place, Bathwick Hill, c. 1853, a polished stone obelisk memorial, designed in the Greek Revival style
  • Rev. Edward Tottenham of Marlborough Buildings, Walcot, c. 1853, a polished stone memorial designed in the Gothic Revival style
  • Rev. Nathan Ashby of Combe Down, (same as Tottenham above), a polished stone memorial designed in the Gothic Revival style
  • John Monk Lambe of 3 Sydney Buildings, c. 1865, a memorial designed in the Greek Revival style
  • Rear Admiral John Bythesea, died 1906, Crimean War VC recipient, tall Celtic granite cross.[14]
  • Arnold Ridley OBE, actor, ashes buried in parents' grave[15]

War graves

The cemetery contains 3 Commonwealth service war graves of World War I, registered and maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission – a British Army Captain, a Canadian soldier and a Royal Air Force airman.[16]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w The Victorian Society: Avon Group, "The Quick and the Dead: A Walk Round Some Bath Cemeteries", 15 September 1979.
  2. ^ "Bath". The land we live in, a pictorial and literary sketch-book of the British Islands, with descriptions of their more remarkable features and localities. 1856.
  3. ^ Barry W. Cunliffe, ed. (1979), Excavations in Bath, 1950–1975, Committee for Rescue Archaeology in Avon, Gloucestershire and Somerset, ISBN 9780904918038
  4. ^ R. P. Wright (1953). "Roman Britain in 1952: I. Sites Explored: II. Inscriptions". The Journal of Roman Studies. 43 (1–2): 123.
  5. ^ Historic England. "Abbey Cemetery (Grade II*) (1001351)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 22 June 2013.
  6. ^ a b Historic England. "Mortuary Chapel in Abbey Cemetery, Ralph Allen Drive (Grade II*) (1394604)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 22 June 2013.
  7. ^ a b Historic England. "Mortuary Chapel, Abbey Cemetery (447257)". Images of England. Archived from the original on 6 June 2011.
  8. ^ a b Historic England. "Abbey Cemetery Partis Tomb, Ralph Allen Drive (Grade II*) (1396338)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 22 June 2013.
  9. ^ a b Historic England. "Abbey Cemetery Williams Tomb, Ralph Allen Drive (Grade II*) (1396355)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 22 June 2013.
  10. ^ Historic England. "Eyre Chantry (Roman Catholic Chapel), Perrymead Cemetery (Grade II*) (1406474)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 22 June 2013.
  11. ^ Historic England. "Roman Catholic Cemetery Chapel, Perrymead Cemetery (Grade II) (1406479)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 22 June 2013.
  12. ^ The Williams Memorial, WordPress.
  13. ^ Bath Abbey Cemetery Tombstone Tour, 1999.
  14. ^ [1][permanent dead link] Burial Locations of VC Holders in Bath
  15. ^ Excusing Private Godfrey, BBC Radio 4, 2012-07-06.
  16. ^ [2] CWGC Cemetery Report, breakdown obtained from casualty record.

External links

51°22′12″N 2°20′53″W / 51.3701°N 2.3481°W / 51.3701; -2.3481

Monkton Combe

Prior to Now on Combe Down link: Monkton Combe

Monkton Combe
Monkton Combe is located in Somerset
Monkton Combe
Monkton Combe
Location within Somerset
Population554 [1]
OS grid referenceST771620
Unitary authority
Ceremonial county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townBATH
Postcode districtBA2
Dialling code01225
PoliceAvon and Somerset
FireAvon
AmbulanceSouth Western
UK Parliament
List of places
UK
England
Somerset
51°21′25″N 2°19′37″W / 51.357°N 2.327°W / 51.357; -2.327

Monkton Combe is a village and civil parish in north Somerset, England, 3 miles (4.8 km) south of Bath. The parish, which includes the hamlet of Tucking Mill, had a population of 554 in 2013.[1] It was formerly known as Combe, owing to its geography, while it was also known as Monckton Combe and Combe Monckton until last century.

History

The pre-Saxon history of Monkton Combe is poorly recorded. It lay close to the Roman road from Bath to London, which has prompted the construction of a Roman villa in Combe Down. More activity is noted in the sub-Roman period, when it formed the end of the western section of the protective Wansdyke, which had been designed to protect Somerset from Saxon invasion.

Combe was settled and cultivated by the Anglo-Saxon period, when it formed part of the hundred of Bath Forum.[2][3]

It was probably given to Bath Abbey, along with other surrounding villages, in the early 1060's by either Edward the Confessor or Harold Godwinson. The Abbey had been impoverished, and Bishop Gisa made use of patronage to expand its lands. In 1086, Combe was assessed in the Domesday Book as having around twenty families, and supporting a range of agricultural activities. During the medieval period, it acquired the additional name 'Monkton', noting its ownership by the Abbey and disambiguating it from other nearby 'Combes'.

The village's industry diversified in the late 18th century, with the opening of local mines and the Somerset Coal Canal in 1800. This prompted the expansion of the village's population, and the construction of new housing to accommodate workers, built in the local Bath stone. The canal was converted to a railway in 1910, giving the village a short-lived railway station of its own. The closure of the line encouraged the further de-industrialisation of the village, with the neighbouring flock mill closing the following year, although not before the village, and its station, featured in the popular Ealing comedy The Titfield Thunderbolt.

Governance

The parish council has responsibility for local issues, including setting an annual precept (local rate) to cover the council’s operating costs and producing annual accounts for public scrutiny. The parish council evaluates local planning applications and works with the local police, district council officers, and neighbourhood watch groups on matters of crime, security, and traffic. The parish council's role also includes initiating projects for the maintenance and repair of parish facilities, such as the village car park and playgrounds, as well as consulting with the district council on the maintenance, repair, and improvement of highways, drainage, footpaths, public transport, and street cleaning. Conservation matters (including trees and listed buildings) and environmental issues are also of interest to the council. The Village Hall and Village Green are the responsibility of the Village Hall Committee and not of the Parish Council.

The parish falls within the unitary authority of Bath and North East Somerset, which was created in 1996, as established by the Local Government Act 1992. It provides a single tier of local government with responsibility for almost all local government functions within its area, including local planning and building control, local roads, council housing, environmental health, markets and fairs, refuse collection, recycling, cemeteries, crematoria, leisure services, parks, and tourism. It is also responsible for education, social services, libraries, main roads, public transport, Trading Standards, waste disposal, and strategic planning, although fire, police and ambulance services are provided jointly with other authorities through the Avon Fire and Rescue Service, Avon and Somerset Constabulary, and the Great Western Ambulance Service.

Bath and North East Somerset's area covers part of the ceremonial county of Somerset, but it is administered independently of the non-metropolitan county. Its administrative headquarters is in Bath. Between 1 April 1974, and 1 April 1996, it was the Wansdyke district and the City of Bath of the county of Avon.[4] Before 1974 that the parish was part of the Bathavon Rural District.[5]

The parish falls within the 'Bathavon South' electoral ward. The ward starts in the north east at Monkton Combe and stretches south west through Wellow to Shoscombe. The total population of this ward at the 2011 census was 3,052.[6]

The parish is represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom as part of the North East Somerset constituency.[7] It elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election.

Church

The parish church of St Michael, thought to have been Norman, was razed in the early 19th century and rebuilt in 1814. The 1814 church was soon found to be too small, and was rebuilt in 1865 at the initiative of the first Vicar of Monkton Combe, the Revd. Francis Pocock. It was designed by ecclesiastical architect C. E. Giles of London, and the builder was Mr. S. G. Mitchell. It was extended within just a few years to accommodate the growing number of pupils from nearby Monkton Combe School, founded by Revd. Pocock in 1868. The church is a Grade II listed building.[8]

The churchyard contains the grave of Harry Patch, the last surviving British soldier who served in the First World War, and a handful of Commonwealth War Graves.

Landmarks

Village lock-up

The village has one public house, the Wheelwright's Arms, which was built as a private house in the mid-late 18th century and later converted to an inn.[9] It gained its name from the wheelwrighting business that worked from its yard until 1934.

A village lock-up in the 18th century, probably circa 1776, and is located conveniently near the Wheelwrights Arms. This is now one of the village's many Grade II listed buildings, and was last used in 1905 by errant pupils to lock up the school's unpopular bursar.[10]

There were two mills from the time of the Domesday Book, which were rebuilt in the early 19th century and have survived to this day, although neither are in working order.[11]

School

Several historic in the village are owned and occupied by Monkton Combe School, particularly those along Church Lane. This is a prominent public school, which was founded in the village in 1868 by the first Vicar of Monkton Combe, Revd Francis Pocock, and retains its active Christian ethos to this day.

Gallery

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Monkton Combe Parish". Neighbourhood Statistics. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 31 December 2013.
  2. ^ Reverend John Collinson (1791). The History and Antiquities of the County of Somerset. Vol. 1. p. 97. ISBN 978-1-171-40217-6.
  3. ^ "Somerset Hundreds". GENUKI. Retrieved 9 September 2011.
  4. ^ "The Avon (Structural Change) Order 1995". HMSO. Archived from the original on 30 January 2008. Retrieved 9 December 2007.
  5. ^ "Bathavon RD". A vision of Britain Through Time. University of Portsmouth. Retrieved 4 January 2014.
  6. ^ "Bathavon South ward 2011". Retrieved 8 March 2015.
  7. ^ "Somerset North East: New Boundaries Calculation". Electoral Calculus: General Election Prediction. Archived from the original on 14 February 2009. Retrieved 19 September 2007.
  8. ^ "St. Michael's Church". historicengland.org.uk. English Heritage. Retrieved 18 July 2010.
  9. ^ "The Wheelwright's Arms". historicengland.org.uk. English Heritage. Retrieved 18 July 2010.
  10. ^ "Lock-up". historicengland.org.uk. English Heritage. Retrieved 18 July 2010.
  11. ^ "The Old Mill". historicengland.org.uk. English Heritage. Retrieved 18 July 2010.

External links

St Michael's Church

Prior to Now on Combe Down link: St Michael’s Church

St Michael's Church, Monkton Combe
Map
51°21′22″N 2°19′43″W / 51.35611°N 2.32861°W / 51.35611; -2.32861
DenominationChurch of England
ChurchmanshipBroad Church
History
DedicationSt. Michael
Administration
ProvinceCanterbury
DioceseBath and Wells
ParishMonkton Combe

St Michael's Church is the Church of England parish church of Monkton Combe, Somerset, England. It was also the parish church of Combe Down until the 1850s when the communities separated. It is a Grade II listed building.[1]

Background

The structure is mostly mid-Victorian. Predominantly an example of Early English Gothic Revival, the structure has a steep pitched polychrome Welsh Slate roof and other aspects that clearly mark it from a distance as being a mid 19th Century construction. The main tower is surmounted by a gilded weather cock.

Norman Church

The village was owned by the Bath Abbey monks, hence the name Monkton Combe, and the first structure was considered to be an “ancient Norman” one. The parish minutes of 1757 give a glimpse of the small church structure having a chancel with at least two pews.[2] “The church is a small structure, 50 feet in length and 16 feet in breadth, covered with tiles; at the west end in a little stone turret hangs two small bells. It is dedicated to St. Michael.”[3][4]

Regency Church

“About the beginning of the 19th century, when this little old church, after long neglect, needed extensive repairs, the inhabitant instead of repairing it, pulled it down and out of its materials build a new church of about the same size, seating only 95 persons, but to their minds no doubt more comfortable. It was erected in 1814 and did not last long. The Rev. Francis Pocock, being appointed vicar of Monkton Combe in 1863, found this church in a dilapidated state, and … for the needs for the parish, and had the courage to undertake the entire rebuilding of the sacred edifice.”[2] Revd Pocock went on to found Monkton Combe School in 1868.

Bells

The tower contains an 8-bell chime[5] which was installed as a memorial to Rev. Francis Pocock, vicar of the parish from 1863 to 1875. It was cast by J. Taylor of Loughborough and dedicated at Easter 1927 by the Lord Bishop of Bath and Wells. There are also two small ancient bells which are survivors from a previous building on this site.

Organ

The church contains a two manual pipe organ by Henry Jones and Sons.[6]

Churchyard

The churchyard contains the grave of Harry Patch, known as the "Last Fighting Tommy" and the last surviving British Army soldier to have fought in World War I. He died aged 111 and was buried there in July 2009, near the graves of several members of his family.[4]

List of Incumbents

Name Years as Minister
The Revd F. Pocock 1863–1876
The Revd A.G. Gristock 1876–1882
The Revd D.L. Pitcairn 1883–1914
The Revd Sir M.H.P. Beauchamp 1914–1918
The Revd P.E. Warrington 1918–1961

See also

External links

References

  1. ^ "St Michael's Church, Monkton Combe". British Listed Buildings. Retrieved 5 September 2011.
  2. ^ a b "St Michael, Monkton Combe". Church of England. Retrieved 5 September 2011.
  3. ^ "Church of St. Michael and All Angels". Monkton Combe. Retrieved 5 September 2011.
  4. ^ a b "St. Michael's Church". Monkton Combe. Retrieved 5 September 2011.
  5. ^ "Holy Trinity Combe Down Profile of Benefice" (PDF). Holy Trinity Combe Down. Retrieved 21 February 2018.
  6. ^ "Somerset (Avon), Monkton Combe St. Michael [N08612]". National Pipe Organ Register. Retrieved 5 September 2011.
  • Rev. John Collinson, History of Somerset, 1791.
  • Rev. D. Lee Pitcairn and Rev. Alfred Richardson, An Historical Guide to Monkton Combe, Combe Down and Claverton (Bath: F. Goodall Printer, 1924) 28–29.
  • Bath Chronicle, July 6, 1865.
  • Nikolaus Pevsner, The Buildings of England: North Somerset and Bristol, (Harmondsworth, Middlesex: Penguin Books, 1958), 229.

Monkton Combe Halt

Monkton Combe Halt
Site of the station in 2001
General information
LocationMonkton Combe, Bath and North East Somerset
England
Coordinates51°21′21″N 2°19′33″W / 51.35595°N 2.32595°W / 51.35595; -2.32595
Grid referenceST774619
Platforms1
Other information
StatusDisused
History
Original companyGreat Western Railway
Pre-groupingGreat Western Railway
Post-groupingGreat Western Railway
Key dates
1910 (1910)Opened
1915Passenger services suspended
1923Passenger services resumed
1925Closed to passengers
15 February 1951 (1951-02-15)Line closed
Bristol and
North Somerset Railway
Bristol Temple Meads
Brislington
Whitchurch Halt
Pensford
Clutton
Camerton branch
Hallatrow
Farrington Gurney Halt
Paulton Halt
Radford and Timsbury Halt
Camerton
Dunkerton Colliery Halt
Dunkerton
Combe Hay Halt
Midsomer Norton and Welton
Radstock West
Midford Halt
Monkton Combe Halt
Limpley Stoke
Mells Road
Westbury
Frome

Monkton Combe Halt railway station was a railway station in Monkton Combe, Somerset, England. It was built by the Great Western Railway in 1910, on the Camerton branch of the Bristol and North Somerset Railway line.

Operation

The Camerton branch had been built in 1882 from Hallatrow to Camerton, and extended in 1910 through Monkton Combe, where the station and level-crossing were built, to Limpley Stoke railway station, where it joined up with the line from Bath to Bradford-on-Avon railway station.[1][2]

Passenger services started in 1910 and were suspended during the First World War on 22 March 1915; they resumed on 9 July 1923 (though Midford Halt never reopened) but were withdrawn entirely two years later on 21 September 1925.[1][2] Passenger services ran five times a day and used GWR steam rail motors, and the station was run by one man who was also responsible for the level crossing, the signals, and maintaining the gardens.[2]

After the end of regular passenger services, traffic included coal trains, some goods wagons to the mill, and a special train, with covered wagons for luggage, delivered or collected the boys from Monkton School at the beginning and end of school terms.[2]

Closure

The goods services between Limpley Stoke and Camerton continued until Camerton Pit, the last working coal mine in the Cam Valley, ended production in 1950 and the line closed on 15 February 1951.

In 1952, the station was used as "Titfield" station in the Ealing comedy film The Titfield Thunderbolt.[1] Many of the scenes of the village of "Titfield" were shot in the nearby village of Freshford.[3] The same station location was also used in the 1931 version of The Ghost Train film.[4]

The station was demolished in 1958.[3]


Preceding station   Disused railways   Following station
Midford Halt
Line and station closed
  Great Western Railway
Bristol and North Somerset Railway
  Limpley Stoke
Line and station closed

References

  1. ^ a b c Browning, Michael. "The Railway comes to Hallatrow" (PDF). High Littleton & Hallatrow History and Parish Records. Retrieved 2 September 2016.
  2. ^ a b c d Monkton Combe Women's Institute (November 2000). Railways. Retrieved 2 September 2016. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  3. ^ a b Broadhead, Sheena. "Titfield Thunderbolt". Freshford Website. Retrieved 2 September 2016.
  4. ^ The Ghost Train (1931)

Bath Bach Choir

Bath Bach Choir
Choir
OriginBath, Somerset, England
FoundedOctober 1946 (1946-10)
Membersabout 100
Music directorBenedict Collins Rice
Websitewww.bathbachchoir.org.uk

Bath Bach Choir, formerly The City of Bath Bach Choir (CBBC), is based in Bath, Somerset, England, and is a registered charity.[1] Founded in 1946 by Cuthbert Bates, who also became a founding father of the Bath Bach Festival[2] in 1950, the choir's original aim was to promote the music of Johann Sebastian Bach via periodic music festivals. Bates – an amateur musician with a great love and understanding of this composer's works – was also the CBBC's principal conductor and continued in this role until his sudden death, in April 1980. This untimely exit pre-empted his planned retirement concert performance of J. S. Bach's Mass in B minor,[3][2] scheduled for July of the same year, and effectively ended the first period of the choir's history.

Distinguished Handel scholar[4] Denys Darlow succeeded Cuthbert Bates as musical director in 1980 and remained in the post until 1990. He was followed by Nigel Perrin, who remained Musical Director until December 2022. Perrin began his musical life as a chorister at Ely Cathedral, then won a choral scholarship to King's College, Cambridge, studying under Sir David Willcocks. In 1970 he also joined the newly formed King's Singers, having sung with them on an occasional basis after graduation in the summer of 1969, and thereafter entertaining the world throughout the 1970s as the highest voice (counter-tenor) of the irrepressible and ground-breaking vocal group.

In 2023, Benedict Collins Rice was appointed music director, only the fourth in 75 years. Originally from Oxfordshire, Collins Rice held two conducting scholarships at the University of Cambridge before continuing his studies with the Heads of Conducting at the Royal College of Music, the Royal Northern College of Music, the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna and the University of Birmingham where he studied under Simon Halsey. Performing throughout Europe and the US, he has recorded for several labels,[5] broadcast live on BBC Radio 3, and founded a chamber group, The Facade Ensemble.[6]

The first president of the CBBC was Dr Ralph Vaughan Williams until 1958. Sir Arthur Bliss, then Master of the Queen's Music (Musik), took over as president in 1959, followed in 1975 by Sir David Willcocks, until 2015. In 2016 David Hill, musical director of The Bach Choir, was elected president of Bath Bach Choir, and Jonathan Willcocks a vice president.

Musical Director Bath Bach Choir 2023

Overview

The Bath Bach Choir, a member of the Cultural Forum for the Bath area,[7] has an illustrious history and continues to perform demanding and diverse choral works in the UK and overseas. Membership is governed by audition. The choir is widely regarded as one of the leading musical forces in the west of England and continues to perform two major orchestral concerts annually with a lighter concert in the summer. Most take place at Bath Abbey but other venues include Exeter Cathedral, The Forum, Bath the Michael Tippett Centre, the Wiltshire Music Centre in Bradford on Avon and the Roper Theatre, Hayesfield Girls' School, Bath.

Recent performances have included Sergei Rachmaninov, All-Night Vigil (Rachmaninoff), J.S Bach's St Matthew Passion and Mass in B minor, Mass in Blue by Will Todd, accompanied by the composer, Elis Pehkonen's Russian Requiem,[8] also in the composer's presence, works by Sir Karl Jenkins and Sir James MacMillan's St John Passion who attend the concert performed in Wells Cathedral. The choir's 60th Anniversary Concert, in the Wiltshire Music Centre in 2007, comprised a newly commissioned work by Ed Hughes,[9] called Song for St Cecilia.

The choir regularly tours abroad: Karl Jenkins’ Requiem was performed at Carnegie Hall, New York, in 2008,[10] and concerts have taken place at Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Chartres, Paris, and in Hungary, Belgium and Germany. In 2009 the choir was invited to perform in the famous Thomaskirche, where Johann Sebastian Bach was once choirmaster, Aix-en-Provence,[11] in 2013, and the Bath Bach Choir's most recent tour to Barcelona: Barcelona Cathedral, Sagrada Família, Santa Maria del Mar, Barcelona in 2015.

Today, referred to as the Bath Bach Choir, the choir comprises about 100 committed singers from Bath and its environs, such as Frome, drawn from all walks of life, offering them the opportunity to sing challenging works at the very highest level with professional orchestras and soloists – the very proposition Cuthbert Bates made in 1946. The choir maintains an active list of patrons and friends who support its musical work in return for a range of related benefits.

The early years 1946–1980

The City of Bath Bach Choir gave its inaugural concert in June 1947 in Bath Abbey,[2] performing J. S. Bach's Mass in B minor. Cuthert Bates chose Alan Bennett, then head of music at City of Bath Boys' School (today Beechen Cliff School), to take on the roles of collaborator, assistant musical director and assistant director of the Bath Bach Festivals; the distinguished composer Dr. Ralph Vaughan Williams was appointed as president.

Cuthbert Bates Founder, City of Bath Bach Choir 1946

In December 1947 the choir gave its first Carols by Candlelight concert in the historic Grand Pump Room, Bath, at which the choir displayed versatility and musicianship by introducing new carols and arrangements as well as old favourites for audience participation. These annual Christmas concerts continue to this day.

A year after his death, in August 1958, Vaughan Williams was succeeded as president by Sir Arthur Bliss, Master of the Queen's Music. Sir Arthur died on 27 March 1975 and was replaced in July 1975 by distinguished choral musician and current president Sir David Willcocks, then famous for his work as the director of music at King's College, Cambridge, who had recently been appointed director of the Royal College of Music.

The first Bath Bach Festival, in October 1950, commemorated the bicentenary of the eponymous composer's death and was a great success. A further seven festivals were held at approximately four-year intervals until 1982 but the eighth was a financial disaster and indicated the end of an era. However, in 1995 the Bath Bach Festival tradition was revived by Elizabeth Bates, Cuthbert Bates' daughter, and periodic Bach Festivals continued in Bath under her direction until October 2010. A new mini-Bath Bachfest was initiated in February 2012, sponsored by the Bath Mozartfest[12] Charitable Trust.[13]

In its first 35 years the City of Bath Bach Choir gave many performances of Bach's major choral works, including its signature work – the Mass in B minor – as well as the St Matthew Passion, St. John Passion, Christmas Oratorio and numerous cantatas and motets. Other European composers were also represented, since choir policy has always been to explore lesser-known masterpieces in addition to popular choral repertoire. The choir gave one of the first modern performances of the Claudio Monteverdi Vespers of 1610, and other concerts included works by Bononcini, Francesco Cavalli, Antonio Vivaldi, Heinrich Schütz, Marc-Antoine Charpentier, Camille Saint-Saëns, Gustav Holst, Anton Bruckner and William Walton. In October 1966, they gave one of the first UK performances of the Duruflé Requiem in Bath. Michael Tippett's oratorio A Child of our Time was sung under the composer's baton as a part of the Bath Festival in June 1968. During this period the works of Ralph Vaughan Williams, the choir's first president, also featured strongly.

Programme Cover 1954

From the beginning, the choir strove to obtain the highest quality professional support from professional orchestras such as the London Symphony Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and Boyd Neel Orchestra, though during the 1970s rising costs necessitated a modification of this practice. Similar attention was also given to the selection and engagement of solo singers such as Kathleen Ferrier, Dame Janet Baker, Margaret Cable, Wendy Eathorne, Eric Greene and John Shirley-Quick. Meanwhile, notable conductors included Ralph Vaughan Williams, Josef Krips (who was so impressed by a performance of Haydn's The Creation with the London Symphony Orchestra that he repeated it at the Royal Festival Hall, London), Yehudi Menuhin, Basil Cameron, Reginald Jaques, Nadia Boulanger, Charles Groves, István Kertész and Sir David Willcocks.

Unaccompanied pieces were not neglected. There were frequent recitals and serenade concerts in which a wide field of music was explored from the sixteenth century school to the present day.

The next decade 1980–1990

The City of Bath Bach Choir had planned to appoint Denys Darlow to replace Cuthbert Bates on his retirement. He had played the harpsichord continuo at a number of Bath Bach Festivals in the preceding years, was well known to the choir and sympathised with its aims. However, after the latter's unexpected death and in recognition of Bates's long and distinguished service, Sir David Willcocks conducted the July 1980 performance of Bach's Mass in B minor as a tribute and memorial.

Denys Darlow Choir Director City of Bath Bach Choir 1980

Darlow took over thereafter and at the time of his appointment was a senior professor at the Royal College of Music, Director of Music at St George's Church, Hanover Square, London, and had for many years been director of the Tilford Bach Festival[14][15] and London Handel Festival.[16]

The choir spent the next ten years moving forward from the Bach Festival legacy and building on its reputation for exploring works in the choral canon. Stephen Dodgson's Te Deum was performed in October 1982 as a part of the last Bach Festival at which the choir sung. Beethoven's Missa Solemnis was performed in 1982, the last time this work was heard in Bath. The choir continued to perform two major orchestral concerts each year as well as a 'lighter' summer concert and three seasonal performances of Carols by Candlelight. In April 1986 the choir gave the first performance of Denys Darlow's own Requiem, dedicated to the City of Bath Bach Choir itself.

From 1988 onwards, summer concerts were moved from Bath Abbey to the Michael Tippett Centre at Bath Spa University. In 1988 and 1989 these were conducted by Marcus Sealy, who joined the choir in January 1982 as Accompanist and Deputy Musical Director and remains in that post today. From 1987 to 1989 the carols concerts were conducted by Cuthbert's daughter, Elizabeth and attracted steadily increasing audiences. Denys Darlow died on 24 February 1915 aged 94.[17]

Modern era: 1990–present

On 8 January 1990 Nigel Perrin took on the role of Director of Music for the City of Bath Bach Choir. As one of The King's Singers, Perrin had sung all over the world with artists such as Kiri Te Kanawa and Sir Cliff Richard. Appointing a singer as musical director was a break from tradition but Perrin[18] brought insight into the mechanics and techniques of choral singing and a determination to lead the choir to even higher professional standards. His first concert was Monteverdi's Vespers of 1610 in Bath Abbey in April 1990. In 2023, Benedict Collins Rice was appointed music director.

Nigel Perrin, Musical Director 1990-2022

The choir continues to explore new and unusual works and notably gave a performance of David Fanshawe's African Sanctus and Diana Burrell's Benedicam Dominum, a work which enabled Marcus Sealy to demonstrate the magnificent new Klais organ in Bath Abbey. The choir performed Requiem Aeternam by Jonathan Lloyd in the presence of the composer, which necessitated synchronising with a pre-recorded backing track. More recently, performance of two 'cross-over' works by Karl JenkinsThe Armed Man and Requiem – stretched the boundaries of CBBC singers' experience.

Modernism does not mean that the choir has neglected its roots and it often returns to the music of J. S. Bach. In April 1997 the choir gave a performance of the Mass in B minor in Bath Abbey under the baton of its president, Sir David Willcocks, to mark its 50th anniversary celebrations and, more controversially, gave a semi-staged and critically acclaimed performance of the St John Passion in The Forum, Bath in April 2005, using lighting and moving images, and later as noted in the histogram of performances.

Over the years the choir has also travelled widely and developed relationships with singers in Bath's twin cities in Hungary, the Béla Viká Choir, and in Braunschweig[11][19] (Brunswick), Germany with the Cathedral Dom Chor; and with Les Bengalis de Liège in Liège, Belgium. Braunschweig was heavily bombed by the allies on the nights of 14 and 15 October 1944, which inflicted substantial damage to the Dom (cathedral), and many people died. In October 2004 the CBBC was invited to join the Dom Chor in a performance of Benjamin Britten's War Requiem in the presence of HM Ambassador to Germany, HE Sir Peter Torry. This concert, at the Dom, was a centrepiece of the city's commemoration and an act of remembrance and reconciliation. In 2009 the choir travelled to perform in Bach's own church, the Thomaskirche in Leipzig, and in October 2011 they toured to Rome, performing in both La Chiesa di Sant'Agnese in Agone, and The Venerable English College (colloquially referred to as English College, Rome), founded in 1579 by William Allen.

Carols by Candlelight concerts routinely occur in December each year, which from 2001 – 2012 included a performance by the choir's junior section, formed and led by Nigel Perrin and sponsored by the CBBC for more than a decade, 'to sow a seed for what may be to come in the future'. The City of Bath Bach Junior Choir enabled children from 8–15 years to sing together and learn basic musical techniques and at its height it had some 50 or more singers. In 2008 Simon Carr-Minns took the baton from Perrin, who handed it to Adrienne Hale in 2009, and two years later it passed Jamie Knights. The children, in distinctive purple T-shirts, gave regular charity performances. They helped to raise £4,200 for the Royal United Hospital in Bath and, in 2010, raised money for the 'Afghan Heroes Charity' through their vocals and accompanying video[20] for Forever Young – a Song For Wootton Bassett, written by Alan Pettifer and commissioned as a tribute to the people of Royal Wootton Bassett for their support of UK Armed Forces repatriation. With numbers dwindling as more and more opportunities for choral work were being offered to local children, the decision was taken to wind up the programme, and they gave their final performance in 2012. However, an opportunity for talented young musicians is still provided as an interlude during the Carol concerts, principally performed by exceptional music students from Wells Cathedral School.

The Bath Bach Choir's biggest recent challenge – supported by the combined forces of Exeter Festival Chorus[21] and The Wellensian Consort[22]– was arguably staging two performances of The Saint John Passion, an exceptionally demanding contemporary piece composed by Sir James MacMillan and sung in his presence.[23] Performances took place at Wells Cathedral and then Exeter Cathedral in March 2013, with soloist Mark Stone[24] as Christus, and Alexander Hohenthal leading the Southern Sinfonia.[25] The baroque performance of Handel' Messiah (Handel),[26] accompanied by Music for Awhile, with leader Margaret Faultless, a musician within the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, went down especially well with the packed audience.[27] Consequent upon Coronavirus (COVID-19) in 2020, and UK Government restrictions on live concerts, the choir produced three 'virtual performances' of singular works. The choir returned to Bath Abbey for a live concert, socially distanced, presented to a restricted but, judging by the request for an encore, most appreciative audience of 150 people on 3 July 2021.

Performance chronology

Date Composer Work Venue
21/22 Dec 2023 Various Carols by Candlelight – 76th Season Pump Room, Bath,
4 Nov 2023 Parry, Ireland, Faure Songs of Farewell, Greater Love, Requiem: Frederick Long bass, Harry Hampson-Gilbert treble, Sebastien H. McHugh treble, Marcus Sealy organ & piano, Benedict Collins Rice Musical Director. Bath Abbey
8 Jul 2023 Mendelssohn Elijah: Matthew Brook Elijah, Laura Lolita Perešivana soprano, Lotte Betts-Dean mezzo-soprano, James Way Tenor, Marcus Sealy organ continuo, Southern Sinfonia – Simon Chalk artistic director, Benedict Collins Rice Musical Director. Bath Abbey
01 Apr 2023 Hildegard of Bingen, Maurice Duruflé, Frank Martin, Eric Whitacre O viridissima virga, Quatre Motets, Mass for Double Choir, Sainte-Chapelle, Alleluia. St Mary’s Church, Bathwick
January 2023 Benedict Collins Rice Appointed as Director of Music
21/22/23 Dec 2022 Various Carols by Candlelight – 75th Season: Jointly conducted by Nigel Perrin and Benedict Collins Rice on transfer of Musical Directorship. Accompanist Marcus Sealy. Guest Soloist Katie Bunney, Saxophone, a Headley Trust Scholar at the Royal College of Music. Programme included second performance of The Bach Choir annual Sir David Willcocks Carol Competition joint winner Matt Finch, With Wondering Awe, and Mykola Leontovych arr Benedict Collins Rice Carol of the Bells. Pump Room, Bath
75th Anniversary Concert – Nigel Perrin's last concert as Director of Music
5 Nov 2022 J.S. Bach Mass in B minor. Baroque Performance with Music for Awhile – Leader Margaret Faultless; Mhairi Lawson soprano, David Allsopp counter-tenor, Hugo Hymas tenor, Frederick Long bass-baritone. Marcus Sealy organ continuo. Nigel Perrin conductor. Bath Abbey
2 Jul 2022 Monteverdi Vespers of 1610 I Fagiolini: Robert Hollingworth continuo, Zoe Brookshaw and Rebecca Lea soprano, Hugo Hymas and Christopher Fitzgerald Lombard tenor, Sam Gilliatt and Greg Skidmore baritone; English Cornett and Sackbut Ensemble: Conor Hastings and Helen Roberts Cornetto, Emily White, Tom Lees, Adrian France Sackbut; Birmingham Musical and Amicable Society: Miki Takahashi, Christi Park, Wendi Kelly, Kate Fawcett, En-Ming Lin. Musical Director Nigel Perrin. Bath Abbey
26 Mar 2022 Rossini Petite messe solennelle. Soprano Johanna Harrison-Oram, Mezzo-soprano Cassandra Dalby, Tenor Chris Why, Baritone Samuel Harrison-Oram, Piano Marcus Sealy, Harmonium Mark Wood. St Mary & St Nicholas, Wilton
2022 The choir's 75th anniversary year
16/17 Dec 2021 Various Carols by Candlelight – 74th Season Pump Room, Bath,
30 Oct 2021 Brahms A German Requiem (Brahms) Verity Wingate soprano. Paul Grant Baritone, Piano Marcus. Bath Abbey
3 Jul 2021 Llibre Vermell de Montserrat, Sergei Rachmaninoff, Thomas Tallis, Cristóbal de Morales, Francisco Guerrero (composer), Dieterich Buxtehude, Gabriel Fauré, Ola Gjeilo, Gioachino Rossini Mid Summer Vespers. O Virgo Splendens, Priidite, poklonimsia, Blagoslovi, dushe moya, Ghospoda, Bogoroditse Devo, O nata lux de lumine, If Ye Love Me, Parce mihi, Domine, Duo Seraphim, Magnificat, Cantique de Jean Racine, Evening Prayer, Agnus Dei. Encore: Vzbrannoy voyevode. Cassandra Dalby mezzo-soprano. Katie Bunney saxophone. Organ Huw Williams. Bath Abbey
30 Apr 2021 John Rutter The Lord bless you and keep you – Virtual Bath Bach Choir. Nigel Perrin director, Marcus Sealy piano. Virtual Bath Bach Choir[28]
16/18/19 Dec 2020 Various Carols by Candlelight – 73rd Season Bath Assembly Rooms, St Mary the Virgin's Church, Bathwick
12 Aug 2020 Marjorie Kennedy-Fraser Arrangement Simon Carrington Eriskay Love Lilt – Virtual Bath Bach Choir featuring Chris Bruerton of The King's Singers. Christopher Bruerton baritone, Nigel Perrin counter-tenor, Marcus Sealy piano. Virtual Bath Bach Choir[29]
2 Jun 2020 Gabriel Fauré Cantique de Jean Racine;Bath Bach Choir Quarantine Lockdown Recording Project. Director Nigel Perrin, Piano Marcus Sealy. Virtual Bath Bach Choir[30]
18/19/20 Dec 2019 David Clover, Bob Chilcott, Byrd, J.S.Bach, Robin Benton, James MacMillan, Bob Chilcott, Herbert Sumsion, Walford Davies, P.D.Q. Bach, William Llewellyn, Peter Phillips, Bob Chilcott, Roderick Williams, John Gardner, Ian Humphries, Bernard White, John Rutter, Tom Cunningham, James McKelvy (composer)|James McKelvy, Peter Gritton, Eric Whitacre, Paul Fincham Carols by Candlelight – 73rd Season: Ukrainian Bell Carol, Hail, Star of the se most radiant, Lullaby, my sweet little baby, Ich steh an deiner Krippen heir, See the star, O Radiant Dawn, (audience) God rest you merry, gentleman, O little town of Bethlehem, O little town of Hackensack, Ding Dong! Merrily on high, o beatum et sacrosanctum diem, For him all stars have shone, Mary had a baby, Tomorrow shall be my dancing day, Coventry Carol, The Bees, Mary's boy child, (audience) Child in a manger, Merry Christmas Jazz, Deck the Halls, Three-minute Messiah, Lux Aurumque, Ring the Bells. The Year 5 Choir of St Andrew's Church School, Bath, Maria Foster; Peasedown St John Primary School Choir, Myra Barretto; St Julian's and Shoscombe Church Schools, Kerin Adam; Eliza Haskins recorder, Katie Bunney saxophone, Piano Marcus Sealy. St Michael's Church, Bath, Pump Room, Bath,
26 Oct 2019 Anon, Geoffrey Burgon, Rachmaninov, Cristóbal de Morales, John Sheppard, Rheinberger, Andrew Motion/James Whitbourn, Samuel Barber, J.S.Bach Orlando Gibbons, Arthur Sullivan, Robert Pearsall, Ola Gjeilo Before the ending of the day. Nunc Dimittis, Nine otpushchayeshi, Partce mihi, Domine, In Manus Tuas, Cantus Missae – Mass for double choir in E Flat op 109, Living Voices, Abendlied, Sure On This Shining Light, Sonata in E flat, The Silver Swan, The Long Day Closes, Lay a Garland, Evening Prayer. Katie Bunney saxophone, Keyboard Marcus Sealy.
6 Jul 2019 Haydn, Mozart Nelson Mass; Kyrie and Benedictus. Exsultate Jubilate; Carolyn Sampson. Requiem; Carolyn Sampson soprano, Alison Kettlewell mezzo-soprano, Nathan Vale tenor, Stephen Connolly bass. Southern Sinfonia, Simon Chalk leader. Continuo Marcus Sealy. Wells Cathedral
30 Mar 2019 J.S.Bach Motetten and Organ. Komm, Jesu, komm (BWV 299), Toccata in the Dorian mode (BWV 538), Jesu, meine Freude (BWV 538), Singet dem Herrn ein neues Lied (BWV) 225, Sonatina from Cantata 106, Sinfonia from Cantata 29, Lobet den Herrn, alle Heiden (BWV 230. Organ Marcus Sealy. Cello Continuo Rhiannon Evans. Bath Abbey
19/20/21 Dec 2018 Various Carols by Candlelight – 72nd Season St Michael's Church, Bath, Pump Room, Bath,
27 Oct 2018 David Fanshawe African Sanctus. Soprano Johanna Harrison, Keyboard Peter Adcock, BackBeat Percussion Quartet. Kingswood School Theatre
23 Jun 2018 Vivaldi, Handel Gloria, Suite from Water Music, Dixit Dominus. Soloists Kirsty Hopkins soprano, Sophie Gallagher soprano, David Hurley counter-tenor. Music for Awhile, Margaret Faultless leader. Marcus Sealy Organ Continuo. Bath Abbey
4 Jun 2018 Rachmaninov, Vivaldi Liturgy of St John Chrysostom, Gloria. Marcus Sealy Organ. As part of Devizes Arts Festival 2018. St Mary's Church, Devizes
24 Mar 2018 Rachmaninov, Christopher Wood Liturgy of St John Chrysostom, Requiem. Bath Abbey
13/14/15 Dec 2017 Various Carols by Candlelight – 71st Season Pump Room, Bath, St Michael's Church, Bath
11 Nov 2017 Paco Pena, Pärt, Pizzetti, Howard Goodall, Tavener, Daley, Whitacre Cordero de Dios, The Beatitudes, Messa di Requiem, Requiem: Kyrie: Close Now Thine Eyes, Song for Athene, In Remembrance, Cloudburst. Marcus Sealy Organ Continuo. Malmesbury Abbey
1 Jul 2017 J.S.Bach, Mozart 70th Anniversary Celebration Concert. Magnificat (Bach) in D, Great Mass in C minor, K. 427. Soloists Verity Wingate soprano, Anna Sideris soprano, Stephen Harvey counter-tenor, Kieran White tenor, Julien van Mellaerts bass. Southern Sinfonia, Richard Smith leader. Marcus Sealy Organ Continuo. Bath Abbey
25 Mar 2017 Gregorio Allegri, Gabriel Fauré, James MacMillan, Dvořák Miserere, Cantique de Jean Racine, Cantos Sagrados, Mass in D. Bath Abbey
2017 Jonathan Willcocks, is appointed choir Vice President
2017 The choir's 70th anniversary year
14/15/16 Dec 2016 Various Carols by Candlelight – 70th Season Pump Room, Bath
29 Oct 2016 Giovanni Antonio Rigatti, Rovetta, Monteverdi, Giovanni Legrenzi, Alessandro Grandi, Venetian Vespers:Deus in Adjutorium; Dixit Dominus a8; Laudate pueri a4; Laetatus sum; Adoramus te, Christe; Nisi Dominus; Christe, adoramus te; Lauda Jerusalem; Ave maris stella; Magnificat a 6/7. Conductor Peter Leech. The Chapel of Our Lady of the Snows, Prior Park College, Bath, Somerset
18 Jun 2016 J.S. Bach Mass in B minor. Baroque Performance with Music for Awhile – Leader Margaret Faultless; Mhairi Lawson soprano, Rupert Enticknap counter-tenor, Nathan Vale tenor, Matthew Brook bass. Bath Abbey
2016 David Hill (choral director), is appointed choir President
19 Mar 2016 Rachmaninov Vespers and Preludes in Harmony with Exeter Festival Chorus. All-Night Vigil (Rachmaninoff) Vespers 1919. Rachmaninov Preludes. As below with one changed soloist. Soloists Nina Alupii-Morton, Kieran White. Peter Donohoe (pianist). Conductors Nigel Perrin and Peter Adcock. Bath Abbey
5 Mar 2016 Rachmaninov Vespers and Preludes in Harmony with Exeter Festival Chorus. All-Night Vigil (Rachmaninoff) Vespers 1919. Rachmaninov Preludes opus 23: no 3 in D minor tempo di menuet, no 7 in C minor allege, no 10 in G flat major, no 8 in A flat major allegro vivace, no 13 in D flat major grave, no 4 in D major andante cantabile, no 10 in B minor lento, no 11 in B major allegretto, no 8 in A minor vive, no 6 in E flat major andante, no 1 in C major allegro. Soloists Nina Alupii-Morton, Peter Drury. Peter Donohoe (pianist). Conductors Nigel Perrin and Peter Adcock. Exeter Cathedral
16/17/18 Dec 2015 Samuel Scheidt, David Willcocks, Hafliði Hallgrímsson, J S Bach, John Rutter, Reginald Jacques, Richard Rodney Bennett, Ian Pillow; Mary George, Bernard Wight, Jonathan Willcocks, John Kirkpatrick, Harker, Herbert Sumsion, James McKelvy, James Pierpont, Robin Benton, Irving Berlin, Peter Garland, Andy Razaf, Scott Walker Carols by Candlelight – 69th Season. A child is born in Bethlehem, Samuel Scheidt arr Willcocks; Sussex carol, English trad arr Willcocks; Joseph and the Angel, Haflidi Hallgrimmson; O little one sweet, J S Bach; In dulci jubilo, Old German carol arr Rutter; Audience: O come, O come, Emanuel, arr Willcocks; Audience: Good King Wenceslas, Piae Cantiones arr Reginald Jaques; Out of your sleep, Richard Rodney Bennett; The Oxen,Thomas Hardy/Ian Pillow; This Glorious Day, Mary George/Bernard Wight; In excelsis, Jonathan Willcocks; Tomorrow shall be my dancing day, English trad arr Willcocks; Away in a manger, Kirkpatrick arr Harker; I wonder as I wander, Appalachian carol arr Rutter; Lord of the dance, Shaker song arr Willcocks; Audience: Joy to the World, arr Herbert Sumsion; Audience: Birthday Carol, words & music David Willcocks; Deck the halls, arr James McKelvy; Jingle bells!, J.Pierpont arr Robin Benton; I'm dreaming of a white Christmas, Irving Berlin arr JB; In the Christmas Mood, Garland & Razaf arr Walker/Wight; 12 days of Christmas, trad arr John Rutter. Pump Room, Bath
7 Nov 2015 James MacMillan, John Rutter, Karl Jenkins, Eric Whitacre, Vaughan Williams Lux Aeterna, Requiem, Motets, Cantate Domino, Agnus Dei, Ave verum corpus, God shall wipe away all ters, Exsultate Jubilate; When David heard that Absalom was slain; Valiant for Truth. Soprano Verity Wingate, New Bristol Sinfonia. Bath Abbey
16/17 Oct 2015 Karl Jenkins, Kinley Lange, Paco Peña, Tchaikovsky, Nikolay Kedrov, Sr., Gabriel Fauré, Tomás Luis de Victoria, Vaughan Williams, John Rutter, D L Bevenot Ave verum corpus Stabat Mater, Agnus Dei (Armed Man); Cordero de Dios (from Misa Flamenca), Esto les Digo; Blazhenni yazhe izbral, Izhe kherumvimy, Dostoyno est, Sviati Bozhe; Otche Nash; Requiem; O quam gloriosum; Valiant for Truth; Requiem; Mass in RE. Barcelona: Barcelona Cathedral, Sagrada Família, Santa Maria del Mar, Barcelona
4 Jul 2015 Tchaikovsky, Faure Nikolay Kedrov, Sr. Music for Vespers, Requiem; Lucy Sealy soprano, Iain Duffin baritone. Otche Nash. Malmesbury Abbey
14 Mar 2015 J.S. Bach St Matthew Passion. Baroque Performance with Music for Awhile – Leader Margaret Faultless; Nathan Vale Evangelist, Adrian Powter Jesus, Mhairi Lawson soprano, Rupert Enticknap alto Alexander Robin Baker bass. Bath Abbey
17/18/19 Dec 2014 Various Carols by Candlelight – 68th Season Pump Room, Bath
15 Nov 2014 Marion Wood, Henry Purcell, Jonathan Willcocks, Eric Whitacre, Howard Goodall, Leonard Bernstein, Vaughan Williams Futility, Funeral Sentences, From Darkness to Light, When David heard, Lacrymosa: Do not stand at my grave and weep, from Eternal Light : A Requiem, Chichester Psalms, O clap your hands (Vaughan Williams). Supported by Wells Cathedral School Brass Percussion Ensemble, Kate Pearson – Harp and Marcus Sealy Organ, Daniel Robson and Lydia Ward. Bath Abbey
5 Jul 2014 A Night at The Opera – Verdi, Bizet, Puccini, Tchaikovsky, Rossini, Mozart, Weber, Strauss,[clarification needed] Andrew Lloyd Webber, Verdi Anvil Chorus (Il Trovatore 1853); Gerusalem (I Lombardi 1843); Brindisi (La Traviata1853); Toreador (Carmen 1874); O mio babbino caro Gianni Schicchi 1918 – Verity Wingate; Au fond du temple saint, Les Pecheurs de Perles 1863 – Kieran White & Robert Clark; Chorus of peasant girls (Eugene Onegin 1878); Waltz scene (Eugene Onegin 1878); Villagers' Chorus (Guillaume Tell 1829); La ci darem la mano – (Don Giovanni 1787) (Verity Wingate & Robert Clark); Arie des Ferrando (Cosi fan tutte 1790) – Kieran White; Huntsman's chorus (Der Freischütz 1821); Victoria, Victoria! (Der Freischütz 1821); Lieben, Hassen, Hoffen, Zagen (Ariadne auf Naxos 1916) – Robert Clark; Medley from The Phantom of the Opera 1986; Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves (Nabucco 1841). Roper Theatre, Hayesfield Girls' School, Bath
22 Mar 2014 Handel Messiah (Handel). Baroque Performance with Music for Awhile – Leader Margaret Faultless. Nathan Vale Evangelist. Bath Abbey
18/20 Dec 2013 Various Carols by Candlelight – 67th Season Pump Room, Bath
16 Nov 2013 J.S. Bach, Bruckner, Britten Jesu, meine Freude; Mass in E minor; Messa Brevis. Southern Sinfonia Wind Ensemble. Bath Abbey
27 Oct 2013 Bruckner, Knut Nystedt, Mozart, George Dyson Mass. Entrée de l'Office – Locus iste. Offertoire – Laudate Dominum. Communion – Ave verum corpus. Sortie de la Messe Confortare. Aix Cathedral Cathédrale Saint-Sauveur, Aix en Provence
26 Oct 2013 George Dyson, William H Harris, Samuel Sebastian Wesley, Healey Willan, J. S. Bach, Gabriel Faure, Wolfgang Mozart, J. S. Bach, Benjamin Britten, John Ireland, Ralph Vaughan Williams, Anton Bruckner Four Anthems sung at the Coronation of Elizabeth II – 1953: Confortare – Be strong and of a good courage, Let my prayer come up into thy presence, Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, O Lord, our Governour. Jesu, meine Freude: Jesu, meine Freude, Es ist nun nichts, Unter deinem Schirmen, Trotz dem alten Drachen, Ihr aber seid nicht fleischlich, Weicht, ihr trauergeister. Entente Cordiale – Sung with Aix Chorale Darius Milhaud Choir Conductor – Patrick Rinaldi: Cantique de Jean Racine, Ave verum corpus, Jesus bleibet meine Freude. Organ Interlude Marcus Sealy Cavatina Toccata in D minor. John Ireland, Gaston Bélier. Choral Dances from Gloriana (less nos 4 and 5). A Garland for the Queen: The Hills, Silence and Music. Mass in E minor: Gloria. Aix Cathedral Cathédrale Saint-Sauveur, Aix en Provence
22 Jun 2013 A Garland for The Queen – Various The Triumphs of Oriana 1601: John Bennett: All creatures now are merry-minded; Robert Jones: Fair Orianna seeking to wink at folly; Thomas Weelkes: As Vesta was from Latmos hill descending; Thomas Morley: Hard by a crystal fountain. Music from the Coronation of Elizabeth II, 2 June 1953: Herbert Howells: Behold O God Our Defender; William Harris: Let my prayer come up into Thy presence; SS Wesley: Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace; George Dyson: Confortare: Be strong and of good courage; Healy Willan: O Lord Our Governor in Benjamin Britten's centenary year: Choral Dances from Gloriana Op 53; The Ballad of Little Musgrave and Lady Barnard; Old Joe has gone fishing from Peter Grimes Op 33; Selections from Friday Afternoon Op 7 A Garland for the Queen 1953: Bliss: Aubade for a Coronation Morning; Bax: What is it like to be young and fair?; Vaughan Williams: Silence and Music; Ireland: The Hills; Tippett: Dance, Clarion Air. Roper Theatre, Hayesfield Girls' School, Bath
23 Mar 2013 James MacMillan St John Passion – Christus Mark Stone (baritone): City of Bath Bach Choir, Exeter Festival Chorus, Wellensian Consort, Southern Sinfonia, Leader Alexander Hohenthal. Exeter Cathedral
16 Mar 2013 James MacMillan St John Passion – Christus Mark Stone (baritone): City of Bath Bach Choir, Exeter Festival Chorus, Wellensian Consort, Southern Sinfonia, Leader Alexander Hohenthal. In the presence of the composer James MacMillan. Wells Cathedral
19/21 Dec 2012 Various Carols by Candlelight – 66th Season. Soloists: Molly Sharples Harp; Joseph Pritchard Cello; Verity Wingate Soprano. Pump Room, Bath
3 Nov 2012 J.S. Bach, Aaron Copland, Britten Komm, Jesu, komm; In the Beginning; St Nicolas. Bath Abbey
23 Jul 2012 Chilcott, Elgar, Eric Whitacre, Dove Aesop's Fables; From the Bavarian Highlands, Three Flower Songs; The Passing of the Year. Wiltshire Music Centre
17 Mar 2012 J. S. Bach Mass in B minor. Baroque Performance with Music for Awhile – Leader Margaret Faultless. Soprano Lucy Hall, Alto William Purefoy, Tenor James Geer, Bass Stephen Varcoe. Bath Abbey
14/16 Dec 2011 Various Carols by Candlelight – 65th Season Pump Room, Bath
5 Nov 2011 Howard Goodall, Whitacre, Mikołaj Górecki, Part, Tavener, Peters Eternal Light: A Requiem; Lux Aurumque; Totus Tuus; Beatitudes; Svyati; Toccata, Fugue et Hymne sur 'Ave Maris Stella'. Bath Abbey
23 Oct 2011 Knut Nystedt, Bruckner, Rossini Laudate Domninum; Locus iste, Quando Corpus. The Venerable English College, Rome
22 Oct 2011 Nystedt, Górecki, Ellington, Mozart, Bruckner, Rossini, Eric Whitacre, Monteverdi, Tippett, Laudate Domninum; Totus Tuus Op 60; Come Sunday (arr John Høybye); Ave Verum Corpus; Locus iste; Quando Corpus, Lux Aurumque, Cantate Donini, Five Negro Spirituals (from Child of our Time). La Chiesa di Sant'Agnese in Agone, Rome
16 Jul 2011 Tippett, Dahl, Ellington Five Negro Spirituals (from Child of our Time); Songs by Roald Dahl (performed by The CBBC Junior Choir with Jamie Knights, Piano, Adrienne Hale Conducting); Pacific Song (with Marcus Sealy, Piano); Sacred Concert (Andy Williamson – saxes, Pete Judge – trumpet, Robin Holloway – piano, Al Swainger – double bass, Andy Hague – drums). Wiltshire Music Centre
19 Mar 2011 Mendelssohn Elijah: Roderick Williams Elijah, Mary Plazas soprano, Wendy Dawn Thompson Mezzo-soprano, Justin Lavender Tenor, Sophie Edwards Youth, Marcus Sealy Organ, The Wessex Sinfonia – Leader Adrian Eales, Nigel Perrin Musical Director. Bath Abbey
15/17 Dec 2010 Various Carols by Candlelight – 64th Season Pump Room, Bath
6 Nov 2010 Monteverdi, Chilcott Hymns and Psalms; Salisbury Vespers. Performed with Bath Camerata. Bath Abbey
3 Jul 2010 Brahms, Horovitz Ein deutsches Requiem Op. 45; Captain Noah and His Floating Zoo (performed by The CBBC Junior Choir with support from the Senior Choir). Malmesbury Abbey
19 Jun 2010 Brahms, Horovitz Ein deutsches Requiem Op. 45; Captain Noah and His Floating Zoo (performed by The CBBC Junior Choir with support from the Senior Choir).[31] Wiltshire Music Centre
27 Mar 2010 Monteverdi; Rossini; J. S. Bach Beatus Vir; Stabat Mater; Cantata BWV 182 Himmelskönig, sei willkommen. Bath Abbey
Nigel Perrin's 20th Anniversary Concert[32]
16/18 Dec 2009 Various Carols by Candlelight – 63rd Season Pump Room, Bath
7 Nov 2009 J. S. Bach, Britten, Bruckner Lobet den Herrn; Jesu meine Freude; Rejoice in the Lamb; Tota pulchra es; Ecce sacrados; Afferentur regi; Inveni David. Bath Abbey
24 Oct 2009 J. S. Bach, Britten, Bruckner Lobet den Herrn; Rejoice in the Lamb; Locus iste; Ave Maria; Tota Pulchra Est. Thomaskirche, Leipzig
4 Jul 2009 Will Todd Mass in Blue. Wiltshire Music Centre
28 Mar 2009 Handel; Karl Jenkins Messiah (Handel) Part II; Stabat Mater. Bath Abbey
17/19 Dec 2008 Various Carols by Candlelight – 62nd Season Pump Room, Bath
1 Nov 2008 Pehkonen, Hughes, Vivaldi Russian Requiem. A Song for St. Cecilia. Gloria (RV589). Bath Abbey
12 July 2008 Vaughan Williams An Evening with Ralph Vaughan Williams and Friends. Works by Wood, Parry, Stanford, Holst, Bruch, Ravel, Finzi and Vaughan Williams to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of Vaughan Williams's death. Wiltshire Music Centre
15 Mar 2008 Duruflé Requiem and works by Fauré, Messiaen, Poulenc Vierne and Hakim. Bath Abbey
21 Jan 2008 Karl Jenkins Requiem – New York City Premier. Carnegie Hall, New York City United States
19/20/21 Dec 2007 Various Carols by Candlelight – 61st Season Pump Room, Bath
3 Nov 2007 J. S. Bach, Rossini As a part of Nigel Perrin's Gala Concert. Lobet den Herrn. Peiite Messe Solonelle. The Forum, Bath
14 Jul 2007 Hughes, Rutter, Purcell Song for St. Cecilia (Commission – First Performance). Birthday Madrigals. Birthday Ode for Queen Mary Come Ye Sons of Art. Wiltshire Music Centre
2007 60th Anniversary Concert
31 Mar 2007 Mozart, Beethoven 'Great' Mass in C Minor K427. Christus am Ölberge Op 85. The Forum, Bath
13/14/15 Dec 2006 Various Carols by Candlelight – 60th Season Pump Room, Bath
28 Oct 2006 Karl Jenkins, Haydn Requiem. Nelson Mass Bath Abbey
8 Jul 2006 Vaughan Williams, George Shearing and others Sonnets & Songs with a Shakespearean flavour. Wiltshire Music Centre
1 Apr 2006 J. S. Bach St Matthew Passion (Neil Jenkins edition). The Forum, Bath
Dec 2005 Various Carols by Candlelight – 59th Season Pump Room, Bath
Nov 2005 Karl Jenkins, Rutter An Armed Man – A Mass for Peace. Requiem. The Forum, Bath
Jul 2005 Various The Grand Tour a musical travelogue. Wiltshire Music Centre
19 Mar 2005 J. S. Bach Semi-staged St John Passion (Neil Jenkins Edition). The Forum, Bath
14/15/16/17 Dec 2004 Various Carols by Candlelight – 58th Season Pump Room, Bath
14 & 30 Oct 2004 Britten A War Requiem (with Braunschweiger Domchor, Bath Choral Society and the boys of Bristol Cathedral choir). Brunswick Cathedral & Colston Hall, Bristol
3 Jul 2004 Ramírez, Jean Berger, Chilcott Songs from the Southern Hemisphere. Missa Criolla. Psalmo Brasileiro. The Making of the Drum. Tippett Centre
7 Mar 2004 J. S. Bach Mass in B minor Bath Abbey
16/17/18/19 Dec 2003 Various Carols by Candlelight – 57th Season Pump Room, Bath
1 Nov 2003 Handel, Handel, Vivaldi Ode to St. Cecilia. Silente Venti. Gloria (RV 589) Casella ed. The Forum, Bath
12 Jul 2003 Sullivan West End! A programme including excerpts from Les Misérables and a performance of Trial by Jury. Wiltshire Music Centre
22 Mar 2003 Lloyd, Rossini Requiem Aeternam (second performance in the presence of the composer). Petite messe solennelle. Bath Abbey
Dec 2002 Various Carols by Candlelight – 56th Season Pump Room, Bath
30 Nov 2002 Haydn, Britten, Tavener Missa Sancti Nicolai, Saint Nicholas, God is with us. Wells Cathedral
6 Jul 2002 Orff Carmina Burana and other works. Assembly Rooms
6 Apr 2002 Elgar The Dream of Gerontius. Second performance on 10 Apr 02 in collaboration with the Exeter Festival Chorus. Forum & Exeter Cathedral
Dec 2001 Various Carols by Candlelight – 55th Season Pump Room Pump Room, Bath
10 Nov 2001 Haydn Paukenmesse. Bath Abbey
7 Jul 2001 Various In the Mood – music on the lighter side. Including Stanford: Songs of the Fleet and Flanders and Horrowitz: Captain Noah and his Floating Zoo. Michael Tippett Centre, Bath Spa University
7 Apr 2001 J.S.Bach St. Matthew Passion (Neil Jenkins Edition). Bath Abbey
Dec 2000 Various Carols by Candlelight – 54th Season Pump Room, Bath
11 Nov 2000 Brahms As a part of the Bath Mozartfest. Ein Deutsches Requiem Op. 45. The Forum, Bath c. Martyn Brabbins
26 Oct 2000 Various, Brahms Wie lieblich sind deine Wohnungen and other pieces. St. Salvator's Cathedral, Bruges
15 Jul 2000 Various A Night at the Opera (with the Béla Vikár Choir from Kaposvár, Hungary). Assembly Rooms
8 Apr 2000 Walton, Puccini Belshazzar's Feast. Messa di Gloria. (with Bath Choral Society). The Forum, Bath
15/16/17 Dec 1999 Various Carols by Candlelight – 53rd Season Pump Room, Bath
6 Nov 1999 Mozart As a part of the Bath Mozartfest. Requiem (Duncan Druce Edition). Bath Abbey
07/09 Oct 1999 Mozart, Handel Mass in C K317. Coronation Anthems Reformed Templom, Kaposvár, and Pasarét Templom, Budapest
3 Jul 1999 Rutter, Elgar, Kodály Gloria. Give Unto the Lord. Missa Brevis. Clifton Cathedral, Bristol
27 Mar 1999 Walton, Elgar, Poulenc Crown Imperial. The Music Makers. Gloria. The Forum, Bath
16/17/18 Dec 1998 Various Carols by Candlelight – 52nd Season Pump Room, Bath
15 Nov 1998 Mozart As a part of the Bath Mozartfest. Dominican Vespers Soprano Rosa Mannion, Mezzo-Soprano Louise Winter, Tenor Paul Agnew, Baritone Stephen Varcoe. The Forum, Bath
4 Jul 1998 Burrell, Dvořák, Britten, Bernstein Benedicam Dominum, Mass in D, Rejoice in the Lamb. Chichester Psalms. Bath Abbey
4 Apr 1998 Verdi Requiem Soprano Gail Pearson, Contralto Jame Irwin, Tenor Wynne Evans, Bass Brian Bannatyne-Scott. The Forum, Bath
Dec 1997 Various Carols by Candlelight – 51st Season Pump Room, Bath
8 Nov 1997 Mozart As a part of the Bath Mozartfest. Misericordias Dominum. Solemn Vespers Soprano Susan Gritton, Alto Susan Bickley, Tenor Toby Spence, Baritone Roderick Williams. The Forum, Bath
26 Oct 1997 Misc, Arvo Pärt As a part of Paris/Chartres Choir Tour. Sienna. The celebration of Mass. Organ Peter King. Notre Dame
24 Oct 1997 Mozart, Leoš Janáček As a part of Paris/Chartres Choir Tour. Misericordias Dominum. Janacke's Mass. Accompanist Peter King. Chartres Cathedral
5 Jul 1997 Handel, Hubert Parry Acis and Galatea Songs of Farewell Soprano Leslie Jane Rogers, Tenor Alastair Thompson, Bass Quentin Hayes. Bath Assembly Rooms
26 Apr 1997 J. S. Bach Mass in B minor Bath Abbey c. Sir David Willcocks
24 Apr 1997 Monteverdi Vespers of 1610 Bath Abbey
1997 The choir's 50th anniversary year
18/19/20 Dec 1996 Various Carols by Candlelight – 50th Season Pump Room, Bath
9 Nov 1996 Mozart As a part of the Bath Mozartfest. Coronation Mass Soprano Patricia Rozario, Mezzo-soprano Jean Rigby, Tenor Martin Hill, Bass Bryan Bannatyne-Scott. The Forum, Bath
6 Jul 1996 Fanshawe African Sanctus Soprano Luise Horrocks The Forum, Bath
30 Mar 1996 Rossini, Mozart Overture to "The Barber of Seville", Stabat Mater. Coronation Mass K 317. Soprano Lesley-Jane Rogers; Contralto Vanessa Williamson; Tenor Paul Badley; Bass Stephen Foulkes. Wessex Sinfonia Leader Adrian Eales. The Forum, Bath
Dec 1995 Various Carols by Candlelight – 49th Season Pump Room, Bath
11 Nov 1995 Mozart As a part of the Bath Mozartfest. Requiem, Ave Verum Corpus Soprano Moira Harris, Baritone Charles Stewart. The Forum, Bath
Jul 1995 Berlioz Grande Messe des Morts (with other NFMS Societies) Imperial College, London
25 Mar 1995 Mendelssohn Elijah Elijah Stephen Varcoe Soprano Lesley-Jane Rogers, Contralto Andrew Murgatroyd, Treble Nathaniel Comer. The Forum, Bath
Dec 1994 Various Carols by Candlelight – 48th Season Pump Room, Bath
12 Nov 1994 Fauré, Pärt Requiem. Stabat Mater (Collection of £750 taken for the Estonian Ferry Disaster). Bath Abbey
9 Jul 1994 Various A night at the Opera Mezzo-soprano Penelope Davies, Baritone Stephen Foulkes, Piano Marcus Sealy. Bath Assembly Rooms
26 Mar 1994 J. S. Bach St John Passion Evangelist Philip Salmon, Christus Charles Stewart, Soprano Helen Kucharek, Counter-tenor Slava Kagan-Paley, Bass/Pilate James Ottaway. Bath Abbey
15/16/17 Dec 1993 Various Carols by Candlelight – 47th Season Pump Room, Bath
13 Nov 1993 J. S. Bach, Britten Wachet Auf. St. Nicholas Soprano Ishbel Warnock, Tenor Neil Jenkins, Bass Michael Leigh. Bath Abbey
3 Jul 1993 Gershwin, Unknown, Tippett Porgy and Bess. Missa Luba. Negro Spirituals Soprano Penelope Davies, Bass Stephen Foulkes. Bath Assembly Rooms
17 Apr 1993 Haydn Creation Bath Abbey
16/17/18 Dec 1992 Various Carols by Canbdlelight – 46th Season Pump Room, Bath
14 Nov 1992 Rossini Petite messe solennelle Soprano Elizabeth Lane, Alto Venessa Williamson, Tenor Hugh Hetherington, Bass Quentin Hayes. Bath Abbey
11 Jul 1992 Carl Orff, Lambert Carmina Burana, Rio Grande Soprano Penny Davis, Tenor Stuart Dunn, Bass Stephen Foulkes. Bath Assembly Rooms
11 Apr 1992 J. S. Bach, Antonín Tučapský Magnificat. Stabat Mater (in presence of composer) Soprano Julie Wood, Alto Catherine Denley, Tenor Richard Frewer, Bas Brain Rayner Cook. Bath Abbey
18/19.20 Dec 1991 Various Carols by Candlelight – 45th Season Pump Room, Bath
9 Nov 1991 Pergolesi, Vivaldi, Mozart Magnificat. Gloria RV 589. Slemn Vespers Soprano Tracey Chadwell, Jennifer Perry, Counter tenor James Huw Jeffries, Tenor Stuart Dunn, Bass Stephen Foulkes. Bath Abbey
28 Aug 1991 Schubert, Schumann, Hassler, Fauré, Purcell, Purcell Der Tanz. Somerleid. Tanzen und Springen. Cantique de Jean Racine. Come Ye Sons of Art. Birthday Ode for Queen Mary 1694. Braunschweiger Dom with the Apollo Ensemble
27 Aug 1991 Handel, Handel, Ireland, Handel The Arrival of the Queen of Sheba. Zadok the Priest. Concerto Pastorale for Strings. The King Shall rejoice. Braunschweiger Dom with the Apollo Ensemble
6 Jul 1991 Vaughan Williams, Purcell Oxford Elegy. Come Ye Sons of Art. Bath Assembly Rooms
13 Apr 1991 J. S. Bach, Mendelssohn Komm Jesus, Komm. Hymn of Praise. Bath Abbey
19/20/21 Dec 1990 Various Carols by Candlelight – 44th Season Pump Room c Nigel Perrin and Elizabeth Bates
10 Nov 1990 Handel Coronation Anthems. Organ Concertos. Bath Abbey
7 Jul 1990 Vaughan Williams, Fauré, Horovitz Shakespeare Songs. Cantique de Jean Racine. Captain Noah. Michael Tippett Centre
21 Apr 1990 Monteverdi Vespers of 1610 Sopranos Gillian Fisher, Elizabeth Lane, Tenors Andrew King, John Potter, Stuart Dunn, Bass Martin Elliot, Stephen Foulkes. Bath Abbey
March 1990 Nigel Perrin Appointed as Director of Music
20/21/22 Dec 1989 Various Carols by Candlelight – 43rd Season Pump Room c. Elizabeth Bates
4 Nov 1989 Haydn Mass in D minor, Hob.XXII:11 (Nelsonmesse) and Te Deum in C major, Hob.XXIIIc:1 The Philharmonia Orchestra of Bristol, Leader Anthony Pooley. Bath Abbey
8 Jul 1989 Stanford Songs of the Fleet, The Revenge. Baritone Jeremy Watkins, Tenor Jeremy Key-Pugh. Accompanist Michelle Spencer. Michael Tippett Centrec. c. Marcus Sealy
29 Apr 1989 Handel Israel in Egypt. Sopranos Lorraine Rogers, Mona Julsrud, Counter-tenor Andrew Watts, Tenor Paul Agnew, Bass Ashley Thorburn, Edward Caswell. Tilford Festival Orchestra, Leader Peter Stevens. Bath Abbey
14/15/16 Dec 1988 Various Carols by Candlelight – 42nd Season Pump Room, Bath c. Elizabeth Bates
12 Nov 1988 Vaughan Williams, Herbert Howells Sea Symphony, Piano Concerto. Soprano Gillian Fisher, Bass Brian Rayner Cook. Tilford Festival Orchestra, Leader Peter Stevens. Bath Abbey
9 Jul 1988 Elgar, Coleridge-Taylor Bavarian Highlands. Hiawatha's Wedding Feast. Victorian Songs. Michael Tippett Centre, Bath Spa University c. Marcus Sealy.
23 Apr 1988 Elgar, Vaughan Williams, Hubert Parry Introduction and Allegro. Donna nobis pacem. Invocation to Music. Soprano Lorna Anderson, Tenor Charles Daniels, Bass Brian Rayner Cook. Tilford Festival Orchestra, Leader Peter Stevens. Bath Abbey
Dec 1987 Various Carols by Candlelight – 41st Season Pump Room, Bath c. Elizabeth Bates
14 Nov 1987 J. S. Bach Christmas Oratorio. Soprano Elizabeth Lane, Contralto Cherith Milburn-Fryer, Tenor Rogers Covey-Crump, Bass Martin Johnson. Tilford Festival Orchestra. Bath Abbey
27 Jun 1987 Duruflé, Poulenc Requiem. Litanies a la Vierge Noire. Soprano Andrea Gray, Baritone Howard Croft. Organ Marcus Sealy. Bath Abbey (Organ only)
28 Mar 1987 J. S. Bach Mass in A Major. Mass in G Minor. Double Violin Concerto. Soprano Caroline Ashton, Contralto Cherith Milburn-Fryer, Tenor Paul Sutton, Bass Martin Johnson. Tilford Festival Orchestra. Bath Abbey
17/18/20 Dec 1986 Various Carols by Candlelight – 40th Season Pump Room, Bath c. Joyce Honor
15 Nov 1986 Beethoven, Herbert Howells Symphony No 3 in E Flat Op 55 (Eroica). Stabat Mater. Tenor Adrian Thompson. Tilford Festival Orchestra. Bath Abbey
28 Jun 1986 J. S. Bach, Kodály, Mozart Prelude & Fugue in C BWV547. Missa Brevis. Solemn Vespers. Soprano Elizabeth Chard, Alto Angus Davidson, Tenor Paul Sutton, Bass Martin Johnson. Organ Marcus Sealy. Bath Abbey
19 Apr 1986 Mozart, Darlow Missa Brevis in C (K258), Requiem (World Premier). Soprano Gillian Fisher, Helen Kucharek, Contralto Cherith Milburn-Fryer, Tenor Ian Partridge, Bass Noel Mann. Tilford Festival Orchestra. Bath Abbey
18/19/20 Dec 1985 Various Carols by Candlelight – 39th Season Pump Room, Bath
9 Nov 1985 Handel Alexander's Feast. Tenor Adrian Thompson Bass Noel Mann. Tilford Festival Orchestra. Bath Abbey
27 Jul 1985 Handel, Elgar The Ways of Zion do Mourn, Coronation Ode. Soprano Susan Gorton, Alto Denis Lakey, Tenor John Cogram, Bass Martin Johnson. Organ Marcus Sealy. Bath Abbey
16 Mar 1985 J. S. Bach St. Matthew Passion. Evangelist Rogers Covey-Crump, Christus Simon Birchall, Soprano Gillian Fisher, Alto Katherine Denley, Tenor Andrew King, Bass Stephen Varcoe. Tilford Festival Orchestra. Bath Abbey
19/20/21 Dec 1984 Various Carols by Candlelight – 38th Season Pump Room, Bath
10 Nov 1984 Elgar The Dream of Gerontius. Mezzo-Soprano Margaret Cable, Tenor Adrian Thompson, Bass Noel Mann. Tilford Festival Orchestra, Leader Peter Stevens. Bath Abbey
31 Jul 1984 Fauré, Honegger Requiem. King David (Narrator: Richard Stilgoe). Soprano Elizabeth Chard, Contralto Annabel Hunt, Tenor Charles Daniels, Baritone Martin Johnson. Tilford Festival Orchestra, Leader Peter Stevens. Bath Abbey
31 Mar 1984 Brahms, Mozart A German Requiem. Symphony No 34 in C Minor. Soprano Helen Kucharek, Bass Brian Kay. Tilford Festival Orchestra, Leader Peter Stevens. Bath Abbey
21/22/23 Dec 1983 Various Carols by Candlelight – 37th Season Pump Room, Bath
12 Nov 1983 J. S. Bach Christmas Oratorio. Evangelist William Kendall, Soprano Gillian Fisher, Contralto Catherine Denley, Tenor Andrew King, Bass Brian Kay. Tilford Festival Orchestra, Leader Peter Stevens. Bath Abbey
23 Jul 1983 Elgar, Britten, Schubert, Kelly Psalm 48 Great is the Lord, Psalm 29 Give unto the Lord, Missa Brevis. Salve Regina. Exultate. Surrexit Hodie. Baritone Martin Johnson. Organ Marcus Sealy. Bath Abbey(Organ Only)
30 Apr 1983 Mozart, Haydn, S. S. Wesley, Bairstow, Dupré, Britten Te Deum KV 141. Motet: In Sanae et Vanae Curiae. Psalm 96:115 Ascribe unto the Lord. Blessed City, Heavenly Salem. Cortège et Litanie. Hymn to St. Cecilia. St. Mary's Bathwick c. Marcus Sealy
12 Mar 1983 Mozart, Schubert Requiem KV 626, Mass in E Flat Minor D950. Soprano Gillian Fisher, Contralto Cherith Milburn-Fryer, Tenors Adrian Thompson, John Kinglsey-Smith, Bass Simon Birchall. Tilford Bach Festival Orchestra, Leader Peter Stevens. Bath Abbey
21/22/23 Dec 1982 Various Carols by Candlelight – 36th Season Pump Room, Bath
23 Oct 1982 J. S. Bach, Stephen Dodgson Magnificat. Suite No 4 in D. Te Deum (World Premier). Soprano Gillian Fisher, Contralto Simon Gay, Tenor Ian Partridge, Baritone Stephen Varcoe.Tilford Bach Festival Orchestra. Bath Abbey
19 Oct 1982 J. S. Bach Cantata No 215 Preise dein Glucke. Suite No 3 in D. Cantata No 206 Schleicht, spielende Wellen. Soprano Gillian Fisher, Contralto Doreen Walker, Tenor Ian Partridge, Bass Bryan Rayner-Cook.Tilford Bach Festival Orchestra. Bath Abbey
16 Oct 1982 J. S. Bach St Matthew Passion. Evangelist Rogers Covey-Crump, Christus Stephen Varcoe, Soprano Gillian Fisher, Contralto Elizabeth Stokes, Tenor Adrian Thompson, Bass Stephen Roberts. Tilford Bach Festival Orchestra. Bath Abbey
16–23 October 1982 As a part of the 8th Bath Bach Festival (Stephen Dodgson was composer in residence)
20 Mar 1982 Beethoven Missa Solemnis in D. Soprano Susan Bingemann, Contralto Elizabeth Stokes, Tenor Rogers Covey-Crump, Bass David Thomas. Bristol Sinfonia Orchestra, Leader Colin Sauer. Bath Abbey
January 1982 Marcus Sealy joins the choir in succession to Richard Bates as accompanist, deputy director and continuo player
15/16/17 Dec 1981 Various Carols by Candlelight – 35th Season Pump Room, Bath
24 Oct 1981 Berlioz, Saint-Saëns Music for Praise and Reflection, Te Deum, Requiem. Soprano Gillian Fisher, Contralto Cherith Milburn-Fryer, Tenor Adrian Thompson, Bass Simon Birchall. Bristol Sinfonia, Leader Colin Sauer. Bath Abbey
28 Mar 1981 Elgar The Dream of Gerontius. Mezzo-Soprano Jean Temperley, Tenor Adrian Thompson, Bass Stephen Roberts. Bristol Sinfonia, Leader Colin Sauer. Bath Abbey
31 Jan 1981 Bruckner, Mozart Mass in E Minor, 2 Orchestral Pieces. Bristol Sinfonia. Bath Abbey
15/16/17 Dec 1980 Various Carols by Candlelight – 34th Season Banqueting Room, Guildhall, Bath
12 Jul 1980 J. S. Bach Mass in B minor Under Denys Darlow as the choir's director of music. Soprano Wendy Eathorne, Contralto Elizabeth Stokes, Tenor Rogers Covey-Crump, Bass Michael Rippon. Oxford Pro Musical Orchestra. Harpsichord Gerald Gifford. Organ Richard Coulson. Bath Abbey c. Sir David Willcocks
18 Jun 1980 Tallis, William Byrd, Brahms, Sir William Henry Harris Lamentations. Laudibus in Sanctis. Thy servant is downcast. Bring us, O Lord God. Chapel of Our Lady of the Snows, Prior Park College c. R Bates and E Bates
17 May 1980 Fauré, Mozart, Haydn Requiem, Symphony no 32 in G Major K 318, Harmonie-Messe. Soprano Fiona Dobie, Contralto Margaret Cable, Tenor Richard Jackson, Bass Michael Goldthorpe. c Denys Darlow. Bath Abbey
19 Apr 1980 The choir's founder, Cuthbert Bates, died unexpectedly. His son and daughter, Richard and Elizabeth Bates, organised a memorial concert for him on 18 June, and the choir dedicated the concert on 12 July 1980 (which was to have been Cuthbert's last concert as conductor) to his memory. The conductor was the choir's president, Sir David Willcocks. Denys Darlow succeeded as musical director.
20 Mar 1980 Beethoven Missa Solemnis Mass in D Bath Abbey c Denys Darlow
18/19/20 Dec 1979 Various Carols by Candlelight – 33rd Season Pump Room, Bath
20 Oct 1979 Bononcini, Handel, Handel, Vivaldi Stabat Mater. Let God Arise! Dixit Dominus. Gloria RV 589. Soprano Fiona Dobie, Contralto Cherith Millburn-Fryer, Tenor Adrian Thompson, Bass Anthony Smith. Bath Abbey
30 Jun 1979 Verdi. Requiem. Soprano Wendy Eathorne, Contralto Anne Collins, Tenor Kenneth Bowen, Bass Michael Rippon. Bath Abbey
29 Apr 1979 Palestrina, Byrd, Bousignac, Duruflé, Vaughan Williams Assumpta est Maria. Christe quit Lux es et Dies. Jubilate Deo. Ubi Caritas. Mass in G minor.Soprano Janice Baldwin, Contralto Barbara Wright, Tenor Stephen Richards, Baritone Roy Cook. Chapel of Our Lady of the Snows, Prior Park College.
19/20/21 Dec 1978 Various Carols by Candlelight – 32nd Season Pump Room, Bath
14 Oct 1978 Haydn, Brahms Paukenmesse. A German Requiem. Soprano Margaret Field, Contralto Patricia Price, Tenor Richard Morton, Bass Ian Caddy. Organ Dudley Holroyd. Bath Abbey
24 Jun 1978 J. S. Bach, W. F. Bach, J. S. Bach, J. C. Bach, C. P. E. Bach Bach Family Concert. Gott der Herr ist Sonn und Schild, BWV 79. Overture in D Minor. Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott, BWV 80. Symphony in G Minor. Magnificat. Soprano Kathleen Livingstone, Contralto Cherish Millburn-Fryer, Tenor Neil Mackie, Bass Graham Titus. Bath Abbey
17 Jun 1978 J. S. Bach, W. F. Bach, J. S. Bach, J. C. Bach, C. P. E. Bach Bach Family Concert. Gott der Herr ist Sonn und Schild, BWV 79. Overture in D Minor. Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott, BWV 80. Symphony in G Minor. Magnificat. Dorchester Abbey
20/21/22 Dec 1977 Various Carols by Candlelight 31st Season Pump Room, Bath
22 Oct 1977 J. S. Bach Mass in B minor Soprano Angela Beale, Contralto Sybil Michelow, Tenor John Elwes, Bass Stephen Roberts. Bath Abbey
20 Oct 1977 J. S. Bach St. John Passion Evangelist Brian Burrows, Christus Nigel Wickens, Soprano Helen Greener, Contralto Shirley Minty, Tenor John Elwes, Bass Brian Rayner Cook. Bath Abbey
18 Oct 1977 J. S. Bach Jesu, nun sei gepreiset, BWV 41. Mass in F major. 'Dies sind die heiligen zehn Gebot' Soprano Linda Esther Gray, Contralto Margaret Cable, Tenor Ronald Murdock, Bass Malcolm Singer. Bath Abbey
15 Oct 1977 J. S. Bach St. Matthew Passion Evangelist Philip Langridge, Christus Bryan Rayner Cook, Soprano Felicity Lott, Contralto Barbara Robotham, Tenor Neil Jenkins, Bass Michael Rippon. Bath Abbey
15–22 October 1977 As a part of the 7th Bath Bach Festival
19 Mar 1977 Vaughan Williams, Charpentier, Handel, Purcell Fantasia on a theme by Thomas Tallis. Mass for double choir. Organ concerto in F major Op 4 No 4. Coronation Anthem 'My heart is indicting'. Bath Abbey
The Queen's Silver Jubilee Concert
30 January 1977 Allan Bennett, honorary accompanist and deputy conductor of the choir died. He was succeeded in post by Richard Bates.
21/22/23 Dec 1976 Various Carols by Candlelight – 30th Season Pump Room, Bath
9 Oct 1976 Mozart, Bruckner Symphony No 40 in G minor K550. Mass in F Minor Sopran Sally le Sage, Contralto Oriel Sutherland, Tenor Peter Bamber, Bass Stephen Roberts. Bath Abbey
3 Jul 1976 J. S. Bach Mass in B minor Sopran Hannah Francis, Contralto Cherish Millburn-Fryer, Tenor Neil Mackie, Bass Christopher Keyte. Oxford Town Hall
20 Mar 1976 Schütz, Handel, Duruflé Psalm 150 'Lobet den Herren'. Chandos Anthem No 6. Requiem Contralto Oriel Sutherland, Tenor Richard Frewer, Bass Antony Ransome. Bath Abbey
The choir gave 3 Concerts in 1976 to celebrate its 30th Anniversary
17/18/19 Dec 1975 Various Carols by Candlelight −29th Season Pump Room, Bath
5 Nov 1975 Handel Messiah (Handel) Bath Assembly Rooms c Allan Bennett
19 Jul 1975 R. Vaughan Williams Benedicte. Serenade to Music. A Sea Symphony Soprano Wendy Eathorne, Bass Michael Rippon. Bath Abbey
27 Mar 1975 Sir Arthur Bliss died and was superseded as choir president by Sir David Willcocks
18/19/20 Dec 1974 Various Carols by Candlelight – 28th Season Pump Room, Bath
26 Oct 1974 J. S. Bach Mass in B minor Soprano Elizabeth Simon, Contralto Patricia Payne, Tenor Winford Evans, Bass Richard Angas. Bath Abbey
24 Oct 1974 J. S. Bach St. John Passion Evangelist Rogers Covey Crump, Christus Michael George, Soprano Susan Campbell, Contralto Doreen Walker, Tenor John Kingsley Smith, Bass Stephen Roberts. Bath Abbey
22 Oct 1974 J. S. Bach Cantata No 106. Brandenburg Concerto No 6. Cantata No 6. Magnificat in D Soprano Angela Beale, Susan Campbell, Contralto Doreen Walker, Tenor John Kingsley Smith, Bass Stephen Roberts. Bath Abbey
19 Oct 1974 J. S. Bach St Matthew Passion Evangelist David Johnston, Christus Brian Ryner Cook, Soprano Angela Beale, Contralto Norma Proctor, Tenor Neil Jenkins, Bass Christopher Keyte. Bath Abbey
19–26 October 1974 As a part of the 6th Bath Bach Festival
18 May 1974 W. A. Mozart Symphony No 41 in C (KV551) Jupiter Symphony. Mass in C Minor (KV427) Soprano Sally Le Sage, Mezzo-soprano Caroline Friend, Tenor Winford Evans, Bass Glyn Davenport. Bath Abbey
19/20/21 Dec 1973 Various Carols by Candlelight – 27th Season Pump Room, Bath
23 Jun 1973 J. S. Bach Mass in B minor Soprano Felicity Palmer, Contralto Oriel Southerland, Tenor Philip Langridge, Bass Bryan Rayner Cook. Bath Abbey
13/14/15 Dec 1972 Various Carols by Candlelight – 26th Season Pump Room, Bath
21 Oct 1972 Schütz, Gabrielli, Buxtehude, Cavalli Der 136 Psalm. Three instrumental canzonas: Sonata 13 (1615), Canzone for 2 choirs (1597), Canzone for 3 choirs (1615). Heut triumphieret Gottes Sohn from Orgelbüchlein. Messa Concertata. Bath Abbey
25 Mar 1972 J. S. Bach St John Passion Evangelist Rogers Covey-Crump, Christus Michael George, Soprano Celia Jeffreys, Contralto Annabel Hunt, Tenor Neil Mackie, Bass Stephen Roberts. Bath Abbey
15/16/17 Dec 1971 Various Carols by Candlelight −25th Season Pump Room, Bath
16 Oct 1971 Geminiani, J. S. Bach, Delalande, Handel Concerto Grosso in E minor, Mass in F, De Profundis, Chandos Anthem No 11a 'Let God Arise' [Played and sung from manuscript copies by kind courtesy of David Willcocks Esq. First performance in Bath.] Bath Abbey
2 Jun 1971 Berkeley, Stravinsky, Michael Rose, Herbert Howells, Monteverdi, A. Gabrieli, Byrd, J. S. Bach, Vaughan Williams, Michael Tippett Missa Brevis. Ave Maria. Sing to the Lord a joyful song. Master Tallis' Testament. Ave Maris Stella from Vespers of 1610. Magnificat for 3 choirs. Vigilante. Contrapuncti 1. 12 & 18 from the Art of Fugue. O Vos Omnes. Festival Te Deum. Plebs Angelica. Bath Abbey
15/16/17 Dec 1970 Various Carols by Candlelight – 24th Season Pump Room, Bath
11 Jun 1970 William Byrd, Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina, Claudio Monteverdi, Benjamin Britten Music for voices and organ. Compline Hymn, Gloria in Excelsis (Mass Confitebor Tibi), Vespers 1610 Nisi Dominus. Lauda Jerusalem, Hymn to St. Cecilia. St Stephen's Church
16/17/18 Dec 1969 Various Carols by Candlelight – 23rd Season Pump Room, Bath
25 Oct 1969 J. S. Bach Mass in B minor Soprano Eileen Poulter, Contralto Margaret Cable, Tenor Ian Partridge, Bass Christopher Keyte. Bath Abbey
21 Oct 1969 J. S. Bach Der Himmel lacht! Die Erde jubilieret, BWV 31, Komm Jesu Komm, Ich hatte viel Bekümmernis, BWV 21. Pump Room, Bath c. Philip Ledger
18 Oct 1969 J. S. Bach St Matthew Passion Evangelist Ian Partridge, Christus Michael Rippon, Soprano Sheila Armstrong, Contralto Margaret Cable, Tenor Gerald English, Bass John Barlow. Bath Abbey
18 – 25 October 1969 As a part of the 5th Bath Bach Festival
17/18/19 Dec 1968 Various Carols by Candlelight- 22nd Season Pump Room, Bath
12 Oct 1968 Haydn The Creation Soprano Angela Beale, Tenor Winford Evans, Bass Richard Angas. Bath Abbey
5 Sep 1968 J. Brahms, J. S. Bach Ein Deutsches Requiem. Magnificat (Bach) in D Minor BWV 243 Soprano Sheila Armstrong (singer), Alto Barbara Robotham, Tenor Robert Tear, Bass John Shirley-Quirk. Stadthalle Braunschweig
3 Sep 1968 Various Selection of Unaccompanied Music, Past Concert. Goslar
21 July 1968 Various Recital of unaccompanied Music. Prior Park Chapel
26 Jun 1968 Tippett A Child of Our Time Soprano Anne Pashley, Contralto Pamela Bowden, Tenor Ronald Down, Bass Clifford Grant. Wells Cathedral c. Sir Michael Tippett
19/20/21 Dec 1967 Various Carols by Candlelight – 21st Season Pump Room, Bath
9 Jul 1967 William Byrd, William Mundy, E J Moeran, Orlande de Lassus, Antonio Lotti, Giovanni Gabrieli, Jean Berger Serenade Concert, Exsurge Domine, O Lord the maker of all things, Songs of Springtime, Tui sunt coeli, Crucifixus, Jubelate deo, Brazilian Psalm, Four Folk Songs. Prior Park Chapel
1 Jul 1967 J. S. Bach Mass in B minor Soprano Janet Price, Contralto Margaret Cable, Tenor David Johnstone, Bass John Noble. Bath Abbey
20/21/22 Dec 1966 Various Carols by Candlelight – 20th Season Pump Room, Bath
22 Oct 1966 Handel, Duruflé Dixit Dominus. Requiem Soprano Patricia Clark, Contralto Margaret Cable, Baritone John Noble. Organ and Harpsichord Roy Jesson. Bath Abbey
3 Jul 1966 William Byrd, William Henry Harris, Zoltán Kodály, Johannes Brahms, Thomas Tallis, Thomas Weelkes, Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina, Ralph Vaughan Williams Unaccompanied Serenade Concert. Turn our Captivity, Praise our Lord, all ye Gentiles, Jesus and the Traders, Thy Servant is downcast, In Jejunio et fletu, O Lord, arise into thy resting place, Super Flumina Babylonis, Mass in G minor. Sopran Ruth Vincent-Silk, Contralto Melani Moore, Tenor Antony Corfe, Bass William Coltart. Pump Room, Bath
21/22/23 Dec 1965 Various Carols by Candlelight – 19th Season Pump Room, Bath
30 Oct 1965 J. S. Bach Mass in B minor Soprano Ann Dowdall, Contralto Jean Allister, Tenor Richard Standen, Bass Robert Masters. Bath Abbey
28 Oct 1965 J. S. Bach St. John Passion Evangelist Wilfred Brown, Christus John Carol Case, Soprano Eileen Poulter, Contralto Maureen Lehane, Tenor Gerald English, Bass John Lawrenson. Bath Abbey
26 Oct 1965 J. S. Bach Cantata No 65. Brandenburg Concerto No 2. Motet for double choir "Sing Ye to the Lord". Cantata No 50. Bath Abbey
23 Oct 1965 J. S. Bach St Matthew Passion Evangelist Wilfred Brown, Christus John Shirley-Quirk, Soprano April Cantelo, Contralto Janet Baker, Tenor Duncan Robertson, Bass Richard Standen. Bath Abbey
23–30 October 1965 As a part of the 4th Bath Bach Festival
19 Jun 1965 Haydn Nelson Mass (1965 Bath Festival). Soprano Anne Pashley, Contralto Yvonne Minton, Tenor William McAlpine, Bass-baritone Heinz Rehfuss. Festival Orchestra. Leader Yehudi Menuhin. Bath Abbey c István Kertész
15/16/17 Dec 1964 Various Carols by Candlelight – 18th Season Pump Room, Bath
22 Oct 1964 Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina, William Byrd, Thomas Tomkins, Maurice Greene, J S Bach, Herbert Howells, William Walton Excerpt from the Mass Confitebor Tibi Gloria in Excelsis Deo, Compline Hymn for 5 Voices Christe qui lux es et dies, O Praise the Lord, all ye heathen, Lord, let me know mine end, Jesu, Priceless Treasure, Nunc dimittis, Coronation Te Deum. Bath Abbey
13 Jun 1964 Mozart Requiem Soprano Elizabeth Robson Elizabeth Howlett (Robson), Helen Watts, Tenor Ronald Dowd, Bass Trevor Anthony. Festival Orchestra Leader Robert Masters. As part of The Bath Festival 1964. Bath Abbey
17/18/19 Dec 1963 Various Carols by Candlelight – 17th Season Pump Room, Bath
19 Oct 1963 J. S. Bach St. John Passion Evangelist Wilfred Brown, Christus John Shirley-Quirk, Soprano Noelle Barker, Contralto Elizabeth Holden, Tenor David Price, Bass Graham Sorrel. Bath Abbey
15 Jun 1963 Monteverdi, J. S. Bach Vespers of 1610. Eileen Poulter, Anne Dowdall, sopranos; Jean Allister, contralto; Wilfred Brown, Duncan Robertson, tenors; Richard Standen, bass. Organ continuo Roy Jesson. Brich dem Hungrigen dein Brot, BWV 39 (d Yehudi Menuhin) Ann Dowdall, soprano; Jean Allister, contralto; Richard Standen, bass; Roy Jesson, Harpsichord continuo; Festival Orchestra, Leader Robert Masters. Bath Abbey
18/19/20 Dec 1962 Various Carols by Candlelight – 16th Season Pump Room, Bath
3 Nov 1962 J. S. Bach Mass in B minor Sopran Eileen Poulter, Contralto Jean Allister, Tenor David Galliver, Bass John Carol Case. Bath Abbey
26 May 1962 J. S. Bach, Vaughan Williams Sleepers Wake BWV 140. A Sea Symphony Soprano Elizabeth Harwood, Tenor Brian Newman, Baritone John Shirley-Quirk. Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra Leader Felix Kok. Bath Abbey
19/20/21 Dec 1961 Various Carols by Candlelight – 15th Season Pump Room, Bath
21 Oct 1961 Holst, Brahms Hymn of Jesus. A German Requiem Soprano Pauline Brockless, Baritone Donald Bell. Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra Leader Felix Kok. Bath Abbey
9 Jun 1961 Schutz, Fauré Motet Ehre sei dir, Christa, Requiem Soprano Flore Wend, Contralto Marguerite Paquet, Tenor Jean-Jacques Lesueur, Bariton Jose-Luis Ochoa. Bath Abbey c. Nadia Boulanger
20/21/22 Dec 1960 Various Carols by Candlelight – 14th Season Pump Room, Bath
29 Oct 1960 J. S. Bach Mass in B minor Sopran Eileen Poulter, Contralto Helen Watts, Tenor William Herbert, Bass Hervey Alan, Harpsichord Continuo Thornton Lofthouse, Organ Ernst Maynard. Bath Abbey
27 Oct 1960 J. S. Bach Motet 'Be not afraid', Cantata No 4. Brandenburg Concerto No. 4 in G major, BWV 1049. Magnificat (Bach) in D major, BWV 243 Soprano Pauline Brockless, Eileen Poulter, Contralto Sylvia Rowlands, Tenor Gerald English, Bass Hervey Alan. Bath Abbey
25 Oct 1960 J. S. Bach St John Passion Evangelist William Herbert, Christus Richard Standen, Soprano Jennifer Vyvyan, Contralto Helen Watts, Tenor William Herbert, Bass John Carol Case. Bath Abbey
22 Oct 1960 J. S. Bach St Matthew Passion Evangelist William Herbert, Christus John Carol Case, Soprano Elsie Morison, Contralto Janet Baker, Tenor Wilfred Brown, Bass Donald Bell. Bath Abbey
22 – 29 October 1960 As a part of the 3rd Bath Bach Festival
29 May 1960 J. S. Bach and others A programme of Anthems, Madrigals and Motets given as a part of the Bath Festival (d. Yehudi Menuhin). The Roman Baths (Bath)
15/16/17 Dec 1959 Various Carols by Candlelight – 13th Season Pump Room, Bath
August 1959 Sir Arthur Bliss CH, KVCO, Master of the Queen's Musick, is appointed choir president
28 Feb 1959 J. S. Bach St Matthew Passion William Herbert, Narrator; Richard Standen, Christus; Heather Harper, soprano; Helen McKinnon, contralto; Wilfred Brown, tenor; Gordon Clinton, bass. Dr Thornton Lofthouse, Harpsichord Continuo; Ernest Maynard, Organ. The Jacques Orchestra. Bath Abbey
16/17/18 Dec 1958 Various Carols by Candlelight −12th Season Pump Room, Bath
26 August 1958 Dr. Ralph Vaughan Williams, the choir's president dies
7 Jun 1958 J. S. Bach Mass in B minor. The Bath Festival 1958. A section of The London Symphony Orchestra, Leader Hugh Maguire. Jennifer Vyvyan soprano, Pamela Bowden contralto, David Galliver[33] tenor, Richard Standen[34] bass. Continuo Dr Thornton Lofthouse,[35] Organist Ernst Maynard. Bath Abbey
18/19 Dec 1957 Various Carols by Candlelight – 11th Season Pump Room, Bath
6 Dec 1957 J. S. Bach Christmas Oratorio Soprano Joan Fullerton, Contralto Jean Allister, Tenor David Price, Bass John Carol Case. Organ Ernst Maynard. The Paragon Orchestra Leader Frederick Lunnon. Bath Abbey
1 Jun 57 Thomas Tallis, Vaughan Williams Fantasia on a theme by Thomas Tallis. The Hundredth Psalm (c. R. Vaughan Williams). The Voice out of the Whirlwind. Sancta Civitas. Benedict. Jennifer Vyvyan, soprano; David Price, tenor; John Cameron, bass. Ernest Maynard, organ. The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Leader Steven Staryk. Bath Abbey
1 June 1957 Ralph Vaughan Williams Festival Concert
19/20 Dec 1956 Various Carols by Candlelight – 10th Season Pump Room, Bath
Autumn 1956 Tallis, Palestrina, Bousignac, Vaughan Williams Motet in 40 parts Spem in alium. Gloria in excelsis Deo. Jubilate Deo. The Voice out of the Whirlwind. Bath Abbey
26 May 1956 Beethoven Mass in D Sopran Ena Mitchell, Contralto Janet Fraser, Tenor William Herbert, Bass Richard Standen. Bath Abbey c. Allan Bennett
19 Jan 1956 Haydn The Creation Soloists Suzanne Danco, Richard Lewis (tenor), Owen Brannigan. Royal Festival Hall, London c. Josef Krips
19/20 Dec 1955 Various Carols by Candlelight – 9th Season Pump Room, Bath
7 Jul 1955 Ralph Vaughan Williams Mass in G Minor Soprano Pauline Brockless, Contralto Celia Moran, Tenor David Price, Bass Norman Tattersall. Bath Abbey c. Allan Bennett
14 May 1955 J. Haydn The Creation Soloists Suzanne Danco, Richard Lewis (tenor), Owen Brannigan. Bath Abbey c. Josef Krips
20/21 Dec 1954 Various Carols by Candlelight – 8th Season Pump Room, Bath c. Allan Bennett
16 Oct 1954 J. S. Bach St Matthew Passion Narrator Eric Greene, Christus Norman Walker, Soprano Elsie Suddaby, Contralto Kathleen Joyce, Tenor David Galliver, Bass Richard Standen. Assisted by a choir of 60 from The City of Bath Boys' and Girls' Schools. London Symphony Orchestra Leader Granville Jones. Bath Abbey
14 Oct 1954 J. S. Bach Cantata No 80 Ein' feste Burg. Motet Sing ye to the Lord. Magnificat. Sopranos Ena Mitchell, Rachel Judd, Contralto Nancy Evans (opera singer), Tenor Richard Lewis (tenor), Bass Hervey Alan. Bath Abbey
12 Oct 1954 J. S. Bach St. John Passion Narrator Eric Greene, Christus Norman Walker, Soprano Jennifer Vyvyan, Contralto Kathleen Joyce, Tenor David Galliver, Bass Richard Standen. London Symphony Orchestra Leader Granville Jones. Bath Abbey
9 Oct 1954 J. S. Bach Mass in B minor Soprano Elsie Suddaby, Contralto Anne Wood, Tenor William Herbert, Bass Owen Brannigan. Bath Abbey
9–16 October 1954 As a part of the 2nd Bath Bach Festival
26 May 1954 Mozart Beethoven Requiem Symphony no 7 in A major. Soprano Jennifer Vyvyan, Contralto Gladys Ripley, Tenor William Herbert, Bass Gordon Clinton. London Symphony Orchestra. Leader Thomas Matthews. The Forum, Bath
21/22Dec 1953 Various Carols by Candlelight – 7th Season Pump Room, Bath
23 May 1953 J. S. Bach Mass in B minor. Soprano Jennifer Vyvyan, Contralto Kathleen Joyce, Tenor Eric Green, Bass Trevor Anthony, Continuo Dr Thornton Lofthouse, Organ Ernst Maynard. London Symphony Orchestra. Leader Thomas Matthews. Bath Abbey
17/24 May 1953 William Byrd, Guillaume Bouzignac, Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina, Johann Hermann Schein, Jean Berger, Herbert Howells, J S Bach Unaccompanied Serenade Concert. Motet in five parts Jubilate Dei, From the Mass Confitebor Tibi Gloria in excess Dei, Motet for double choir A Domino fact set stud, Brazilian Psalm for full chorus of mixed voices O praise ye the Lord, Canticle for 8 voices Nunc dimities, Sing ye to the Lord. Pump Room, Bath
17/18 Dec 1952 Various Carols by Candlelight – 6th Season Pump Room, Bath
24 May 1952 J. Brahms A German Requiem. Soprano Jennifer Vyvyan, Baritone Bruce Boyce, Organ Ernest Maynard, Harpsichord continuo Michael Allard. London Symphony Orchestra. Leader George Stratton. Bath Abbey
18/19 Dec 1951 Various Carols by Candlelight – 5th Season Pump Room, Bath
8 Dec 1951 J. S. Bach Christmas OratorioSoprano Jennifer Vyvyan, Contralto Anne Wood, Tenor Richard Lewis, Bass Richard Standen, Continuo John Churchill, Organ Ernst Maynard. Bath Abbey
2 Jun 1951 Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina, William Byrd, William Mundy (composer), Thomas Tompkins, J S Bach, Johannes Brahms, Ralph Vaughan Williams Unaccompanied Serenade Concert. Missa Papae Marcelli, Christe qui lux es et dies, O Lord the maker of all thing. O Praise The Lord All Ye Heathen, Three chorales from the Motet, Jesu Priceless Treasure, Thy Servant is Downcast, Mass in G minor. Soprano Dorothy Langmain, Contralto Kathleen Whittome, Tenor Cecil Wigley, Bass George Blackford (of the Tudor Singers). Roman Baths (Bath)
26 May 1951 G. F. Handel Messiah. Soprano Ena Mitchell, Contralto Nacy Thomas, Tenor William Herbert, Bass Owen Brannigan. London Symphony Orchestra. Leader George Stratton. Bath Abbey
19/20 Dec 1950 Various Carols by Candlelight – 4th Season Pump Room, Bath
21 Oct 1950 J. S. Bach Mass in B minor Soprano Isobel Baillie, Contralto Astra Desmond, Tenor Eric Greene, Bass Norman Walker. Continuo Dr. Charles Thornton Lofthouse, Organist Ernest Maynard. The London Symphony Orchestra. Bath Abbey
19 Oct 1950 J. S. Bach St John Passion Narrator Eric Greene tenor, Christus Henry Cummings bass, Soprano Elsie Suddaby, Contralto Kathleen Ferrier, Tenor Alfred Hepworth, Bass Wiliam Parsons. Continuo Dr. Charles Thornton Lofthouse, Organist Ernest Maynard. Bath Abbey
17 Oct 1950 J. S. Bach BWV 11 – Praise Our God; Jesu, Priceless Treasure; Magnificat. Soprano Isobel Baillie, Soprano Elsie Suddaby, Contralto Astra Desmond, Tenor David Lloyd, Bass Owen Brannigan. Continuo Dr. Charles Thornton Lofthouse, Organist Ernest Maynard. The London Symphony Orchestra. Bath Abbey
14 Oct 1950 J. S. Bach St Matthew Passion Narrator Eric Greene tenor, Christus Henry Cummings bass, Soprano Elsie Suddaby, Contralto Kathleen Ferrier, Tenor Alfred Hepworth, Bass Wiliam Parsons. Continuo Dr. Charles Thornton Lofthouse, Organist Ernest Maynard. Seats: Nave 11/6 pence. Others 6/-. Bath Abbey
14–21 Oct 1950 As a part of the 1st Bath Bach Festival
20/21 Dec 1949 Various Carols by Candlelight – 3rd Season Pump Room, Bath
27 Jun 1949 Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina, Jacobus de Kerle, Vaughan Williams J S Bach Recital of Choral Music Kyrie and Sanctus from Missa Papa Macelli, Agnus Dei from Missa Regina Coeliacs, The Hundredth Psalm, Sing ye to the Lord. Bath Abbey
21 May 1949 J. S. Bach Mass in B minor Sopranos Isobel Baillie Elsie Suddaby, Contralto Grace Bodey, Tenor David Lloyd, Bass Norman Walker. London Symphony Orchestra. Leader George Stratton. Bath Abbey
21 Dec 1948 Various Carols by Candlelight – 2nd Season Pump Room, Bath
24 Apr 1948 J. S. Bach St Matthew Passion. Narrator Eric Green, Christus William Parsons. Soprano Mary Linde, Contralto Grace Bodey, Tenor Rene Holmes, Bass Laurance Holmes. The Boyd Neel Orchestra. Bath Abbey
23 Dec 1947 Vaughan Williams, Martin Shaw (composer), Edmund Rubbra, Robert Lucas de Pearsall, Palestrina, Peter Warlock, Frank Bridge, Dora Brown, Gustav Holst, Armstrong Gibbs Carols by Candlelight 1st Season. On Christmas night all Christians sing, Sussex Carol arr Vaughan Williams; This is the truth sent from above, Herfordshire Carol arr Vaughan Williams; God rest you merry, Gentleman London Carol (Traditional); I saw three ships come sailing in, English Folk Carol (Traditional); Behoulde a sely tender babe, from Chappell's "Popular Music of the Olden Time". Words by Blessed Robert Southwell (1560–1593); Bethlehem Juda, "twas there on a Morn", Scottish Melody; Sweet was the song the Virgin sang, from William Ballet's Lute Book c1600; The holly and the ivy, Traditional; Coventry Carol, from the Pageant of the Shearmen and Tailors 15th century; Good King Wenceslas, from Pia Cantiones; I sing of a maiden, Martin Shaw (composer); Patapan, Old Burgundian Carol; The Virgin's Cradle Hymn, Edmund Rubbra; King Herod and the cock, Worcestershire Carol, arr Cecil Sharp; In dulci jubilo, Robert Lucas de Pearsall German Melody; Hodie Christus natus est, Palestrina; Adam lay ybounden, Peter Warlock; Mantle of Blue, Frank Bridge; The Blue Cloak, Dora Brown; Lullay my liking, Gustav Holst; Bell Carol, Old French; Cradle Song, Armstrong Gibbs; The first Nowell, Traditional. The Minstrels' Gallery, Pump Room, Bath.
7 Jun 1947 J. S. Bach Mass in B minor.[3] Soprano Isobel Baillie, Contralto Eileen Pilcher, Tenor Eric Green Bass George Pizzey. London Symphony Orchestra. Leader Lionel Bentley. Bath Abbey
Sept 1946 Choir Formed

References

  1. ^ "Registered Charity 1043756. Accounts lodged with UK Charity Commission" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 October 2013. Retrieved 28 May 2013.
  2. ^ a b c "Search". Concert Programmes.[permanent dead link]
  3. ^ a b "Trove search results for 'subject:"Bach Festival. Bath, England. 1954"'". Trove.
  4. ^ "The London Handel Festival".
  5. ^ "Benedict Collins Rice Discography".
  6. ^ "The Facade Ensemble". facadeensemble.co.uk.
  7. ^ "cfba.org.uk". cfba.org.uk.
  8. ^ "Russian Requiem, signature work by composer Elis Pehkonen".
  9. ^ "工业气体行业设备有限公司". edward-hughes.com.
  10. ^ "| The Music of Karl Jenkins".
  11. ^ a b "Mayor of Bath". mayorofbath.co.uk.
  12. ^ "Classical Music Festival in Historic Bath". bathmozartfest.org.uk.
  13. ^ "Bath Bachfest : Endowment Campaign". Archived from the original on 20 February 2017. Retrieved 19 February 2017.
  14. ^ Tilford Bach Festival
  15. ^ "TBS – Concerts in Farnham and Godalming – High quality baroque and classical concerts".
  16. ^ "London Handel Festival – An annual celebration of the music of George Frideric Handel".
  17. ^ "In Memory of Denys Darlow – TBS – Concerts in Farnham and Godalming".
  18. ^ "Somerset Life's Sarah Ford talks with Nigel Perrin the King of Choirs". Somerset Life. 25 February 2010.
  19. ^ "Braunschweigs Partner- und Freundschaftsstädte". 1 December 2012. Archived from the original on 1 December 2012.
  20. ^ "Video". Archived from the original on 15 December 2021. Retrieved 13 June 2020 – via YouTube.
  21. ^ "Exeter Festival Chorus". exeterfestivalchorus.org.uk.
  22. ^ "The Wellensian Consort | The Wellensian Consort". wellensian-consort.co.uk.
  23. ^ "March 2013: St John Passion in Wells". Archived from the original on 30 May 2014. Retrieved 20 October 2013.
  24. ^ "Opera singer | Mark Stone – Baritone". Mysite.
  25. ^ "Southern Sinfonia professional chamber orchestra, classical music Berkshire, Hampshire, Wiltshire". southernsinfonia.co.uk.
  26. ^ "Video". Retrieved 13 June 2020 – via YouTube.
  27. ^ "Review: City of Bath Bach Choir with Music for Awhile, Messiah, Bath Abbey | Bath Chronicle". Archived from the original on 24 March 2014. Retrieved 24 April 2014.
  28. ^ "Video". Retrieved 14 July 2021 – via YouTube.
  29. ^ "Video". Retrieved 12 August 2020 – via YouTube.
  30. ^ "Video". Retrieved 12 August 2020 – via YouTube.
  31. ^ "Requiems and Rainbows – Wiltshire Times". bachtrack.com. 20 July 2010. Retrieved 13 June 2020.
  32. ^ "Bath Bach Choir: Bath Abbey | This is Bath". Archived from the original on 22 July 2012. Retrieved 20 October 2013.
  33. ^ "David Galliver (Tenor)". bach-cantatas.com. 10 January 2007. Retrieved 19 June 2016.
  34. ^ "Richard Standen (Bass)". bach-cantatas.com. 20 November 2005. Retrieved 19 June 2016.
  35. ^ "Charles Thornton Lofthouse, the first person to play a harpsichord in the Royal Albert Hall". semibrevity.com. 21 August 2013. Retrieved 19 June 2016.

External links

Dundas Aqueduct

Dundas Aqueduct
Coordinates51°21′42″N 2°18′38″W / 51.3616°N 2.3105°W / 51.3616; -2.3105
OS grid referenceST784625
CarriesKennet and Avon Canal
CrossesRiver Avon, Wessex Main Line
LocaleLimpley Stoke
Maintained byCanal & River Trust
Heritage statusGrade I
Characteristics
Pier constructionBath Stone
Total length150 yards (137.2 m)
Longest span65 feet (19.8 m)
History
DesignerJohn Rennie
Construction start1797
Construction end1801
Opened1805
Rebuilt1984
Location
Map

Dundas Aqueduct (grid reference ST785625) is an aqueduct in England which carries the Kennet and Avon Canal over the River Avon (the Somerset / Wiltshire border) and the Wessex Main Line railway. The aqueduct is near Monkton Combe, Somerset, and is about 2+12 miles (4 km) south-east of the city of Bath.

It was designed by John Rennie and chief engineer John Thomas between 1797 and 1801, and completed in 1805. James McIlquham was appointed contractor.[1] It is named after Charles Dundas, the first chairman of the Kennet and Avon Canal Company. The aqueduct is 150 yards (137.2 m) long with three arches built of Bath Stone, with Doric pilasters, and balustrades at each end.[2] The central semi-circular arch spans 64 feet (19.5 m); the two oval side arches span 20 feet (6.1 m).[3]

The canal crosses back across the Avon and the railway on another aqueduct at Avoncliff. This diversion onto the right bank of the Avon avoids the steep sides of the river valley at Limpley Stoke, and the need to cross the Midford Brook and River Frome.

It is a Grade I listed building,[4] and was the first canal structure to be designated as a scheduled monument in 1951.

Over many years, leaks had developed and the aqueduct was closed in 1954. For a while in the 1960s and 1970s, the canal was dry and it was possible to walk along the bed on each side of the river, as well as through the aqueduct itself. The aqueduct was relined with polythene and concrete and restored, reopening in 1984.[5] Care was taken not to disturb a colony of bats living under the aqueduct.[2]

The Dundas Aqueduct from the eastern end. The canal boat in the picture can turn left to moorings on the only remaining section of the Somerset Coal Canal or turn right to traverse the last few miles of the canal into the city of Bath. The walls of the Aqueduct can be seen on the left and right; the river and railway are unseen far below.

The aqueduct is also the junction between the Kennet and Avon Canal and the largely derelict Somerset Coal Canal. The short stretch of the Somerset Coal Canal still in water forms Brassknocker Basin, used for boat moorings, cycle hire and a cafe,[6] and is next to Dundas Wharf where the small tollhouse, warehouse and crane still stand. The stretch of river below and above the aqueduct is used by Monkton Combe School Boat Club (Monkton Bluefriars) up to six days a week,[7] since at least the 1960s. At the opposite (Wiltshire) end of the aqueduct a wharf was constructed serving the Conkwell stone quarries.[8]

Between 2002 and 2004, further restoration was undertaken that included replacing engineering bricks, which had been used by the Great Western Railway to make earlier repairs, with Bath Stone to match the original work.[9]

In 2015, the railway below the aqueduct was lowered to allow the route to be used as a diversionary route for freight trains in the future. Network Rail published a time-lapse video of the work.[10]

See also

References

  1. ^ Cragg, Roger (1997). Wales and West Central England: Wales and West Central England, 2nd Edition. Thomas Telford. ISBN 0-7277-2576-9.
  2. ^ a b Pearson, Michael (2003). Kennet & Avon Middle Thames:Pearson's Canal Companion. Rugby: Central Waterways Supplies. ISBN 0-907864-97-X.
  3. ^ "Dundas Aqueduct". Kennet & Avon Canal. Archived from the original on 12 August 2014. Retrieved 10 September 2006.
  4. ^ Historic England. "Dundas Aqueduct (1215193)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
  5. ^ Allsop, Niall (1987). The Kennet & Avon Canal. Bath: Millstream Book. ISBN 0-948975-15-6.
  6. ^ "Dundas Aqueduct". Canal and Rivers Trust. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
  7. ^ "Dundas Wharf Project". Claverton Pumping Station. Retrieved 14 September 2006.
  8. ^ Halse, Roger; Simon Castens (2000). The Somersetshire Coal Canal: A Pictorial Journey. Bath: Millstream Books. ISBN 0-948975-58-X.
  9. ^ "Dundas Aqueduct". British Waterways. Archived from the original on 18 March 2012. Retrieved 17 May 2011.
  10. ^ "Great Western Route Modernisation - Bath and North East Somerset". Network Rail. 15 November 2015. Archived from the original on 21 September 2015. Retrieved 13 December 2015.

Cross Keys Inn

Cross Keys Inn
LocationOdd Down, Bath, England
Coordinates51°21′20″N 2°21′49″W / 51.35556°N 2.36361°W / 51.35556; -2.36361
BuiltLate 17th or early 18th century
Listed Building – Grade II
Official nameCross Keys Inn
Designated11 August 1972[1]
Reference no.1395715
Cross Keys Inn is located in Somerset
Cross Keys Inn
Location of Cross Keys Inn in Somerset

The Cross Keys Inn is a pub-restaurant and former coaching inn, trading since before 1750, on a corner of Midford Road in Odd Down, Bath, Somerset, England.

It is a Grade II listed building.

History

The current building was erected in the late 17th or early 18th century.[1] The site was owned by Bath Priory until the Dissolution of the Monasteries. It was then owned by Hugh Sexey.[2] An inn is known to have stood on the site in 1718 when it is described in a document as "a new erected tenement or dwelling house...now a Public House on Odwood Down". At that time, the lease cost forty-two pounds and there was an annual rent charge of one pound ten shillings.[2][3] In the mid 18th century the lease was held by Ralph Allen who was the postmaster of Bath and made a fortune by reforming the postal delivery system.[4] The inn was situated strategically on a crossroads, with major roads going to Bristol, Warminster, Bath and Wells. It served as a coaching inn.[5]

The front of the building was altered in the 19th century.[1] Sexey's Hospital was the owner until 1896 when it was sold to Oakhill Brewery. It remained under the control of breweries or pub management companies until 2014, when the freehold was purchased privately.[2] It is now a free house and restaurant.[6]

Architecture

The building has late seventeenth century or early eighteenth century origins, and was extensively modified in the second half of the nineteenth century. It was built out of squared off rubble stone and has a roof of Roman style tiles. Originally the building was a single room deep with two gable ends and a stair at the centre of the rear wall. It had coped front and end gables, with cross saddle-stones, and an ashlar chimney stack at each end. Since then, right and left wings have been added to the building at the rear and an ashlar extension with entrance added at the front. The building consists of three storeys and a cellar, the front extension is two storeys high and has a flat roof. There is a central tall chimney stack at the front, between the two gable ends. The interior of the building is reported to have an original staircase and fireplace.[1]

See also

  • Crosskeys Inn, an 18th century pub and Grade B1 listed building in Northern Ireland

References

  1. ^ a b c d Historic England. "Cross Keys Inn (1395715)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 22 June 2015.
  2. ^ a b c "The History of The Cross Keys". Cross Keys. Archived from the original on 7 June 2015. Retrieved 22 June 2015.
  3. ^ Canvin, John. "Southstoke History" (PDF). Southstoke Parish Council. p. 52. Retrieved 22 June 2015.
  4. ^ "Ralph Allen Biography". Bath Postal Museum. Archived from the original on 4 October 2013. Retrieved 30 August 2016.
  5. ^ Canvin, John. "Southstoke History" (PDF). Southstoke Parish Council. p. 14. Retrieved 22 June 2015.
  6. ^ "The History of The Cross Keys". Cross Keys. Retrieved 30 August 2016.

Mallet Antiques

Mallett is furniture and works of art agent and dealer based in London and New York. For most of the second half of the 20th century and the first decade of the 21st century, it occupied a position at the forefront of the English furniture trade, profiting from the growth in interest in the style of British and European 18th and 19th century furniture and works of art.

Founded in 1865, Mallett & Son Antiques was one of England's oldest dealers of fine furniture and works of art. They specialized in English and Continental furniture and decor. In 2017 Mallett was officially wound up by its last owner, Stanley Gibbons Ltd. It was purchased in 2018 by Gurr Johns, the international art advisory, brokerage and appraisals company with offices in London and New York. In 2023, Mallett was relaunched as part of the Gurr Johns Group, led by Rufus Bird, former Surveyor of the Queen's Works of Art and Christie's furniture specialist.

History

A rare photograph of the Mallett Showrooms at the Octagon Chapel, Bath, circa 1900

The company was founded in 1865[1] by John Mallett (a jeweller and Silversmith) at 36 Milsom Street, Bath, Somerset, England. His son, Walter Mallett, who had joined his father's business in the 1870s or early '80s, quickly assumed complete control, and today he is acknowledged by Mallett as the real founder of the firm. It was he who expanded the stock to include old silver and furniture and who arranged for the purchase of the lease of the Octagon Chapel. This building had originally, in 1767, been designed as a church by the architect Thomas Lightholder,[2] whose brief was to produce a structure which would be warm, comfortable and well lit.[3] The Octagon fulfilled all of these requirements, and it became the most fashionable church in Bath.[3] Eminent and distinguished visitors made a point of engaging a pew for as long as they stayed in the city, hiring it at the same time as they hired their lodgings. The most expensive of these were like small rooms, each with its own fireplace and easy chairs. Between service and sermon, an interval was allowed during which footmen poked the fires and saw that their master and mistress were comfortable. The vaults of this building were let out to a wine merchant, which gave rise to the verses by Christopher Anstey:

Spirits above and spirits below,
Spirits of Bliss and spirits of woe,
The spirits above are spirits Divine,
The spirits below are spirits of wine.

Since the building was leasehold, it was never consecrated, so when it fell into disuse in the 1890s Mallett's took it over. New showrooms were built on each side of the church, with workshops and storage in the basement. A gas engine was installed to drive the polishing lathes, work the lift, make the electric light and, by means of a fan, circulate air through every part of the building. With the improvement in communications, express trains serviced the West Country to and from London and facilitated attendance at the spa, bringing much added interest and business to Mallett's at the Octagon.

The Queen Mother visiting Mallett at 40 New Bond Street, 1981

In 1908 the Franco-British Exhibition (1908) was held at Earls Court in London, and the firm took a stand there. This was such a successful venture that Walter Mallett decided to open a permanent shop in London, and he took a lease of premises at 40 New Bond Street,[4] which contained showrooms on two floors displaying stock of furniture including mirrors, pictures and objects, each room arranged to re-create the atmosphere of a private house.

On his death in 1930, the business passed to a consortium of six of his employees, who in 1937 decided to close the Octagon premises and move the whole business to London. Francis Mallett became chairman. On his death he left a large part of his collection to the Ashmolean Museum at Oxford. After the Second World War, under the chairmanship of Francis Egerton, Mallett's began to evolve into a dealership of international stature.

Mallett's have an association with museums and private collections all over the world including the Victoria and Albert Museum.[5]

In 1983 Francis Egerton retired and in 1987, under the new management, Mallett became a public company. Lanto Synge assumed the role of chief executive until his retirement in 2009. Lanto Synge has had a number of books published on antiques and on antique needlework, a particular specialty of his, including Art of Embroidery – A history of Style and Technique, produced in conjunction with the Royal School of Needlework. In 1999 he published Mallett Millennium, illustrated throughout with photographs from the extensive Mallett archives.

In 1991, the Bond Street business moved to new enlarged premises at 141 New Bond Street with twelve showrooms.[6]

In 2012 Mallett moved its premises to Ely House, 37 Dover Street. This classical townhouse was built as the London palace for the Bishop of Ely. It is, like Mallett's first gallery in Bath, an architectural masterpiece and a Grade I listed building, designed by the neo-classical architect Robert Taylor in 1772 for Robert Keene, the Bishop of Ely. From 1894 until recently[when?] it was occupied by the Albemarle Club, whose members included artists and authors such as Oscar Wilde.

Mallett at Bourdon House, 1962–2007

Mallett's second business was established in 1962 at Bourdon House, in Mayfair, until 1953 the London house of the 2nd Duke of Westminster. Built for William Burdon Esq in the years 1723–25, during the reign of George I, the house stood amidst fields and market gardens between the then emerging Berkeley and Hanover Squares. Mallett sold Bourdon House in 2007.

Mallett Inc, New York

In 2003, Mallett opened a New York Gallery at 929 Madison Avenue[6] and East 74th Street.[7] Mallett completely renovated the New York Brownstone building and offered stock sent over from the London showrooms.

The Prince of Wales visiting Mallett in 1982 with Lanto Synge, Francis Egerton, Peter Maitland and Peter Dixon

Expansion since 2006

Since 2006, Mallett expanded further and established three new and distinct companies, James Harvey British Art, Meta and Hatfields Restoration.

James Harvey British Art

Operated for several years from 2006 from 15 Langton Street, Chelsea, SW10. The gallery is dedicated to promoting British Artists from the 17th century to the present day. With an emphasis on the less established names of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, the gallery will also promote traditional figurative contemporary art.

Meta

Meta has commissioned designers, including Asymptote Architecture, Hani Rashid and Lise Anne Couture, Edward Barber & Jay Osgerby, Tord Boontje, Matali Crasset and Wales & Wales to create contemporary objects and furniture.[8][9]

Hatfields Restoration

Mallett enjoyed Royal Patronage for many years; this is one such Warrant from Queen Mary, dated 1945

In 2007 Mallett merged with Hatfields and took over premises in London on Clapham High Street. Scholars House is a late 18th century building from which the company is developing a range of restoration services. Hatfields has a history which dates back to 1834 when the original Hatfield family established the firm. Initially founded to produce miniature frames, the company expanded to include furniture workshops, restoring and conserving furniture and works of art for Royalty, private and museum collections throughout the world. In the 1930s the company noted on its letterhead that it had warrants from Queen Victoria, The Prince of Wales & King Edward VII. They worked extensively at Buckingham Palace for Queen Mary, adding gilt bronze plinths to the base of Sevres vases, so that the relatively small scale of the vases would appear more substantial in the setting of the State Rooms.

References

  1. ^ "Mallett Antiques". Robb Report. 13 May 2009. Archived from the original on 10 February 2010. Retrieved 18 July 2009.
  2. ^ "Octagon Chapel". Images of England. English Heritage. Archived from the original on 18 October 2012. Retrieved 18 July 2009.
  3. ^ a b Hill, Constance (1923). "XI". Jane Austen: her homes & her friends. Ellen G. Hill. Bodley Head. p. 108.
  4. ^ Synge, Lanto (1 January 1999). Mallett Millennium. Antique Collectors' Club Ltd. p. 13. ISBN 978-1-85149-329-6.
  5. ^ Synge, Lanto (1 January 1999). Mallett Millennium. Antique Collectors' Club Ltd. p. 149. ISBN 978-1-85149-329-6.
  6. ^ a b "Mallett Antiques to unveil new designs at the Salone in Milan". TimesOnline. 5 April 2008. Retrieved 18 July 2009.
  7. ^ Moonan, Wendy (9 October 2008). "Through the Needle's Eye, Flowers, Birds and Beasts". Antiques. New York Times. Retrieved 18 July 2009.
  8. ^ Moriarity, Bridget (1 September 2008). "Mallett's Meta-morphosis". Artinfo. Retrieved 18 July 2009.
  9. ^ Taraska, Julie (18 June 2008). "Past forward". Metropolis Mag.com. Archived from the original on 26 January 2009. Retrieved 18 July 2009.

Further reading

  • Lanto Synge, Great English Furniture, 1991 ISBN 0-7126-4737-6
  • Lanton Synge, Mallett Millennium, 1999

External links

Midford Castle

Prior to Now on Combe Down link: Midford Castle

Midford Castle
Midford Castle
Map
General information
Architectural styleGothic
Town or cityMidford, Somerset 51°21′2″N 2°20′47″W / 51.35056°N 2.34639°W / 51.35056; -2.34639
CountryEngland
Completed1775
ClientHenry Disney Roebuck
Design and construction
Architect(s)John Carter

Midford Castle is a folly castle in the village of Midford, and the parish of Southstoke 3 miles (5 km) south of Bath, Somerset, England.

The castle was built in 1775 for Henry Disney Roebuck from designs by John Carter in the shape of the "clubs" symbol used in playing cards (♣). It has been suggested, originally in a magazine article in 1899, that he asked for the clubs design to represent an ace of clubs because he had obtained the money for the castle from gambling on a card game, but this is unlikely, as the porch which creates the "stem" of the symbol was added later.[1] It is more likely that the layout was taken from an article which had been published in Builder's Magazine in 1774.[2] The house has a sub triangular or trefoil plan formed by 3 semi-circular towers conjoined in a gothic style. It has been designated by English Heritage as a Grade I listed building.[3]

In 1810, the castle was bought by one of the Conollys of Castletown House in County Kildare, who added the porch (said to give the clubs symbol its stalk) and built the nearby stables and chapel, known as the priory.[4] The latter fell into disrepair after the last of the Conollys sold the house in 1901.[5]

Soon after 1810 Kingham Field, which was part of the estate, was operating as a stone quarry similar to the nearby Combe Down and Bathampton Down Mines. William Smith, who became known as "Father of English Geology", proposed conveying the stone by a railway down to Tucking Mill where it would be sawn by machinery, and then loaded on to canal barges and transported via the Somerset Coal Canal and the Kennet and Avon Canal to Bath and London. In April 1814, Smith mortgaged the remainder of his estate to Charles Conolly who then controlled the railway and probably extended it to his Vinegar Down Quarry. The scheme failed and in 1819 Conolly had Smith committed to the King's Bench Prison for debt and took over the sawmill and Smith's house at Tucking Mill.[6]

Michael Fenwick Briggs and his wife Isabel (better known by her pen name of Isabel Colegate) bought Midford in 1961[1] and carried out extensive renovation work; which included incorporating the chapel into the garden as a picturesque ruin.[7]

In July 2007, the castle was sold to actor Nicolas Cage for £5 million.[8][9][10] Cage sold the castle in 2009.[citation needed]

The castle is listed Grade I on the National Heritage List for England.[11] The castle grounds also include the Grade II listed archway with lodge and screen wall, [12] a pair of gatepiers and gates,[13] and the Grade II* listed group of the stables, old chapel, walls enclosing the stable yard, coach house and greenhouse.[14] The priory 500 yards to the north east of the castle is Grade II listed. [15]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Gray, Sadie (1 April 2007). "A first-class return". Times Online. London. Retrieved 14 January 2008.
  2. ^ "Midford Castle". Bath Daily Photos. Retrieved 14 January 2008.
  3. ^ "Midford Castle with former Offices and Coach-houses". historicengland.org.uk. Retrieved 14 January 2008.
  4. ^ "The Priory, in Priory Wood, 500 yards (460 m) to north-east of Midford Castle". historicengland.org.uk. Retrieved 14 January 2008.
  5. ^ "Midford Castle, Somerset". Country Life. Retrieved 14 January 2008.
  6. ^ "William Smith's Tucking Mill to Kingham Quarry Tramway". The Somersetshire Coal Canal (Society). Archived from the original on 27 May 2011. Retrieved 15 January 2008.
  7. ^ Michael Briggs, chairman of Bath Preservation Trust – obituary, The Daily Telegraph, 29 July 2017, accessed 11 August 2021 (subscription required)
  8. ^ Hodgson, Martin (30 July 2007). "Nicolas Cage joins Britain's castle-owning classes". The Independent. London. Archived from the original on 23 December 2007. Retrieved 15 January 2008.
  9. ^ "Nicolas Cage biography". IMDb. Retrieved 15 January 2008.
  10. ^ Chittenden, Maurice (29 July 2007). "Another day, another castle: Cage adds to his empire". Times Online. London. Retrieved 15 January 2008.
  11. ^ Historic England, "MIDFORD CASTLE WITH FORMER OFFICES AND COACH HOUSES (1277079)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 1 June 2017
  12. ^ Historic England, "ARCHWAY AND LODGE WITH SCREEN WALL, TO MIDFORD CASTLE (1232450)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 1 June 2017
  13. ^ Historic England, "PAIR OF GATEPIERS AND GATES 50 YARDS NORTH WEST OF MIDFORD CASTLE (1232488)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 1 June 2017
  14. ^ Historic England, "THE STABLES, THE OLD CHAPEL AND THE REMAINS OF THE CHAPEL, WALLS ENCLOSING STABLEYARD, COACH HOUSE AND GREENHOUSE TO MIDFORD CASTLE (1277080)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 1 June 2017
  15. ^ Historic England, "THE PRIORY, IN PRIORY WOOD, 500 YARDS TO NORTH EAST OF MIDFORD CASTLE (1232452)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 1 June 2017

Midford

Midford
Aerial view of Midford
Midford is located in Somerset
Midford
Midford
Location within Somerset
OS grid referenceST761607
Unitary authority
Ceremonial county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townBATH
Postcode districtBA2
Dialling code01225
PoliceAvon and Somerset
FireAvon
AmbulanceSouth Western
UK Parliament
List of places
UK
England
Somerset
51°20′42″N 2°20′43″W / 51.3451°N 2.3454°W / 51.3451; -2.3454

Midford is a village approximately 3 miles (5 km) south-south-east of Bath, Somerset, England. Although relatively small, it extends over 2 counties (Wiltshire and Somerset), is part of two unitary authorities (Wiltshire and Bath and North East Somerset) and is part of five parishes (Southstoke, Hinton Charterhouse, Wellow, Freshford and Limpley Stoke). Although all five parishes extend very near to the village centre, most of the residents reside in the parish of Southstoke and are part of the Bath and North East Somerset unitary authority.

The Cam and Wellow Brooks merge in Midford to form the Midford Brook, which then flows down to join the River Avon close to the village of Monkton Combe.

Railways and canal

In the village, straddling the B3110 road, is the disused viaduct of the Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway and close by are the remains of a lesser viaduct that once carried the Somerset Coal Canal, and later the Great Western branch line from Limpley Stoke to Hallatrow. Midford railway station, on the S&DJR line served the village until 1966. That line is now on the route of NCR 24, the Colliers Way.

Bristol and North Somerset Railway bridge over Midford Brook
The Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway passes over the Bristol and North Somerset Railway's viaduct on an even taller viaduct.

For about four years from 1911 to 1915, Midford had a second railway station: Midford Halt railway station on the Limpley Stoke to Camerton railway that followed the former Somerset Coal Canal. At Camerton it made an end-on junction with a branch from Hallatrow on the former Bristol & North Somerset Railway. The line was open to passenger traffic for only seven years in all, from 1910 to 1915, and from 1923 to 1925. Midford Halt opened a year late and then did not reopen for the second period. Midford Halt was in Wiltshire; the county boundary runs up to the B3110 road at the point where the canal/railway crossed the road, and the halt was on the Wiltshire side.

Places of interest

On the hillside above Midford is Midford Castle a late 18th-century folly castle built in the shape of the ace of clubs (♣). The castle was built in 1775 by Henry Disney Roebuck. It was owned by the Briggs family who spent 45 years restoring the castle, before its sale in July 2007, to actor Nicolas Cage for £5 million. It changed hands again in 2009.

To the west of the village is upper Midford. Here in 1995 plans were made to create a new plantation to be known as Millennium wood. In 2000, land between Midford, Southstoke, and Combe Hay was prepared and planted with a variety of native trees and shrubs. This is open to the public all year round and is crossed by several public footpaths. The site overlooks the Cam brook and the restored remains of the Somerset Coal Canal as well as the 40-foot-high (12 m) viaduct built in 1908 that carried the Somerset & Dorset Railway line across the valley.[1]

To the east of Midford village along the restored canal bed and towpath is Packhorse bridge, now closed to foot traffic but still intact. Further along the towpath is the fully restored Midford Aqueduct. A lottery grant and other funding was made available to local volunteers and building professionals who completed the work in 2001 at a cost of £1,000,000. It was the most substantial single structure built during the late 18th century Somerset Coal Canal project and was officially opened in 1803.[2] The railway lines that meet and cross each other in the village were the site of the opening scene in the classic 1950s British comedy film, the Titfield Thunderbolt.[3]

Fuller's earth in Horsecombe Vale

In 1883 George Dames and his brother Charles Richard Dames leased land in Horsecombe Vale from the Midford Castle estate and opened a mine and processing works for Fuller's earth. The mines extended nearly 20 acres (8.1 ha) through four adits. In 1915 the works was taken over by the Fuller's Earth Union and despite geological problems continued until the end of World War II. At the bottom of the valley was the pan grinding works where water from Horsecombe Brook was used to make a slurry from which sand settled at the bottom of troughs. The slurry then passed through an earthenware pipe to Tucking Mill just beyond Midford, where a second stage of sedimentation took place.[4]

Transport links

Midford is one of the starting points for a project by Sustrans (sustainable transport) organisation to link with an existing cycle route to the City of Bath via the Two Tunnels Greenway. The project has re-opened the old Devonshire and Combe Down railway tunnels to make the new link.[5]

Local amenities

There is one public house in the village: the Hope and Anchor which is on the main road leading into the village, adjacent to the railway bridge and cycle path route.

References

  1. ^ "Midford Millennium Wood Management Plan 2012-2017" (PDF). The Woodland Trust 8 January 2011. Retrieved 19 March 2011.
  2. ^ "Midford Aqueduct". Avon Industrial Buildings Trust (AIBT) 17 August 2010. Retrieved 19 March 2011.
  3. ^ "The titfield thunderbolt". World news 2010. Retrieved 19 March 2011.
  4. ^ Macmillen, Neil (2009). A history of the Fuller's Earth mining industry around Bath. Lydney: Lightmoor Press. pp. 21–31. ISBN 978-1-899889-32-7.
  5. ^ "Work beings on Bath Two Tunnels route at famous Devonshire tunnel". Sustrans 8 March 2010. Archived from the original on 21 August 2010. Retrieved 19 March 2011.

Further reading

  • Somerset Railway Stations, by Mike Oakley. Wimborne, Dorset: Dovecote Press (2002)
  • Wiltshire Railway Stations, by Mike Oakley. Wimborne, Dorset: Dovecote Press

External links

Midford Brook

Midford Brook
Railroad viaduct over Midford Brook at Midford
Location
CountryEngland
CountySomerset
DistrictBath and North East Somerset
Physical characteristics
SourceWellow Brook & Cam Brook
 • locationMidford, Bath and North East Somerset, Somerset, England
 • coordinates51°20′27″N 2°20′32″W / 51.34083°N 2.34222°W / 51.34083; -2.34222
MouthRiver Avon
 • location
Dundas Aqueduct
 • coordinates
51°21′40″N 02°18′36″W / 51.36111°N 2.31000°W / 51.36111; -2.31000

Midford Brook is a small river in Somerset, England.

It is formed by the convergence of the Wellow Brook and Cam Brook at Midford. It passes Tucking Mill and joins the River Avon close to the Dundas Aqueduct and the remains of the Somerset Coal Canal.[1] For its entire length it defines the boundary between Bath & North East Somerset and Wiltshire.[2]

Although the Midford Brook is named on Ordnance Survey maps,[3] the Environment Agency does not recognise it, instead identifying the Wellow Brook as continuing to the Avon.[4]

The Midford Brook has a catchment area of 147.4 km2 which is largely over impermeable Lias. The deep steep-sided valley means that it responds rapidly to rainfall.[5]

References

  1. ^ "KandAC mile 70". Kennet and Avon Scrapbook 2000. University of Portsmouth. Archived from the original on 15 September 2008. Retrieved 12 September 2009.
  2. ^ "Election Maps - Limpley Stoke parish". Ordnance Survey. Retrieved 11 February 2018.
  3. ^ "Ordnance Survey 1:25,000 maps of Great Britain, sheet ST76". National Library of Scotland. 1958. Retrieved 12 February 2018.
  4. ^ "Wellow Brook". Environment Agency - Catchment Data Explorer. Retrieved 11 February 2018.
  5. ^ "53005 - Midford Brook at Midford". Station summaries. The National River Flow Archive. Archived from the original on 19 July 2011. Retrieved 12 September 2009.


Midford Halt

Midford Station

Midford
Station building and platform in 1962
General information
LocationMidford, Bath and North East Somerset, Somerset
England
Grid referenceST761607
Platforms1
Other information
StatusDisused
History
Pre-groupingSomerset and Dorset Railway
Post-groupingSR and LMSR
Western Region of British Railways
Key dates
20 July 1874Opened
10 June 1963Closed to goods traffic
7 March 1966Closed to passenger traffic

Midford railway station was a single-platform station on the Bath extension of the Somerset and Dorset Railway, just to the north of the point where the double-track became a single track. It served the village of Midford. The station was closed with the rest of the line in March 1966 under the Beeching axe, though it had been unstaffed for some years before that.

There was a small goods yard to the north of the station, towards the entrance to the Combe Down Tunnel, which loaded Fuller's earth from Tucking Mill.[1] South of the station, a signal box presided over the double track junction: the railway then ran across the Midford valley on a high viaduct that still exists.

For about four years from 1911 to 1915, Midford had a second railway station, Midford Halt located on the GWR Camerton Branch, which passed under the S&DJR viaduct.

Services

Preceding station   Disused railways   Following station
Wellow
Line and station closed
  Somerset & Dorset Joint Railway
LSWR and Midland Railways
  Bath Green Park
Line and station closed

The site today

After a long period in private hands the site is now part of a surfaced cycleway and footpath — the Two Tunnels Greenway. The platform and remains of the goods shed survive.

The station is now owned by the New Somerset and Dorset Railway who have plans to rebuild the station building and relay the track, when the cycleway will be diverted or accommodated. The site has been cleared to uncover the remains of the old station.[2]

The New Somerset and Dorset Railway

The New Somerset and Dorset Railway[3] formed in early 2009 aims to restore the complete line to mainline operations, so it is possible that Midford will one day see passengers again.

As the initial objectives of the New S&D are focused on the southern end of the line (notably Blandford-Bournemouth), in the short term Midford will be restored as a cafe and information centre, along much the same lines as the existing Shillingstone Station Project.

References

  1. ^ Macmillen, Neil (2009). A history of the Fuller's Earth mining industry around Bath. Lydney: Lightmoor Press. p. 39. ISBN 978-1-899889-32-7.
  2. ^ "Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway: Searching for a lost line". www.gebejay.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk. Archived from the original on 6 October 2008.
  3. ^ "New Somerset and Dorset Railway". Archived from the original on 21 August 2010. Retrieved 10 January 2010.
  • Somerset Railway Stations by Mike Oakley, Dovecote Press, 2002

External links

51°20′42″N 2°20′43″W / 51.3449°N 2.3452°W / 51.3449; -2.3452

Midford Valley Woods

Midford Valley Woods (grid reference ST769611) is a 60-acre (24.6-hectare) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest between Midford and Limpley Stoke in Wiltshire, England, notified in 1975.

Sources

External links

51°20′55″N 2°19′59″W / 51.34851°N 2.33307°W / 51.34851; -2.33307


South Stoke, Somerset

South Stoke
Bathstone building with prominent four stage tower at the right hand end. Partly obscured by a yew tree.
South Stoke is located in Somerset
South Stoke
South Stoke
Location within Somerset
Population460 [1]
OS grid referenceST752615
Civil parish
  • Southstoke
Unitary authority
Ceremonial county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townBATH
Postcode districtBA2
PoliceAvon and Somerset
FireAvon
AmbulanceSouth Western
UK Parliament
Websitewww.southstokepc.org.uk
List of places
UK
England
Somerset
51°21′07″N 2°21′25″W / 51.352°N 2.357°W / 51.352; -2.357

South Stoke or Southstoke is a small village and civil parish in north east Somerset, England. It is 2 miles (3 km) south of the city of Bath, on the River Avon and the route of the disused Somerset Coal Canal.

In 2004, the parish council requested that the name be formally changed to South Stoke, as "this is historically the more established spelling (rather than the single word spelling Southstoke) and better reflects the origin and meaning of the Parish name."[2]

South Stoke is a designated Conservation Area as identified by the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990. The buildings are mainly cream oolitic limestone[3] and there are 27[4] listed structures in and around the village, which has retained much of its original character and historic appeal.

History

Southstoke was part of the hundred of Bath Forum.[4]

In the 19th century, a mine extracting Fuller's earth was dug close to the line of the Wansdyke. It closed before 1902.[5]

Governance

The parish council has responsibility for local issues, including setting an annual precept (local rate) to cover the council's operating costs and producing annual accounts for public scrutiny. The parish council evaluates local planning applications and works with the local police, district council officers, and neighbourhood watch groups on matters of crime, security, and traffic. The parish council's role also includes initiating projects for the maintenance and repair of parish facilities, such as the village hall or community centre, playing fields and playgrounds, as well as consulting with the district council on the maintenance, repair, and improvement of highways, drainage, footpaths, public transport, and street cleaning. Conservation matters (including trees and listed buildings) and environmental issues are also of interest to the council.

The parish falls within the unitary authority of Bath and North East Somerset which was created in 1996, as established by the Local Government Act 1992. It provides a single tier of local government with responsibility for almost all local government functions within their area including local planning and building control, local roads, council housing, environmental health, markets and fairs, refuse collection, recycling, cemeteries, crematoria, leisure services, parks, and tourism. They are also responsible for education, social services, libraries, main roads, public transport, trading standards, waste disposal and strategic planning, although fire, police and ambulance services are provided jointly with other authorities through the Avon Fire and Rescue Service, Avon and Somerset Constabulary and the Great Western Ambulance Service.

Bath and North East Somerset's area covers part of the ceremonial county of Somerset but it is administered independently of the non-metropolitan county. Its administrative headquarters are in Bath. Between 1 April 1974 and 1 April 1996, it was the Wansdyke district and the City of Bath of the county of Avon.[6] Before 1974 that the parish was part of the Bathavon Rural District.[7]

The parish is represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom as part of the North East Somerset county constituency. It elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election.

Amenities

The village provides views over the surrounding area and is the starting point for country walks. A popular route is to visit other villages and their pubs in the area, such as Combe Hay and Midford.

Packhorse Inn

Packhorse Inn

The village for centuries had an ancient pub, the Packhorse Inn, which had a garden and served many traditional beers and ciders, as well as food. It dated from 1498, when it was rebuilt on the site of an earlier guesthouse or hostelry built by monks to provide shelter with food and drink for travellers and pilgrims.[8] The present building dates from 1674, and has been designated by Historic England as a Grade II listed building.[9] Despite this long history, the pub closed unexpectedly in 2012, and was bought by a private individual wishing to use it as a dwelling-house.

However, there was vigorous opposition to this by the local community. Planning permission for the change of use was refused; the building was registered as a resource of community interest under the Localism Act, and ultimately the new owner agreed to sell it to the community. A private company with significant elements of common ownership accountability was formed, and an appeal launched. Over £1 million was raised for the purchase, along with a refurbishment made costly by the building's heritage status. But although a new car park was built and the women's lavatories brought indoors, the building's character was faithfully preserved – indeed, a 17th-century fireplace which had been hidden for years was revealed and restored. The Packhorse reopened to the public on 18 March 2018.[10]

Church of St James

The church is dedicated to St James. It dates from the 12th century, was altered in the 15th, and further restored with the chancel and south aisle being rebuilt between 1845 and 1850. It is Grade II* listed.[11]

References

  1. ^ "Southstoke Parish". Neighbourhood Statistics. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 31 December 2013.
  2. ^ "South Stoke Parish — change of name". Bath and North East Somerset Council. Archived from the original on 23 November 2004. Retrieved 26 December 2007.
  3. ^ Somerville, Christopher. A good walk Southstoke and Cam Valley, Somerset, The Times, 2 January 2010:
  4. ^ a b http://list.english-heritage.org.uk/results.aspx?index=26
  5. ^ Macmillen, Neil (2009). A history of the Fuller's Earth mining industry around Bath. Lydney: Lightmoor Press. pp. 53–54. ISBN 978-1-899889-32-7.
  6. ^ "The Avon (Structural Change) Order 1995". HMSO. Archived from the original on 30 January 2008. Retrieved 9 December 2007.
  7. ^ "Bathavon RD". A vision of Britain Through Time. University of Portsmouth. Retrieved 4 January 2014.
  8. ^ "Packhorse Inn". Archived from the original on 12 November 2010. Retrieved 8 October 2010.
  9. ^ Historic England. "Packhorse Inn (1232550)". National Heritage List for England.
  10. ^ Crawley, James (21 September 2016). "South Stoke community set to buy The Packhorse Pub after £685,000 raised". Bath Chronicle. Archived from the original on 22 September 2016. Retrieved 27 February 2017.; https://www.bathchronicle.co.uk/whats-on/whats-on-news/packhorse-pub-near-bath-announces-1181982
  11. ^ Historic England. "St James' Church (1277046)". National Heritage List for England.

External links

Somerset Coal Canal

Somerset Coal Canal
Disused locks at the Combe Hay flight
Map of the Somerset Coal Canal
Specifications
Length10.6 miles (17.1 km)
(Length of Paulton branch)
Maximum boat beam7 ft 0 in (2.13 m)
Locks23
StatusUnder restoration
History
Former namesSomersetshire Coal Canal
Principal engineerWilliam Jessop
William Smith
Construction began1795
Date of first use1798
Date completed1805
Date closed1898
Date restored2012–present
Geography
Start pointPaulton / Timsbury
End pointDundas Aqueduct
Connects toKennet and Avon Canal

The Somerset Coal Canal (originally known as the Somersetshire Coal Canal) was a narrow canal in England, built around 1800. Its route began in basins at Paulton and Timsbury, ran to nearby Camerton, over two aqueducts at Dunkerton, through a tunnel at Combe Hay, then via Midford and Monkton Combe to Limpley Stoke where it joined the Kennet and Avon Canal. This link gave the Somerset coalfield (which at its peak contained 80 collieries) access east toward London. The longest arm was 10.6 miles (17.1 km) long with 23 locks. From Midford an arm also ran via Writhlington to Radstock, with a tunnel at Wellow.

A feature of the canal was the variety of methods used at Combe Hay to overcome height differences between the upper and lower reaches: initially by the use of caisson locks; when this method failed an inclined plane trackway; and finally a flight of 22 conventional locks.

The Radstock arm was never commercially successful and was replaced first with a tramway in 1815[1] and later incorporated into the Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway. The Paulton route flourished for nearly 100 years and was very profitable, carrying high tonnages of coal for many decades; this canal helped carry the fuel that powered the nearby city of Bath.

By the 1880s, coal production declined as the various pits either ran out of coal or were flooded and then closed. In 1896 the main pump at Dunkerton, which maintained the canal water level, failed. The resultant lowering in level meant that only small loads could be transported, which reduced revenue, thus the canal company could not afford a replacement pump.

The canal became disused after 1898 and officially closed in 1902, being sold off to the various railway companies who were expanding their networks.

In September 2014, restoration work began on the canal section from Paulton to Radford, with the aim of restoring the entire canal to navigation in the future. The largest canal drydock in England has been revealed at Paulton; culverts and bridges nearby are being reinstated or rebuilt; and about 23 mile (1 km) of canal from Paulton to Radford has been in water since mid-2015.[2]

History

Background

House at Tucking Mill, next to the canal, reputedly lived in by William Smith

In 1763 coal was discovered in Radstock and mining began in the area, but transport was a major problem because of the poor state of the roads. This cost and the potential for cheaper delivery of coal from south Wales via the Monmouthshire Canal[3] led to the proposal for a canal which could transport the coal to Bath and Wiltshire.[4] Initial surveys were conducted during 1793 by William Jessop and William Smith under the direction of John Rennie who presented the report on 14 October 1793 estimating the cost of construction of the canal at £80,000. Smith, who also worked at the Mearns Pit at High Littleton, made the original observations leading to his important stratification theory by observing the dips in the geological strata through which the canal was cut.[5][6] Smith became Surveyor to the company, but was dismissed in April 1799, apparently because he had used his position as surveyor to buy a local house at advantageous terms.[7] He then set himself up in a private practice in Bath but was re-engaged by the company in 1811, to provide advice when repairs became necessary to the canal bed.[8]

Derelict lock next to Caisson House, Combe Hay

The canal was authorised by an Act of Parliament entitled "An Act for making and maintaining a navigable Canal, with certain Railways and Stone Roads, from several Collieries in the county of Somerset, to communicate with the intended Kennet and Avon Canal, in the parish of Bradford, in the county of Wilts" of 1794,[3] and further detailed surveys were carried out by Robert Whitworth and John Sutcliffe, who was then appointed as chief engineer.

Construction

In May 1795, tenders were invited for the first section to be built from the meadows near Goosehard (or Gooseyard) near Paulton to Hopyard in the parish of Camerton. In June 1795 a contractor, Houghton & Son from Shropshire, started the terminus at Paulton meadows using local labour. This first section of the canal was completed on Monday 1 October 1798; the first load of coal carried on the canal was delivered to Bath via Dunkerton. Some 14 collieries at Timsbury and Paulton were connected to their respective basins in the meadow terminus by tramways; this required the construction of three tramway bridges over the Cam brook. A further bridge at Upper Radford was required over the canal; at this point tramways connected the Withy Mills and Radford workings. The course of the Cam brook was modified at various places to protect the canal from erosion. In 1799 William Whitmore and his partner, Norton, offered to build a balance (or geometrical) lift without payment, on condition that if successful they were to have £17,300 and a royalty of 4 pence per ton of goods passed.[9]

The design of the caisson lock at Combe Hay was not a success: on 15 February 1798 the first descent failed. Mr Weldon (the inventor) made one successful descent on 7 June and said "I will undertake to pass 1,500 tons of goods through the lock in 12 hrs". Tenders were invited on 28 June for further constructions. Two more attempts to use the lock took place on 11 April and 2 May, but only the latter was successful. By 22 August 1799 the second rebuilding of the caisson had been abandoned. It was replaced by three locks and an inclined plane trackway, but the trackway was not successful either, and the company proposed to raise more money to finance the building of a flight of 19 locks to replace it, the use of which would incur an additional toll of one shilling per ton on all traffic.[3] This was vigorously opposed by the owners of the Kennet and Avon Canal and the Wilts and Berks Canal, on the grounds that the price of coal to their customers would be too high. After negotiation, the company obtained a new Act of Parliament on 30 April 1802, which authorised the formation of a separate body called "The Lock Fund of the Somerset Coal Canal Company", with powers to raise the sum of £45,000. The money was raised by the Kennet and Avon, the Wilts and Berks and the Somerset Coal Canal each contributing £15,000, and the one shilling surcharge was to be levied until the capital had been repaid, after which it would cease.[10] The act set the tonnage rates to be charged:

Somerset Coal Canal at Dundas Aqueduct
Tonnage rates on the Somerset Coal Canal in 1805[11]
Cargo Rate
For all Coal, Coke, &c 2+12d per Ton, per Mile.
For all Iron, Lead, Ores, Cinders, &c 4d ditto. ditto.
For all Stones, Tiles, Bricks, Slate, Timber, &c 3d ditto. ditto.
For all Cattle, Sheep, Swine and other Beasts 4d ditto. ditto.
For all other Goods 4d ditto. ditto.
For every Horse or Ass Travelling on the Railway 1d each.
For every Cow or other Neat Cattle ditto 12d ditto. ditto.
For Sheep, Swine and Calves ditto 5d per Score.

Fractions of a Mile to pay for Half a Mile, and of a Ton as a Quarter of a Ton; Rates for Wharfage to be determined by the Company. In addition to the above Rates, One Shilling per Ton is paid on all Goods to the Lock Fund, which also receives Three Farthings per Ton from the Coal Canal company.[11]

The boats were weighed at Midford, where a weigh house was built in 1831. Boats were floated into a one-ended lock, the gate closed and the water drained. This left the boat resting on a cradle suspended by angled rods attached to a beam which took the weight of the boat. One-pound weights were then added to a pan, with one pound being equivalent to one hundredweight (112 pounds or 51 kilograms), until the system was in equilibrium, then the weight was recorded. The weigh house at Midford was one of only four known to have been built in England and Wales.[3]

Somerset Coal Canal
Kennet and Avon Canal
Dundas aqueduct
Stop lock
River Avon
Limpley Stoke moorings
End of navigable section
 A36  bridge
Tucking Mill Wharf
Toll point (weigh house)
 B3110  bridge
S&D Railway (from 1874)
Radstock Branch
Midford Aqueduct
Midford Basin
Tramway
Twinhoe Basin
Wellow Tunnel
Stoney Littleton Aqueduct
Radstock Basin
Combe Hay Locks 20–22
Adit to pumping engine
Temporary inclined plane (1801-1806)
Combe Hay Locks 1–19
Combe Hay pumping engine
Combe Hay Aqueduct
Combe Hay Tunnel
 A367  Dunkerton Tunnel
Dunkerton Big Aqueduct
Dunkerton Little Aqueduct
Dunkerton pumping engine
Dunkerton Colliery Wharf
Camerton Colliery Wharf
Radford Colliery Wharf
Withy Mills Colliery Wharf
Dry Dock
Paulton Basin
Timsbury Basin


Operation

The canal opened in 1805[3] and was used for passenger traffic as well as coal. In 1814 the Benedictine monks who came to Downside Abbey are said to have used the canal for the last stage of their journey.[12] Another cargo carried by the canal was limestone from Combe Down.[13] The peak level of cargo carried was in 1838 at 138,403 tons[14] resulting in over £17,000 of tolls being paid. Cargoes of over 100,000 tons were common until the 1870s when the decline in output of coal from the various Somerset coalpits, along with competition from the railways, dramatically reduced the canal's profitability. When the main pump at Dunkerton failed it was not replaced and there was not sufficient water for continual operation of the locks. The canal went into liquidation in 1894; it closed in 1898 and was finally abandoned in 1904 when it was sold to the Great Western Railway for £2,000,[15] and used as a branch of the Bristol and North Somerset Railway. The closure caused problems across the Somerset coalfield especially to the pits along the Paulton branch, which had relied on the canal for transportation.[16]

The Radstock branch

When the Radstock branch was constructed, it was intended to link it to the main line of the Paulton branch at Midford, which was at a lower level at this point. The Lock Fund created in 1802 was to have paid for the construction of the locks, but because there was little regular traffic on the branch, the company built one lock, an aqueduct over the Midford Brook, and a short tramway to bridge the gap.[10] This contributed to the economic failure of the branch, and its replacement by a tramway in 1815.[17] The tramway was laid along the former canal's towpath. It was single-line with passing places every 600 yards (550 m), and was originally laid using cast iron plates on stone block sleepers, but was relaid using wrought iron plates.[3]

Engineers and surveyors

Portrait of man with white hair wearing a white cravat and blue jacket.
Portrait of John Rennie, 1810, by Sir Henry Raeburn
William Smith

Data from Jim Shead's Waterways Information.[9]

Combe Hay and the caisson lock

Operation of caisson lock

The fall over the route is 135 ft (41 m), which meant problems with supplying adequate water. The Cam brook was an inadequate source of water above Camerton, and the mills along it had water rights. Each narrow boat travelling through the series of locks (22 of them each 6 ft (1.8 m) deep) with a 25-ton load of coal caused 85 tons of water to be discharged into the brook below the locks. As a result, the canal was designed with all 22 locks in one flight near Combe Hay and a pumping engine to raise water from the Cam; this was the first canal to depend entirely on pumping.

A potential solution to the water supply problem was the use of caisson locks as proposed by Robert Weldon, three of which could replace the 22 conventional locks, because it wasted no water, but the technology had only been tried in a one-third scale prototype. Each lock was 80 ft (24 m) long and 60 ft (18 m) deep and contained a closed wooden box which could take a barge. This box moved up and down in the 60 ft (18 m) deep pool of water, which never left the lock. The box was demonstrated to the Prince Regent (later George IV), but had engineering problems and was never successful commercially or built elsewhere.

It was temporarily replaced with an inclined plane by Benjamin Outram who had successfully installed inclined planes at the Peak Forest Canal in Derbyshire, whilst 22 locks and a Boulton & Watt Steam Pumping Station, capable of lifting 5,000 tons of water in 12 hours, were built to the latest design with metal plate clad wooden gates.[18][19][20]

Construction

Outlet view of spillway drain 25 feet (8 m) long and 10 feet (3 m) wide
Internal view of spillway drain about 66 feet (20 m) in length

The two images show a spillway drain from c. 1796 (uncovered in 2009–10) at Upper Midford, a location where a caisson to take the canal from the 180 ft (55 m) level to the 134 ft (41 m) level at Midford Aqueduct was proposed.

Each caisson would have had such a drain for maintenance purposes over the exit arch made to the same dimensions. The following extract from the Bath Herald newspaper provides the details of the chosen sites:

14 Jun 1798 Travel: Somerset coal canal – caisson cisterns to be formed at Combe Hay & nr. Midford. Sealed proposals reqd. on embanking & excavation with the masonry; or each separately – send to sub-committee, Waldegrave Arms, Radstock 20 Jul Plans & specs. on appl.

For further Newspaper articles see s:Bath Georgian Newspaper - Somerset Coal Canal

Paulton and Timsbury basins

Large conical black mound with trees in the foreground
The spoil tip in Paulton, referred to locally as "The Batch"

located between the villages of Paulton and Timsbury was the terminus of the northern branch of the Somerset Coal Canal and was a central point for at least 15 collieries around Paulton, Timsbury and High Littleton, which were connected to the canal by tramroads. Timsbury basin was some 600 ft (180 m) to the west of Paulton basin.

On the northern side of Timsbury basin was the terminus for the tramroads which served Old Grove, Prior's, Tyning and Hayeswood pits, with a branch line to Amesbury and Mearns pits. Parts of this line were still in use in 1873, probably all carrying horse-drawn wagons of coal. Tramroads on the southern side of the Paulton basin served Brittens, Littleborrok, Paulton Ham, Paulton Hill, Simons Hill terminating at Salisbury Colliery. In addition the Paulton Foundry used this line. The entire line was disused by 1871 as were the collieries it served.[16]

The area has been designated as an 'area of special architectural or historic interest, the character or appearance of which it is desirable to preserve or enhance' under section 69 of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990.[21]

To help preserve the area, security fencing and gates were installed in 2023 around some parts of the canal and car park to control access.[22]

Coming of the railway

White caravan on grassy bridge, surrounded by small trees and shrubs
Aqueduct on the Somerset Coal Canal at Dunkerton

The first railway to affect the canal was the Bristol and North Somerset Railway's Frome to Radstock line completed in 1854 which took traffic away from the tramway. It finally closed in 1874 with the Somerset and Dorset Railway's extension to Bath, built along its route from Radstock to Midford. Another branch line was constructed in 1882 from Hallatrow to Camerton, running alongside the canal for the last 1+12 miles (2 km) of its route.[3]

The Great Western Railway built a railway line (the Bristol and North Somerset Railway) over some parts of the canal route from Limpley Stoke to Camerton, where it joined the existing 1882 branch line from Hallatrow to Camerton. This opened in 1910 for passenger and goods traffic, closed for the First World War, re-opened after the war, ran for passengers only for two more years in the mid-1920s and finally closed to all traffic in the 1950s. The line was used in the 1950s Ealing comedy film The Titfield Thunderbolt.[23][24]

Present day

The route of the canal lies in a largely agricultural area, dotted with small villages linked by minor roads.[25] Several stretches of the Paulton and Timsbury basins branch are easily visible, and various stretches and features were surveyed in 2014.[citation needed] Full restoration of the entire length from Paulton to Dundas is being explored.[by whom?] Four locks on the original canal route at Combe Hay have been buried; one by a 20-foot (6 m) railway embankment, and three overfilled by 10 to 20 feet (3–6 m) with building waste since the 1960s. It may no longer be feasible to reinstate the original locks 16, 17, 18 and 19 structures for this section.[why?]

At Upper Midford the canal is blocked entirely at the accommodation bridge[26] by the 40-foot (12 m) high embankment of the railway that crosses it.[27] Most of the canal features along the entire route are on private land but the towpath survives in places as a right of way, while the later railway between Midford to Wellow has been surfaced to form part of National Cycle Route 24.[28] It has been proposed[by whom?] that a statue, commissioned by Sustrans, of William Smith, the father of English Geology, will be sited next to the path on the line of the canal commemorating his work as its surveyor and his recognition of the significance of rock strata.

The canal in 2006: moorings on the only navigable section of the canal, near its junction with the Kennet and Avon Canal. This stretch at Brassknocker, 200 metres (660 ft) long, is used for moorings, a café, and boat and cycle hire.

Restoration works

Limpley Stoke

The 14-mile (400 m) stretch at Brassknocker Basin where the canal joins the Kennet and Avon at Dundas Aqueduct was restored during the 1980s and is now a thriving marina with moorings. Excavations of the old stop lock (at the junction with the Kennet and Avon Canal) showed that this had originally been a broad (14 feet, 4.3 m) lock that at some point was narrowed to 7 feet (2.1 m) by moving the lock wall.[3]

Excavated canal dry dock and restored entrance arch at Paulton Basin, on the Somerset Coal Canal.

Paulton and Timsbury basins

Work started in 2013 to reveal and excavate the drydock next to the eastern Paulton Basin. This drydock appears to be the largest drydock anywhere on the canal system in England, being about 30 feet (9.1 m) wide and 83 feet (25 m) long, large enough for three full-length narrowboats to be worked on at the same time.[29]

The drainage culvert at the southeast corner of the drydock was rebuilt in December 2013, and the drydock itself completely excavated in April 2014. The entrance to the drydock, at the western end, was surmounted by a bridge, partially demolished in 2002 but rebuilt during 2014.[29]

Withy Mills

Excavations began in May 2014 at Terminus Bridge; the abutments were found to be in poor condition; an earth bund between the abutments carried the public footpath and stopped the water draining from the Paulton and Timsbury Basins. A new earth bund was installed about 25 m (27 yd) west of Terminus Bridge to stop the water and allow work to continue on the bridge.[30]

During excavations a drainage culvert was discovered about 20 m (22 yd) west of Terminus bridge.[31] Work resumed in September and November 2014 to batter and reshape the canal embankments. Excess topsoil was removed and the towpath reinstated on the stretch to the east from Terminus bridge for about 200 m (220 yd). On the same stretch a retaining wall was discovered in the south embankment continuing for about 100 m (110 yd), possibly built as a repair to a weak section of canal banking. Vertical infills of white clay have been used along this wall.

Grant to study history of the canal

The restored canal bed at Upper Midford to the west of the recently uncovered Georgian spillway drain

The canal has been studied for many years with exploration and restoration work being undertaken in Wellow and elsewhere. Particular effort, so far unsuccessful, has been put into trying to find the site of the second and third caisson locks at Combe Hay. In October 2006 a grant of £20,000 was obtained from the Heritage Lottery Fund, by the Somersetshire Coal Canal Society in association with Bath & North East Somerset Council and the Avon Industrial Buildings Trust to carry out a technical study on one of the locks and associated structures at Combe Hay.[32][33] Many of the locks and associated workings are listed buildings.[34][35]

Route and points of interest

Point Coordinates
(Links to map resources)
OS Grid Ref Notes
Site of basin 51°18′14″N 2°29′38″W / 51.304°N 2.494°W / 51.304; -2.494 (Site of basin) ST655563 Paulton
Site of aqueduct 51°20′02″N 2°24′32″W / 51.334°N 2.409°W / 51.334; -2.409 (Site of aqueduct) ST715595 Dunkerton
Site of caisson lock 51°20′13″N 2°22′59″W / 51.337°N 2.383°W / 51.337; -2.383 (Site of Caison lock) ST733598 Combe Hay
Junction of branches and tramway connection 51°20′35″N 2°20′35″W / 51.343°N 2.343°W / 51.343; -2.343 (Junction of branches) ST761605 Midford
Junction with Kennet and Avon Canal 51°21′40″N 2°18′43″W / 51.361°N 2.312°W / 51.361; -2.312 (Junction with Kennet and Avon Canal) ST783625 Limpley Stoke

See also

References

  1. ^ Dunning, Robert (1983). A History of Somerset. Chichester: Phillimore & Co. ISBN 0-85033-461-6.
  2. ^ "Restoration". Somerset Coal Canal Society. Archived from the original on 29 November 2014. Retrieved 21 November 2014.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h Halse, Roger; Castens, Simon (2000). The Somersetshire Coal Canal: A Pictorial Journey. Bath: Millstream Books. ISBN 0-948975-58-X.
  4. ^ Clew, Kenneth R. (1970). The Somersetshire Coal Canal and Railways. Newton Abbot: David and Charles. ISBN 0-7153-4792-6.
  5. ^ Simon Winchester, The Map That Changed the World: William Smith and the Birth of Modern Geology, (2001), New York: HarperCollins, ISBN 0-14-028039-1
  6. ^ Torrens, H. S. (2004). "Smith, William (1769–1839)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford, England: Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/25932. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  7. ^ Clew (1970: 38)
  8. ^ Clew (1970: 74)
  9. ^ a b "History of Somerset Coal Canal". Jim Shead's Waterways Information. Archived from the original on 20 February 2012. Retrieved 9 October 2006.
  10. ^ a b L. J. Dalby (2000) The Wilts and Berks Canal, Oakwood Press, ISBN 0-85361-562-4
  11. ^ a b Priestley, Joseph (1831). Historical Account of the Navigable Rivers, Canals, and Railways, of Great Britain. Archived from the original on 15 December 2007. Retrieved 9 October 2006.
  12. ^ Coysh, A.W.; Mason, E.J.; Waite, V. (1977). The Mendips. London: Robert Hale Ltd. ISBN 0-7091-6426-2.
  13. ^ Patch, Harry; Van Emden, Richard (2007). The Last Fighting Tommy. Bloomsbury Publishing Plc. p. 15. ISBN 978-0-7475-9115-3.
  14. ^ Collier, Peter (1986). Colliers Way: The Somerset Coalfield. Ex Libris Press. ISBN 978-0-948578-05-2.
  15. ^ Russell, Ronald (1991). The Country Canal. David & Charles. ISBN 0-7153-9169-0.
  16. ^ a b Down, C.G.; Warrington, A. J. (2005). The history of the Somerset coalfield. Radstock: Radstock Museum. ISBN 0-9551684-0-6.
  17. ^ Priestley, Joseph (1831). Historical Account of the Navigable Rivers, Canals, and Railways, of Great Britain P580. Archived from the original on 15 December 2007. Retrieved 9 December 2007.
  18. ^ "The Somerset Coal Canal". Bath Royal Literary and Scientific Institution. Archived from the original on 14 November 2006. Retrieved 6 October 2006.
  19. ^ "History of the Caisson Lock on the Somersetshire Coal Canal". The Somersetshire Coal Canal (Society). Archived from the original on 11 October 2006. Retrieved 6 October 2006.
  20. ^ "Canals and Canal projects". Aspects of Somerset History. Archived from the original on 2 May 2006. Retrieved 9 October 2006.
  21. ^ "Paulton conservation area character appraisal". Bath and North East Somerset Planning. Archived from the original on 18 September 2010. Retrieved 10 December 2006.
  22. ^ "Canal safety mesh fencing". Jacksons Security Fencing. Retrieved 5 September 2023.
  23. ^ Castens, Simon (2002). On the Trail of The Titfield Thunderbolt. Thunderbolt Books. ISBN 0-9538771-0-8.
  24. ^ Mitchell, Vic; Smith, Keith (June 1996). Frome to Bristol including the Camerton Branch and the "Titfield Thunderbolt". Middleton Press. ISBN 1-873793-77-4.
  25. ^ "Area 12 Cam and Wellow Brook Valleys". BANES Rural Landscapes. Archived from the original on 26 November 2005. Retrieved 9 October 2006.
  26. ^ "Image: Constructing the Camerton to Limpley Stoke Railway, Midford". Bath in Time. 1908. Archived from the original on 22 January 2014.
  27. ^ "Constructing the Camerton to Limpley Stoke Railway, Midford c.1907 by Dafnis, George Love at Bath in Time". Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 4 June 2015.
  28. ^ "Bristol and Somerset". SUSTRANS. Archived from the original on 18 August 2006. Retrieved 9 October 2006.
  29. ^ a b Norbury, S. G. (17 June 2015). "Boats to use coal canal in Paulton for the first time 117 years". Somerset Guardian. Retrieved 8 October 2015.
  30. ^ "Local Canal to reopen in Big History Year". Midsomer Norton, Radstock & District Journal. 17 June 2015. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 8 October 2015.
  31. ^ "Restoration". Somerset Coal Canal Society. Archived from the original on 12 October 2015. Retrieved 8 October 2015.
  32. ^ "Grant unlocks Canal's secret history". BANES News Inform 32. Archived from the original on 20 July 2012. Retrieved 6 October 2006.
  33. ^ "Canal lock restoration under way". BBC News, Somerset. 9 October 2006. Retrieved 9 October 2006.
  34. ^ Historic England. "Flight of 10 locks (1115372)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 6 October 2006.
  35. ^ Historic England. "Remains of the Basin at the bottom of the Inclined Plane (1320442)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 6 October 2006.

Bibliography

  • Allsop, Niall (1993). The Somersetshire Coal Canal Rediscovered: A Walker's Guide. Bath: Millstream Books. ISBN 0-948975-35-0.
  • Clew, Kenneth R (1970). The Somersetshire Coal Canal and Railways. Bran's Head Books. ISBN 0-905220-67-6.
  • Cornwell, John (2005). Collieries of Somerset and Bristol. Landmark Publishing Ltd. ISBN 1-84306-170-8.
  • Halse, Roger; Castens, Simon (2000). The Somersetshire Coal Canal: A Pictorial Journey. Bath: Millstream Books. ISBN 0-948975-58-X.
  • Handley, Chris (2006). Transport & Industrial Development in the Somerset Coalfield. Radstock: Radstock, Midsomer Norton and District Museum Society.
  • Chapman, Mike (2000). The Timsbury Book – Timsbury & the Somersetshire coal canal. Timsbury: Timsbury Parish Council Millennium Committee. ISBN 0-9526225-5-6.

External links

51°20′02″N 2°24′32″W / 51.334°N 2.409°W / 51.334; -2.409

Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway

Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway
1926 map of S&DJR
Overview
StatusDisused
Owner
LocaleSomerset
Dorset
Termini
Stations48
Service
TypeHeavy rail
ServicesBath to Bournemouth, Bridgwater to Bournemouth, Burnham to Bournemouth
Depot(s)Highbridge Locomotive, Carriage and Wagon Works; Bournemouth
History
Opened1854-1874
1862Somerset Central Railway and Dorset Central Railway amalgamate to form Somerset and Dorset Railway
1876Joint ownership by Midland Railway and London and South Western Railway commences (later London, Midland and Scottish Railway and Southern Railway)
1948Railway nationalised under British Rail
Closed1951-1966
Reopened1996-present (Somerset & Dorset Railway Heritage Trust have relaid 1 mile of line to date)
Technical
Line length105 miles 45 chains (169.9 km) (1925)[1]
Track length180 miles 62 chains (290.9 km) (1925)[1]
Number of tracksMajority single track. 45 miles 3 chains (72.5 km) double track.[1]
Track gauge4 ft 8+12 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Old gauge7 ft 14 in (2,140 mm) Brunel gauge
Highest elevation811 ft (247 m) between Binegar and Masbury[1]
Maximum incline1 in 50 between Bath and Midford, Radstock and summit of Mendip Hills, and summit of Mendip Hills and Evercreech[1]
Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway
This diagram shows the maximum extent of the line.
All distances and timings are cumulative
from Bath Green Park railway station.

km  
h:min
0.00
Bath Green Park
originally Queen Square
0:00
0.40
Bath Goods Depot
0.82
0:01
0:02
Devonshire Tunnel
0:04
0:05
Tucking Mill Viaduct
0:06
7.02
Midford
0:10
0:11
10.88
Wellow
0:17
13.80
Shoscombe and Single Hill Halt
0:22
Writhlington Colliery sidings
formerly Foxcote
0:23
17.14
Radstock North
0:26
0:29
20.16
Midsomer Norton
0:35
Chilcompton Tunnel
23.32
Chilcompton
0:44
27.46
Binegar
0:52
Summit
247 m above sea level
29.99
Masbury
0:56
81.73
Burnham-on-Sea
2:16
Bristol and Exeter Railway (GWR)
to Bristol Temple Meads
Windsor Hill Tunnel
78.92
Highbridge
2:11
Highbridge Locomotive,
Carriage and Wagon Works
76.28
Bason Bridge
2:06
70.67
Edington Burtle
1:58
75.10
Cossington
2:04
77.37
Bawdrip Halt
2:09
67.17
Shapwick
1:52
64.09
Ashcott
1:47
Bridgwater Spinx Cement Works
Bridgwater cement, lime,
brick and tile Works
81.94
Bridgwater North
2:12
enlarge…
Bridgwater
(GWR)
59.75
Glastonbury and Street
1:39
64.57
Polsham
1:47
68.60
Wells (Tucker Street)
Charlton Viaduct
1:01
68.60
Wells (Priory Road)
1:53
35.16
Shepton Mallet (Charlton Road)
1:02
Shepton Mallet (High Street)
51.24
West Pennard
1:28
45.79
Pylle
1:20
1:03
40.07
Evercreech New
1:10
42.04
Evercreech Junction
1:15
42.52
Evercreech Junction
1:16
1:23
46.99
Cole (for Bruton)
1:24
53.83
Wincanton
1:33
59.48
Templecombe
1:42
59.64
1:43
Tower View
Common Lane & Depot
Pinesway Junction
Park Lane
62.52
Henstridge
1:50
64.92
Stalbridge
1:55
71.31
Sturminster Newton
2:03
76.20
Shillingstone
2:10
Shillingstone Railway Project
(under construction)
Stourpaine and Durweston Halt
2:16
84.99
Blandford Forum
2:24
Blandford Camp
86.90
Charlton Marshall Halt
2:29
89.42
Spetisbury
2:34
94.83
Bailey Gate
2:42
Southampton and Dorchester Railway
to Ringwood
102.88
Wimborne
2:53
97.69
Corfe Mullen Halt
2:49
102.51
Broadstone Junction
2:55
Broadstone Junction
2:57
104.59
Creekmoor Halt
2:59
Backwater Channel
Hamworthy Junction
3:02
Hamworthy (original station)
now Hamworthy Goods Depot
Poole Quay
108.03
Poole
Brittany Ferries
3:03
110.96
Parkstone
3:13
113.07
Branksome
3:18
Branksome Junction
Bournemouth West Junction
Gasworks Junction
Bournemouth Depot
3:20
115.03
Bournemouth West
3:23
Meyrick Park Halt
Bournemouth Central
3:24

The Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway, also known as the S&D, SDJR or S&DJR, was an English railway line connecting Bath (in north-east Somerset) and Bournemouth (now in south-east Dorset but then in Hampshire), with a branch from Evercreech Junction to Burnham-on-Sea and Bridgwater. Strictly speaking, the main line ran from Bath Junction to Broadstone, as the line between Broadstone and Bournemouth was owned by the London and South Western Railway, while the line between Bath Junction and Bath was owned by the Midland Railway.[2]

The line was used for freight and local passenger traffic over the Mendip Hills, and for weekend holiday traffic to Bournemouth. Criticised as the "Slow and Dirty" or the "Slow and Doubtful", it closed in 1966 as part of the Beeching axe despite protests from the local community.

Overview

The Somerset and Dorset Railway (S&D) was created in 1862, as an amalgamation of the Somerset Central Railway and the Dorset Central Railway. By the following year, it ran from Burnham-on-Sea in Somerset to Wimborne in Dorset. From Wimborne, the S&D trains could use a line owned by the London and South Western Railway (LSWR) to reach Hamworthy on the South Coast. It was anticipated that substantial traffic would be attracted to this cross-country link between the Bristol Channel and the English Channel. When this failed to materialise, the company, which was already in dire financial straits, decided to gamble everything on one last desperate bid for increased traffic, and built an extension from Evercreech Junction to Bath to join up with the Midland Railway. This new line provided a through route for traffic between the Midlands and North of England, and the South Coast. It produced a substantial increase in traffic, but too late to save the company, which went into receivership, and in 1875 it became jointly owned by the Midland Railway and the LSWR,[2] and was renamed the Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway (S&DJR). After the 1 January 1923 Grouping, joint ownership of the S&DJR passed to the London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS) and the Southern Railway.[3][4]

Its attractions were its quirky individuality, its varied scenery (captured particularly by the photographs and pioneering cine films taken by Ivo Peters), and the way it seemed to struggle against overwhelming odds. Its main line climbed to 811 feet (247 m) above sea level at Masbury, and it contained several single line sections, but on summer Saturdays it managed to handle a considerable volume of holiday trains, when it seemed every possible locomotive was drafted into service to handle heavy trains requiring double-heading and banking over the steep gradients.

The S&DJR started before the railway network in England had settled down, and both local and strategic aspirations structured the line's earliest days. Work has now started to restore some remnants of the line to working condition, notably at Midsomer Norton in Somerset and Shillingstone in Dorset.

The S&D in the early 1960s

The fame of the Somerset & Dorset line reached its peak in the first years of the 1960s, just before final closure as part of the nationwide reduction of railway services, usually called the Beeching Axe.

The main line was still active, carrying local passenger trains and a daily long-distance train, the Pines Express, from Manchester to Bournemouth West, reversing at Bath Green Park. Local freight on the route survived in adequate volumes, although the Somerset coalfield was becoming ever more uneconomic to work and so coal traffic had dwindled.[5]

On summer Saturdays, the line continued to carry a very heavy traffic of long-distance trains, from northern towns to Bournemouth and back. The traditional nature of the operation of the route was reflected in the fact that most of the originating towns were on the former Midland Railway system, almost as if the railway grouping of 1923 had never taken place. These trains brought unusual traffic combinations to the route, and the home locomotive fleet was augmented by strangers such as LMS Jubilee Class 4-6-0s from the north, though these did not work over the S&D proper, and West Country Pacifics from the south. For the summer seasons of 1960, 1961 and 1962 a small number of BR Standard Class 9F 2-10-0s, which were designed as heavy freight locomotives, were transferred to Bath locomotive depot, in an attempt to reduce the preponderance of double-heading required on the majority of trains between Bath and Evercreech Junction on account of the steep gradients encountered on either side of Masbury summit. For the same reason, during the summer months the native S&D class 7F 2-8-0s were also pressed into service to assist, or to handle lighter trains on their own.

The route remained almost entirely steam-worked until closure, though some diesel multiple units ran over the line on a couple of excursions only in the final years.[6] After closure, diesels worked demolition trains, and some diesel workings operated to Blandford Forum after the line had closed.[7]

Freight in the 1960s was largely in the hands of Fowler 4Fs, Stanier 8Fs, Standard Class 5 4-6-0s, and the S&DJR 7F 2-8-0s, assisted by Fowler 3F "Jinty" 0-6-0Ts and Great Western Railway Pannier Tanks; freight trains were assisted in rear by these locomotives over the Combe Down summit and over Masbury.

The Highbridge branch trains were latterly worked by GWR 2251 Class 0-6-0s, and LMS Ivatt Class 2 2-6-0.s

Geography

The Somerset & Dorset system from 1890

The S&D main line ran south from Bath Queen Square (later renamed Green Park) to Radstock, at one time the centre of the Somerset coalfield, and then over Masbury Summit, at 811 feet (274 m) above sea level, crossing the Mendip Hills, via Shepton Mallet and entering the catchment area of the River Stour to Wincanton and Blandford, joining the LSWR South West Main Line at Poole, the S&D trains continuing to the LSWR station at Bournemouth West.[8]

The branch line from Highbridge to Evercreech Junction had been the original main line, when attracting steamer traffic across the Bristol Channel had been an objective. It traversed a sparsely populated area, and when the marine connection ceased, only Glastonbury and Street in the centre of the route contributed any worthwhile income. There had been other, shorter branches, but these too generated very little traffic and they had all closed by the early 1950s.[9]

Serving only a string of medium-sized market towns between its extremities, the S&D generated a modest internal traffic, and had daunting operational costs, due to the difficulty of its main line. Its strategic significance was as part of a through route between the Midlands and the South Coast, by connecting with the Midland Railway at Bath. The Midland Railway linked Bath to Bristol and via Gloucester to Birmingham and the north. Heavy summer holiday passenger traffic and healthy through freight business was the result, but the long and difficult main line was always very expensive to run.[10]

There was only one intermediate connection on the route, at Templecombe where the West of England line was crossed. There was an awkward layout there, requiring through trains to reverse along a spur between the S&D main line and the east-west LSWR main line.[11] The full journey time for ordinary passenger trains was typically four hours, although the limited stop holiday expresses managed it in two hours.

Much of the S&D was single track, but the main line was double track from Midford to Templecombe, and from Blandford Forum to Corfe Mullen. Crossing trains on the single line sections always added operational interest to the line, but many enthusiasts chose to focus on the quirky operation of trains calling at Templecombe and the light engine movements associated with them. Trains had to reverse from Templecombe station to Templecombe Junction (for southbound trains, and the reverse for northbound), requiring use of a pilot engine to assist with these manoeuvres. In at least one case, a northbound train and a southbound train, both requiring to call at Templecombe station, were timed to arrive at Templecombe Junction simultaneously. The operating procedure was for the northbound train to set back on to the southbound train at the junction, thence to be pulled into the station by the southbound train engine, with the northbound engine still on the back. After completion of station work, the entire equipage was pulled back to the junction by the northbound train engine, where the two trains were uncoupled to continue on their separate ways.

History

The Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway came into existence on 1 November 1875.[12] It was formed when the Somerset & Dorset Railway ran into unmanageable financial difficulties and they leased the line for 999 years to the Midland Railway and the London and South Western Railway jointly.[4]

The origins of the Somerset & Dorset Railway lay with two separate companies, which built sections of line, each with their own ambitions.

Somerset Central Railway

The Somerset Central Railway started out as a local railway line designed to give Glastonbury transport access for manufactured goods, to the Bristol Channel and to the Bristol and Exeter Railway's main line. It soon saw that a longer connection southwards was useful, and made an alliance with the Dorset Central Railway, and built an easterly line to join that railway at Cole.

Origins

The procession celebrating the opening of the Somerset Central Railway

The Somerset Central Railway opened on 28 August 1854 from Glastonbury to Highbridge Wharf.[12] Glastonbury was then an important manufacturing town, but its location made the transport of goods difficult. Coastal shipping was still dominant for transport and the Bristol Channel ports of Bridgwater and Highbridge were about 18 miles away. The Bristol and Exeter Railway (B&ER) had been opened, passing through both those towns, in 1841.

Highbridge was chosen as the destination because a route to Bridgwater would have been much more challenging technically, because of high ground to the east of Bridgwater itself. The Glastonbury Canal had been bought by the friendly B&ER, and by arrangement with them the canal was closed and the railway built partly on the course of the canal, reducing construction cost.

The line was opened as 7 ft 14 in (2,140 mm) broad gauge, as a feeder to the B&ER, and had stations at Glastonbury, Ashcott, Shapwick, Edington, Bason Bridge (opened in 1862) and Highbridge at the B&ER station.[13] There were goods facilities at Highbridge Wharf, to the west of the B&ER line. The line was worked operationally by the B&ER.

Initial results were encouraging, and the original objective of the railway, to give Glastonbury access to the maritime and railway transport links at Highbridge, was successfully achieved.

Development

Highbridge Wharf became a hive of activity, and at this early date coastal shipping was still an important means of transporting goods. To reach South Coast destinations the ships had a difficult and hazardous passage round Land's End, and there were hopes that the railway could become the core of a transport chain bringing manufactured goods, especially metal goods, from South Wales to the Southern Counties, and taking agricultural produce back to feed the industrial population in South Wales, using shipping across the Bristol Channel.[14]

The success of Highbridge Wharf for goods traffic encouraged ideas of expanding passenger traffic across the Bristol Channel, and on 3 May 1858 the Somerset Central Railway opened an extension from Highbridge to a new passenger pier at Burnham, expecting heavy passenger traffic. The pier was actually a slip, a broad ramp 900 feet (274 m) long, sloping down at 1 in 21 into the tidal waters; and steamers berthed alongside at the point where the adjacent part of the slip was at a suitable height.[11] Rails were laid on the slip, and single wagons were worked down to the steamers using a wire rope;[15] passengers, however, walked to a platform at Burnham station nearby. In both cases the arrangement was awkward and inconvenient, and the anticipated traffic growth never materialised, and the Burnham Pier, which had cost £20,000, was a financial failure.

At the eastern end, a branch to the important city of Wells was opened on 15 March 1859. This had originally been planned to be part of a main line extension towards Frome, where the Wilts, Somerset and Weymouth Railway could be joined, giving the yearned-for access to the South Coast towns, but by now the Somerset Central thought that joining up with the Dorset Central Railway would be a more cost-effective option. Wells therefore was a branch line only, with the station at Priory Road.[11] It too was broad gauge, and one intermediate station at Polsham was opened in 1861.

The impetus now however was the south-easterly link with the Dorset Central Railway, and parliamentary powers were sought for the extension to Cole.

The link to Cole

Cole was no destination in itself, but was the agreed point of meeting up with the Dorset Central Railway. The important town of Bruton lay nearby, but its topography made a closer approach difficult. The Wilts, Somerset and Weymouth Railway had been opened in 1856, giving broad gauge access to the Great Western Railway (GWR) system, but the Somerset Central wanted to have through standard gauge access to the Dorset Central Railway and the South Coast. Parliamentary powers were sought and the standard gauge was specified, but pressure from the broad gauge B&ER – who feared loss of the feeder traffic from the line it had supported – led to a requirement to lay broad gauge and to make a junction with the Wilts Somerset and Weymouth where the lines would cross.

The line from Glastonbury to Cole opened on 3 February 1862 and mixed gauge track was laid, although the required connection to the Wilts Somerset & Weymouth was never opened. Glastonbury to Highbridge and Burnham was converted to mixed gauge at the same time. Intermediate stations between Glastonbury and Cole were West Pennard, Pylle and Evercreech.

The Dorset Central Railway

Initial opening

The Dorset Central Railway had started with higher ambitions than the Somerset line. Its promoters had originally intended a connection to the north via Bath, but their actual railway started more modestly. It opened on 1 November 1860 from the LSWR station at Wimborne, to the important market town of Blandford. The Blandford station at this time was south of the river Stour, at the hamlet of Blandford St. Mary, until later amalgamation, when the bridge was built over the river.[12][16]

The line was worked by the LSWR. This and all of the Dorset Central Railway's lines were standard gauge. Intermediate stations were at Spetisbury, and Sturminster Marshall.

Northwards aspiration

Seeing that its northwards destiny could best be served by an alliance with the Somerset Central Railway, it obtained powers to extend to Cole and join that railway there, and it opened part of this route, from Templecombe to Cole on 3 February 1862, the same day that the Somerset company opened its section to Cole. There was one intermediate station, at Wincanton. All of this northern section was worked by the Somerset company.

Templecombe

Templecombe in 1862

Templecombe was a small community and its significance was the connection to London over the Salisbury & Yeovil Railway's line. The DCR trains used the Salisbury & Yeovil Railway station on the main line. The difference in levels between the two lines and the availability of land induced the company to make the physical connection facing towards Salisbury and London, and the junction was to the east of the S&YR station. The S&YR provided a track from the point of junction back to their station, and DCR trains arriving from Cole had to reverse from the junction to the S&YR station. It is unlikely at this early date that through running (without calling at Templecombe) was contemplated, and the DCR spur probably did not connect directly into the S&YR main line.[17]

Formation of the Somerset & Dorset Railway

The Somerset Central Railway and the Dorset Central Railway in 1862

The Somerset Central Railway and the northern part of the Dorset Central Railway were worked as a single unit from the beginning, and on 1 September 1862 the two railways were amalgamated[18] by Act of Parliament, under the title Somerset & Dorset Railway. At this time therefore, the system consisted of:

  • the original main line and its eastward extension, running from Highbridge to Templecombe (the junction with the Salisbury & Yeovil Railway);
  • the Highbridge Wharf extension and the Burnham extension at the western end;
  • the separate portion from Blandford to Wimborne Junction.

Closing the gap

The new company opened the missing link from Blandford to Templecombe on 31 August 1863, and now the original dream of a link from the English Channel to the Bristol Channel materialised. The LSWR allowed through passenger trains to run over their line between Wimborne and Poole, reversing at Wimborne. The Somerset and Dorset company therefore operated trains from Burnham to Poole and on the branch to Wells. At this time Poole station was on the western side of Holes Bay, at the location that ultimately became Hamworthy Goods.

Intermediate stations between the point of junction at Templecombe and Blandford were Templecombe (S&DR station), Henstridge, Stalbridge, Sturminster Newton, Shillingstone and Blandford. The original connection from Cole to the Salisbury & Yeovil Railway (S&YR) had faced towards London, and the new line diverged half a mile or so north of the S&YR line, passing under it by a bridge. The S&D Templecombe station was provided between the new junction and the S&YR bridge. The opening of Sturminster Newton station prompted the renaming of the Sturminster Marshall station to Bailey Gate (after the adjacent turnpike gate) to avoid confusion. At Blandford, a new station was built, situated more conveniently to the town, and the earlier DCR station south of the River Stour was closed.

Templecombe complications

Templecombe in 1863

Templecombe had suddenly become the most important interchange point on the system, and trains from Wimborne needed convenient access to a station. The company provided its own "Lower" station on the direct north–south line a little north of the S&YR line on the east of its own line. S&DR passengers had their own station, but the through traffic from Glastonbury and Highbridge to London was important, and would not think well of the half mile walk between the two stations. To accommodate those passengers, the S&YR operated a shuttle train service between the two stations.

Templecombe in 1870

This arrangement could hardly continue, but the topography of the village was challenging. The solution eventually adopted was to construct a new west-facing connection entering directly into the S&YR station. Because of the height difference it made its junction with the DCR main line some distance to the north at a new junction. The east-facing connection to the S&YR line was severed, although the spur was retained as a siding connected at the Templecombe S&DR end.

Templecombe in the 1900s

At some later date, it became obvious that the S&D station to the east of its main line was almost useless, as nearly all trains called at the main (Upper) station to make connections. The Lower station was closed and a short platform, Templecombe Lower Platform, was provided on the west side of the main line, adjacent to the main road. There were no facilities on it, and only the last train from Bournemouth and certain other very early or late trains used it.

Bournemouth reached at last

In the first half of the 19th century, Bournemouth was an insignificant hamlet, and when a railway from London to Dorchester was being planned, no importance was attached to the coastal area. Later as the town grew many of its wealthier inhabitants blocked the coming of the railway as they felt it would spoil the exclusivity of the town by allowing access to tourists from all classes. Accordingly, the railway from Southampton to Dorchester cut inland to pass through the important towns of Ringwood and Wimborne. There was a branch to the west of Holes Bay from Poole Junction (now Hamworthy) to a station called Poole, situated to the west of the bridge over the inlet. This was the "Poole" station that Somerset & Dorset trains reached over LSWR tracks, reversing at Wimborne.

This was inconvenient for the town of Poole, and the LSWR interest built a railway to reach Poole itself from Broadstone, opening on 2 December 1872, and through a daughter company from Poole to Bournemouth on 15 June 1874. The Bournemouth station eventually became Bournemouth West. Somerset & Dorset trains transferred from the Hamworthy station to the new Poole station immediately, and extended to Bournemouth as soon as the extension was opened. They still had to reverse at Wimborne, as the Corfe Mullen connection did not materialise until 1885.

The Bath extension

The Somerset and Dorset Railway in 1875

In earlier times the massive port and industrial centre of Bristol had been the northerly magnet, but in the intervening years other railways had interposed themselves. But the Midland Railway's Mangotsfield and Bath Branch Line had reached Bath in 1869, so the S&DR decided to head for that destination. This had the advantage also of crossing the Somerset Coalfield.[19]

An Act of Parliament was obtained which included running powers for the last half mile into Bath over the Midland's line, and the use of their Bath station at Queen Square. The terrain was quite different from the previous ground covered, and engineers had to build many tunnels and viaducts. The line was steep, with a ruling gradient of 1 in 50. The summit, in the Mendip Hills, was 811 feet above sea level. (247 m).[19] From Radstock to Midford the railway followed the route of the Radstock branch of the Somerset Coal Canal which was little used and had been replaced by a tramway on the canal's towpath in 1815. The S&DR purchased the waterway, filled in the canal, removed the tramway and built its railway along the route. This greatly reduced the cost and time of construction and provided a mostly level course, but forced the railway to follow the sharply-curved course of the original canal.

Disused signal box at Wellow, now privately owned

Completion was swift, despite a break in construction when a contractor had financial problems. It opened on 20 July 1874.

There were four passenger trains each way every day; two of them carried through coaches from Birmingham to Bournemouth.

Intermediate stations were at Wellow, Radstock, Chilcompton, Binegar, Masbury, Shepton Mallet and Evercreech New. The original Evercreech station was renamed Evercreech Junction.

Financial exhaustion and lease

The completion of the line to Bath brought a further massive traffic increase, but the financial burden of the loans taken to build the Bath extension weighed the little company down even more, and it soon became clear that even day-to-day operating expenses could not be met. Atthill[12] describes the Bath extension project as an act of financial suicide.

Somerset and Dorset Railway Leasing Act 1876
Act of Parliament
Citation39 & 40 Vict. c. cxv
Dates
Royal assent13 July 1876

The company realised that the game was up, and sought purchasers. The GWR and the B&ER were obvious candidates, but in August 1875 a 999-year lease was abruptly agreed jointly to the Midland Railway and the LSWR (the two railways whose networks it joined at either end), and this was confirmed by act of Parliament (39 & 40 Vict. c. cxv) on 13 July 1876.

The purchase price was generous, being calculated by the Midland and LSWR as much to exclude the GWR and B&ER from Bournemouth as anything else, and the rental income enabled the S&DR company to pay its shareholders 3+12%, a considerable income in those years of very low inflation.

The railway route was now the Somerset & Dorset Joint Railway.

The Joint Committee

With the lease to two very powerful companies, the operation of the Joint Line (as it was now called) would no longer be hampered by shortage of money. The Midland Railway and the LSWR set up a joint committee, and divided up responsibilities so that the Midland was in charge of motive power, and the LSWR provided the infrastructure and rolling stock.

The serious accident at Foxcote, near Radstock took place on 7 August 1876,[20][21] within a month of the formal takeover of responsibilities, and must have brought home to the parent companies the urgency of their intervening to bring things into good order. Operation of the complex stretches of single line had been done by Absolute Block working, but without any form of physical train staff (supplemented by telegraphic train orders issued from an office at Glastonbury), so the LSWR set about replacing this by the Electric Train Tablet method of single-line control.

Aside from that, the new management consolidated the links with mineral extraction interests near the line.

At Wells, two other railways, originally independent, had approached the S&D station there (Priory Road). The East Somerset line from Witham led in from the east, and had a station opposite the S&D station. The Bristol & Exeter operated branch from Yatton to a station in Wells at Tucker Street. The S&D station sat exactly between them and while these railways remained broad gauge, connecting them, a connection was difficult. Eventually they were absorbed by the GWR, and then converted to standard gauge, and on 1 January 1878 a through connection was made, so that goods traffic exchange was now possible, and GWR passenger trains could run throughout from Yatton to Witham, through the S&D station. They did not make calls there until 1 October 1934, and ceased to do so when the S&D Wells branch closed in 1951.

The main line transit from Bath to Bournemouth was still hampered by the necessity of reversing at Wimborne, and the Joint companies built a new cut-off line from Bailey Gate to what became Broadstone station. The new line ran alongside the Wimborne line for the first two miles to Corfe Mullen and the cut-off carried its first goods traffic on 14 December 1885, and was fully brought into use on 1 November 1886. It is not clear why the ten-month delay took place, but it may be connected with objections from the town of Wimborne at the obvious loss of train services.

In 1889 and 1891 the Midland Railway and the LSWR bought out nearly all of the stock of the original S&D shareholders, so that they finally became joint owners of the line.

Bridgwater joins the S&D

The original Somerset Central Railway company had considered the important town of Bridgwater as its western terminus, but had decided that the difficulties of constructing a route were too great. However the Bridgwater Railway Company made the connection from Edington Road, renamed Edington Junction, to Bridgwater, opening the seven mile line on 21 July 1890; there was one intermediate station at Cossington and a Halt at Bawdrip.[22] From that time, there was a viable passenger transit from Bridgwater to London via Templecombe, in competition with the GWR route via Bristol.

The nominally independent Bridgwater Railway had a working arrangement with the LSWR and the line was operated from the outset by the S&D. After the 1 January 1923 Grouping ownership of the line passed to the Southern Railway.[23]

Working of single line

From the late 1870s a number of the single line sections were made double track, to improve handling of the heavy train service, and by 1905 about two-thirds of the main line mileage was double track, and trains could now run throughout from Bath to Bournemouth with reasonable convenience, excepting only the awkward arrangement at Templecombe. Southbound trains calling there (to make connection into the LSWR Exeter main line) had to be hauled back to the S&D junction by a spare engine, then to continue their southward journey; the corresponding evolution in reverse was necessary for northbound trains. This complexity persisted until the final closure of the S&D line.

However the remaining single line sections proved a serious delaying factor for the traffic. Safety on single line sections was secured by every train carrying a token for each single line; instruments at the signal boxes were electrically interlocked to ensure that only one token could be out of the instruments for any one section at a time. The tokens had to be handed to the driver of every train by the signalman, and in the case of express trains, this meant slowing to walking pace to secure the handover.

Alfred Whitaker, the S&D locomotive engineer, developed a mechanical apparatus; part of this fitted to the locomotive cabside consisted of jaws which caught a loop on a pouch containing the token; the pouch was held at the lineside in a special delivery holder. The token to be given up by the train was correspondingly caught by a catcher fixed at the lineside.

This system enabled token exchanges to take place at 40 mph, and considerably accelerated the handling of through trains at single line crossing places.

The main line was single from Bath Junction to Midford (inclusive), from Templecombe Junction to Blandford with crossing places at Stalbridge, Sturminster Newton, Shillingstone and Stourpaine, and from Corfe Mullen to both Wimborne Junction and Broadstone Junction.

Locomotives and rolling stock

Locomotive and rolling stock on the Somerset and Dorset was largely defined by those running the line, the 5 main phases were:

The early locomotive fleet was bought in from suppliers, and as the company was always in financial difficulties, the stock was never to the highest specification.

The company had its own Locomotive, Carriage and Wagon works at Highbridge.This closed in 1930 and the locomotives were transferred to the control of the LMS.

Things improved considerably when the Joint ownership started, and the Midland Railway provided more powerful and reliable traction. Even so, the Midland Railway's policy of building small engines was spectacularly unsuitable for the heavy gradients and heavy loads of the S&D.

For many years, right up to 1959, a Midland design of 4-4-0 Class 2P was the mainstay of the express passenger traffic, with variations of 3F 0-6-0 freight tender engine and 0-6-0T tank engines. A revolutionary change took place when the Midland built a small fleet of 2-8-0 tender engines to handle the heaviest freight trains—the unique S&DJR 7F 2-8-0 series—with Walschaerts valve gear and the greatest tractive effort ever delivered by a Derby locomotive, with the exception of the "Lickey Banker" 0-10-0.

After nationalisation in 1948 the Southern Region Battle of Britain and West Country 4-6-2 locomotives were a common sight. The heavier Merchant Navy 4-6-2 was not used on the line.

Northbound Somerset & Dorset train climbing up from Shepton Mallet at Windsor Hill in 1959
View northward at Masbury Summit in 1959
Near Shepton Mallet in 1959

In the final few years, GWR Collett 0-6-0 tender locomotives in the 22XX class handled all of the Highbridge branch work, and LMS standard Jinty types dealt with the shunting duties. The LMS 4F 0-6-0 tender locomotives worked some trains down from Bath—they were commonplace on the Bath to Bristol services—and the Western Region drafted in green liveried Standard Class 5 4-6-0s in the 73XXX series, with BR Standard Class 4 4-6-0 75XXX 4-6-0 locomotives working from the Bournemouth end. The 7F 2-8-0s were pressed into passenger service in summer.

Some standard tanks classes operated on the line, the most powerful being the Standard Class 4 2-6-4T in the 80XXX series; these had one disadvantage, in that the water tanks extended along the cabside and this prevented the fitting of the Whitaker tablet exchange mechanism there.

In the early 1960s (1960 to 1963, to be exact) a small fleet of Standard Class 9F 2-10-0 locomotives were transferred to the line for the duration of the summer timetable period (roughly June to September) to work on the heaviest passenger trains. They included (in 1962) No. 92220 "Evening Star", the last steam engine to be built by British Railways. These locomotives proved ideal for the S&D, delivering considerable power, good steaming, and high adhesion. These heavy freight locomotives had relatively small wheels, and were not designed to run with passenger trains, but with the Pines Express they were easily able to reach, and perhaps exceed, the 70 mph line speed limit on the better, downhill parts of the route. After a review of the velocities of the reciprocating masses and coupling rods, a 60 mph maximum speed was urgently imposed.

Diesel multiple units were trialled on the route about 1959 when dieselisation of branch lines was in full swing elsewhere, but their relatively low power made them impractical for the steeply graded route.

Service in 1938

Railway arch at Midford

The S&D's domestic train service was not fast, and except on summer Saturdays, there were a handful of stopping services, several of them running from Bath to Templecombe and from Templecombe to Bournemouth separately, and even the through stopping trains waited for some time at Templecombe. Some trains ran from Highbridge to Templecombe, and a few of the trains started from Bristol, reversing at Bath. (All these comments apply "and vice versa" wherever appropriate.)

The 1938 Bradshaw[24] gives a good snapshot of the train service:

Stopping trains took the best part of four hours for the Bath to Bournemouth journey. In July 1938 stopping trains left Bath Queen Square at

  • 06:50 (Bristol Temple Meads] to Bournemouth)
  • 08:30 (to Templecombe)
  • 09:20 (Bristol Temple Meads to Bournemouth fast, 2 hours 35 minutes Bath to Bournemouth)
  • 10:20 Clifton Down via Bristol Temple Meads to Bournemouth semi-fast, 2 hours 35 minutes Bath to Bournemouth)
  • 13:10 (to Templecombe)
  • 14:50 (to Templecombe; 15:00 on Saturdays)
  • 17:05 (to Templecombe)
  • 18:35 (to Bournemouth)
  • 21:00 (to Evercreech Junction, continuing to Wincanton on Wednesdays and Templecombe on Saturdays)
  • 23:00 to Midsomer Norton

The last train of the day from Bournemouth to Templecombe terminated there at the lower platform instead of reversing into the Upper station. A summer Sunday evening train started from the Lower Platform and ran to Bournemouth Central, but there were only one or two trains on Sundays.

The connections at Templecombe were poor, and this probably reflects timetable improvements over the years on the Waterloo – Salisbury – Exeter line that were not supported by S&D connectional arrangements. The early possibility of making a fast Bridgwater to Waterloo journey via Templecombe had vanished by 1938.

Summer Saturdays increased this traffic immensely over the domestic business; holidaymakers returning home wanted to leave Bournemouth in the morning, but the southbound arrivals travelled later in the day (having left northern towns in the morning).

There were thirteen long-distance trains handled over the S&D, all but one of them with Bournemouth as their southern terminal. The exception ran to Sidmouth and Exmouth, leaving the S&D at Templecombe; in later years it ran from Cleethorpes, forming an interesting coast-to-coast service. The holiday trains otherwise avoided Templecombe, and many ran non-stop from Bath to Poole taking two and a half hours from Bath to Bournemouth. The northern terminals were mainly on the former Midland Railway system, with Bradford in the lead, although the Pines Express ran to and from Manchester. Two southbound trains and one northbound train started on Friday night and ran through the small hours.

Branch lines

Six trains a day ran on the Highbridge line from Burnham-on-Sea to Evercreech Junction taking about 70 minutes for the 24 miles – two morning trains continued to Templecombe. A seventh train ran as the last of the day from Burnham-on-Sea to Wells, and the first train of the day in the reverse direction also ran from Wells to Burnham-on-Sea. In addition there were eleven daily trains in summer between Highbridge and Burnham-on-Sea only.

The Wells to Glastonbury line saw six trains each way daily, and the Bridgwater branch had eight trains each way (plus one Wednesdays only down train) daily. These more or less connected with trains for Evercreech at Edington Junction.

Closures

Evercreech Junction after closure

The line began to decline in use from the 1950s onwards. In 1951, the branch from Glastonbury to Wells was closed. In December 1952, passenger services were withdrawn on the branch from Edington Junction to Bridgwater (Edington Junction being renamed 'Edington Burtle'); followed by closure of the branch on 1 October 1954.[23][25] The short section of branch-line from Highbridge to Burnham-on-Sea closed to regular services in 1951, though through specials continued to use the line until September 1962.[26] Highbridge was the new branch terminus and was renamed several times, becoming: Highbridge & Burnham-on-Sea.[26] In 1956 four of the smaller stations on the Dorset section of the main line were closed as an economy measure.

In 1958 management of the line north of Templecombe was transferred from the Southern Region of British Railways to the Western Region of British Railways. In the five years after this, through trains from the north and the Midlands were diverted to other routes, notably the daily Pines Express, which was re-routed after the end of the summer timetable in 1962.

In Summer 1962, John Betjeman (before his knighthood) visited the Somerset and Dorset to make a short BBC documentary, entitled "Branch Line Railway", first broadcast in March 1963. Starting at Evercreech Junction, Betjeman travelled the 24-mile stretch to Highbridge and Burnham-on-Sea, making a plea for this branch line to be spared by Dr. Beeching. The black-and-white film was issued on video by BBC Enterprises in 1987.[27]

A further small closure affecting the S&D in 1965 of the Bournemouth West terminus station saw S&D trains in the last months starting from and ending at Bournemouth Central.

Despite the Labour government elected in 1964 promising no further major railway cutbacks, an active campaign to save the line was lost when on 6 September 1965, the closure consent covering most of the S&D and the line to Bristol via Mangotsfield was issued.[28] Tom Fraser was the Minister of Transport at the time. That consent was followed by another for Broadstone station and Creekmoor Halt as these stops had also been served by another passenger service, though that had already been withdrawn.[29]

Closure scheduled for 3 January 1966 was deferred when one of the road operators withdrew his application for a licence to provide some of the alternative road services, and an emergency service was introduced on that date instead. This reduced the number of trains departing Bath to four a day (06:45, 08:15, 16:25 and 18:10), and two a day (06:55 and 16:00) from Highbridge. There were no through trains other than the 18:46 from Bournemouth Central on Saturdays, with journeys being broken at Templecombe and no suitable connections provided. There were no services on Sundays. Finally, on 7 March 1966 the whole S&D line from Bath to Bournemouth – and also the Evercreech Junction to Highbridge line – was closed under the Beeching Axe and dismantled. Three short sections survived:

  • Blandford Station remained open for freight only, accessed by a branch from Broadstone until 1969.
  • A section from the GWR main line at Highbridge to Bason Bridge remained opened to allow milk trains to access the United Dairies creamery. In the months before closure, goods trains loaded with fly ash tipped at the construction site of the M5 motorway to enable it to progress across the Somerset Levels. Progress on construction of the motorway finally closed the spur on 3 October 1972.[30]
  • After the decision to close the S&DJR in 1966, a connection was made to the west of Radstock North with the GWR main line. This allowed trains on the former GWR Bristol and North Somerset Railway to traverse a short spur through Radstock North to Lower Writhlington Colliery, Braysdown Colliery and Writhlington Colliery, to transport coal to Portishead power station. After the last coal from the Somerset Coalfield was extracted from Writhlington Colliery on 28 September 1973, the spur was dismantled

Accidents

  • Foxcote (Radstock) collision, 1876
  • On 13 April 1914, a passenger train hauled by locomotive No. 52 was derailed at Burnham-on-Sea.[31]
  • Bath goods yard 20 November 1929 3.25. An S & D locomotive 2-8-0 no 89 ran out of control from the Combe Down tunnel when the crew were overcome by fumes. The loco crashed into the goods yard at Green Park Station killing the driver and two others.[32]
  • Braysdown Accident. On 29 July 1936, the crew of an empty colliery wagon train at Foxcote mistakenly abandoned their engine. The wagons were derailed, but no one injured.[33]
  • On 19 August 1949, a British Railways passenger train from Highbridge collided with an Eclipse narrow gauge diesel locomotive crossing on the level and left the track, ending up in the Glastonbury Canal.[31][34] From 1922 onwards, the Eclipse Peat Works 2 ft (610 mm) industrial tramway had a level crossing on the SD&JR Burnham-on-Sea branch, .5 miles (0.80 km) west of Ashcott railway station.[35] The collision occurred when the tram locomotive stalled on the Eclipse level crossing on the SD&JR branch further towards Glastonbury.The locomotive was cut up into pieces and removed.

Restoration, renovation and preservation

Sections of the line are being restored. These include:

Somerset & Dorset Railway Heritage Trust

The Somerset & Dorset Railway Heritage Trust is based at Midsomer Norton South station. It operates a one-mile section of line on the original trackbed heading south from Midsomer Norton towards Chilcompton. Public trains ran every two weeks in 2019.[36]

The North Dorset Railway at Shillingstone

The North Dorset Railway (formerly the Shillingstone Railway Project) is based at Shillingstone railway station. This heritage railway attraction intends to run standard gauge trains and aims to restore the line between the sites of Sturminster Newton and Stourpaine and Durweston as well.[37]

Gartell Light Railway

There is also a narrow gauge line south of Templecombe – the Gartell Light Railway – which uses a short section of S&D trackbed, with a planned extension northwards to Templecombe.[38][39]

Somerset and Dorset Railway Trust

The Trust was originally set up as the Somerset & Dorset Circle in late 1965 - before the line closed. In 1970, the Trust acquired S&D 7F locomotive No. 53808 from Woodham Brothers' Barry Scrapyard. The locomotive returned to steam in 1987. At Washford on the West Somerset Railway the Somerset and Dorset Railway Trust operated a museum of historical items and rolling stock originating from the S&D.[40] As of summer 2021, the stock and artefacts are being relocated owing to the Trust having been served with a Notice to Quit the site in February 2020.[41]

The New Somerset and Dorset Railway

A group called the New Somerset and Dorset Railway,[42] has been set up with the aim of restoring the line between Bournemouth and Bath, along with key branch lines, as a commercially viable railway running freight and commuter services (with provision for heritage services too). The group was formed 6 March 2009 as a reaction to climate change, peak oil, capacity restraints on the existing railway network and inefficiency in other forms of transport. Their intention is to buy up stretches of trackbed and buildings, as well as lobbying local and national government and encouraging restoration work along the line. They aim to present a document 'The Case for a New S&D' soon.[43] The first step is the purchase of the site of Midford station,[44] and restore it for use as an information office and operating base, although track will be re-laid (possibly towards Wellow) as part of the route reopening. The New S&D also started restoring Spetisbury station in Dorset in cooperation with Dorset County Council; this was to echo the role of Midford but with the addition of refreshment facilities.[45] However, the Spetisbury group is now independent, see below.

Non-railway use preservation

North Dorset Trailway
Stalbridge (planned)
Sturminster Newton
Hammoon Road Crossing
Shillingstone
Okeford Fitzpaine
Stourpaine
 A350 
 A350 
Blandford Forum
 A350  (
300 m
328 yd
along busy road)
Charlton Marshall
Spetisbury
 B3075 
Sources[46]

Bath Green Park station has been fully preserved. With road access gained over the former railway bridges, in the former goods yard and approach roads Sainsbury's have developed a supermarket, while the main train shed houses a series of small businesses and a twice-weekly market.[47]

A short section of the former railway forms the North Dorset Trailway, a multi-use rail trail. The trail currently extends from Sturminster Newton to Spetisbury with plans to continue a further 5km northwest to Stalbridge.[48][49]

Two Tunnels Greenway

The section from Bath Green Park to Midford was bought and retained by Bath Council as part of their Two Tunnels Greenway. Under the management of Sustrans, who input £1M of the £1.9M project cost, the scheme provides a dual walking and cycle path from the centre of Bath to Midford, where it intersects with National Cycle Route 24. In July 2010, the council transferred the care of the Devonshire and Combe Down Tunnels to Sustrans. The section was opened on 6 April 2013.[50]

Spetisbury Station Project

This is a Community Interest Company (CIC) which has been clearing and improving the station site at Spetisbury, Dorset,with a long-term objective of creating a small railway heritage centre. Originally part of the 'New S&D' referred to above, the group subsequently became independent.

Glastonbury Festival

The trackbed from Steanbow Crossing to Cock Mill Crossing, between the sites of Pylle and West Pennard stations, crosses the site of the Glastonbury Festival and functions as an internal road within the festival site. There are gates at both points where it crosses the perimeter fence.

Maesbury Railway Cutting

Maesbury Railway Cutting between East Horrington and Gurney Slade is a Geological Conservation Review site because it exposes approximately 135 metres (443 ft) of strata representing the middle and upper Lower Limestone Shales and the basal Black Rock Limestone. Both formations are of early Carboniferous (Courceyan) age.[51]

Preserved S&DJR locomotives

Preserved S&DJR 7F 2-8-0 no. 53809, on display at Bath Green Park Station (now a car park), 6 March 2006

Neither of the S&DJR Sentinels has been preserved but a similar locomotive is operational at Midsomer Norton railway station.[52]

Preserved rolling stock

SDJR No. 4 First Class Coach at Washford on the West Somerset Railway

Four ex-S&DJR carriages have survived:

  • No. 4 six-wheel first, built in 1886,[53] is preserved at Washford on the West Somerset Railway and is currently operational in S&DJR livery and owned by Somerset & Dorset Railway Trust. It was grounded at Templecombe and was preserved from the site in 1986.[54]
  • Two other six-wheel carriages are preserved by the Somerset & Dorset Railway Trust on the West Somerset Railway;
    • No. 98 third, built in 1894 and No. 114 third are both preserved in an unrestored condition, both in original S&DJR livery and with original lettering too.[55][56]
  • Section of a four-wheel passenger brake has also been preserved by the Somerset & Dorset Railway Trust.[57]
  • No. 2 four-wheel first, was grounded at West Huntspill but was broken up by the Somerset and Dorset Railway Trust for spares around March 1994.[58]
  • No . 9 Brake Van, was in a field at Highbridge and was recovered by the SDRT around October 2001, it was faintly marked 'Wells Branch', 'S D J R' and 'No 9'.[59]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e The Railway Year Book for 1926. London: The Railway Publishing Company Limited. 1926. pp. 197–198.
  2. ^ a b Peters, Ivo (1974). The Somerset and Dorset — An English Cross Country Railway. Oxford Publishing Company. p. 1. ISBN 0-902888-33-1.
  3. ^ Awdry, Christopher (1990). Encyclopaedia of British Railway Companies. Patrick Stephens Ltd. Page 237.
  4. ^ a b Casserley, H.C. (1968). Britain's Joint Lines. London: Ian Allan. ISBN 0-7110-0024-7.
  5. ^ "North Somerset Heritage Trust". Archived from the original on 26 May 2017. Retrieved 21 May 2017.
  6. ^ Green-Hughes, Evan (2012). Lightweight DMUs. The early Derby Works and Merto-Cammell units. Hersham, Surrey: Ian Allan. p. 68. ISBN 978-0-7110-3463-1.
  7. ^ "East Dorset Railways". Martin Rowley. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 2 January 2016.
  8. ^ Horsfall, Bill (2014). London Midland & Scottish. Author House. pp. 17–18. ISBN 9781496981783. Archived from the original on 20 January 2021. Retrieved 16 December 2020.
  9. ^ Atterbury, Paul (2011). Paul Atterbury's Lost Railway Journeys. David & Charles. pp. 28–30. ISBN 9781446300954.
  10. ^ "Somerset & Dorset last summer Saturdays". Heritage Railway. Archived from the original on 25 September 2015. Retrieved 2 January 2016.
  11. ^ a b c Beale, Mike (January 2008). "150 Years of the Somerset & Dorset Railway" (PDF). Back Track: 25–30. Archived (PDF) from the original on 11 September 2015. Retrieved 29 December 2015.
  12. ^ a b c d Robin Atthill & O. S. Nock, 1967. The Somerset & Dorset Railway. Newton Abbot: David & Charles. ISBN 0-7153-4312-2.
  13. ^ "Somerset Central Railway (S&DJR)". John Speller. Archived from the original on 12 September 2016. Retrieved 29 December 2015.
  14. ^ "Somerset & Dorset Joint Railway". Southern E-Group. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 2 January 2016.
  15. ^ Historic England. "Burnham-on-Sea Pier (617573)". Research records (formerly PastScape). Retrieved 2 January 2016.
  16. ^ Somerset & Dorset Joint Railway, Stephen Austin, Ian Allan Publishing, 1999.
  17. ^ "Templecombe Junction Railway". Train Web. Archived from the original on 5 January 2016. Retrieved 2 January 2016.
  18. ^ Atthill, Robin (1964). Old Mendip. Newton Abbott: David and Charles. ISBN 0-7153-5171-0.
  19. ^ a b Yorke, Stan (2007). Lost railways of Somerset. Newbury: Countryside Books. pp. 48–60. ISBN 978-1-84674-057-2.
  20. ^ Norbury, s. G. (10 August 2015). "Looking back: Fifteen dead in Radstock rail crash". Somerset Guardian. Archived from the original on 19 December 2015. Retrieved 29 December 2015.
  21. ^ "Train tragedy of 1876 recorded by local poet". Western Daily Press. 29 July 2010. Retrieved 29 December 2015.[permanent dead link]
  22. ^ Thomas, David St John, (1966). A Regional History of the Railways of Great Britain, Volume 1: The West Country, (Third edition), Newton Abbot: David & Charles
  23. ^ a b Awdry, Christopher (1990). Encyclopaedia of British Railway Companies. Partick Stephens Ltd. Page 179.
  24. ^ Bradshaws July 1938 Railway Guide (reprint ed.). Newton Abbot: David & Charles. 1969. ISBN 0-7153-5824-3.
  25. ^ Harrison, J.D. (1981). The Bridgwater Railway. Locomotion Papers, LP132. Headington: The Oakwood Press. ISBN 0-85361-403-2.
  26. ^ a b Butt, R.V.J. (1995). The Directory of Railway Stations. Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 1-85260-508-1.
  27. ^ Geegs (28 December 2017). "Lets Imagine – A Branch Line Railway with John Betjeman". YouTube. Archived from the original on 9 March 2019. Retrieved 5 August 2018.
  28. ^ Letter from the Ministry of Transport to the Secretary of the British Railways Board, 6 September 1965. Somerset & Dorset Railway Trust archive ref. WSHSD_2019_5_6.
  29. ^ Letter from the Ministry of Transport to the Secretary of the British Railways Board, 17 September 1965. Somerset & Dorset Railway Trust archive ref. WSHSD_2019_5_7.
  30. ^ "Historical East Huntspill in Somerset". East Huntspill Parish Council. Archived from the original on 2 February 2014. Retrieved 15 January 2014.
  31. ^ a b Trevena, Arthur (1980). Trains in Trouble. Vol. 1. Redruth: Atlantic Books. pp. 26, 44. ISBN 0-906899-01-X.
  32. ^ "The Somerset & Dorset Railway - Accidents". Archived from the original on 7 February 2012. Retrieved 15 January 2012.
  33. ^ E. Woodhouse (8 December 1936). "Correspondence | licensed by The Railways Archive under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 22 March 2015.
  34. ^ "Accidents". SDJR.net. Archived from the original on 7 February 2012. Retrieved 15 January 2012.
  35. ^ "Ashcott". SDJR.net. Archived from the original on 7 February 2012. Retrieved 15 January 2012.
  36. ^ "Home". The Somerset & Dorset Railway Heritage Trust. Archived from the original on 15 June 2013. Retrieved 9 February 2013.
  37. ^ "Shillingstone Railway Project". Shillingstone Railway Project. Archived from the original on 14 March 2015. Retrieved 21 May 2017.
  38. ^ "Gartell Light Railway". Gartell Light Railway. Archived from the original on 4 February 2013. Retrieved 9 February 2013.
  39. ^ "The Somerset & Dorset Evercreech Junction to Bournemouth West and Bournemouth Central". Cornwall Railway Society. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 2 January 2016.
  40. ^ "The Trust Museum". Somerset & Dorset Railway Trust. Archived from the original on 3 July 2012. Retrieved 9 February 2013.
  41. ^ "Trust receives 12 months notice to quit Washford site • S&DRT". S&DRT. 20 February 2020. Retrieved 9 September 2021.
  42. ^ "The New Somerset and Dorset Railway – Official website". Somersetanddorsetrailway.co.uk. Archived from the original on 21 August 2010. Retrieved 24 February 2012.
  43. ^ "New dawn fades". Somerset and Dorset Blogsite. 2 November 2007. Archived from the original on 8 July 2011. Retrieved 6 November 2007.
  44. ^ "Appeal to buy Midford station launched". Heritage Railway. Morton Media Group (125): 9. 11 June 2009.
  45. ^ "About Us". New Somerset & Dorset Railway. Archived from the original on 2 March 2013. Retrieved 9 February 2013.
  46. ^ "Welcome to North Dorset Trailway Network". www.northdorsettrailway.org.uk. Archived from the original on 8 June 2020. Retrieved 8 June 2020.
  47. ^ "Green Park Station, Bath". Ethical Property. Archived from the original on 8 February 2013. Retrieved 9 February 2013.
  48. ^ "The North Dorset Trailway Network". The North Dorset Trailway Network. Archived from the original on 17 May 2014. Retrieved 6 June 2014.
  49. ^ "North Dorset Trailway extension connects Blandford and Stourpaine". BBC News. 15 May 2013. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 7 June 2014.
  50. ^ "Two Tunnels Shared Path". Archived from the original on 26 January 2013. Retrieved 21 May 2017.
  51. ^ "Maesbury Railway Cutting" (PDF). SSSI citation sheet. English Nature. Archived (PDF) from the original on 19 March 2009. Retrieved 9 February 2013.
  52. ^ Andy Chapman (17 October 1964). "Sentinel Steam Loco 7109: What is Sentinel 7109?". Sentinel7109.blogspot.com. Archived from the original on 13 October 2013. Retrieved 24 February 2012.
  53. ^ "Somerset Dorset Joint 4 Six-wheel First body: on chassis ex LMS CCTZ 6589 built 1886". Railway Heritage Register. Archived from the original on 26 December 2015.
  54. ^ "86-04-018". Flickr. 18 July 1986. Archived from the original on 20 January 2021. Retrieved 17 May 2019.
  55. ^ "Somerset Dorset Joint 114 S&DJR; Six w 3rd (body only; on LMS Six-w u'frame) built 1890". Railway Heritage Register. Archived from the original on 27 December 2015.
  56. ^ "Somerset Dorset Joint 98 S&DJR; 6 w 3rd (body only; temp on LMS 6-w u'frame) built 1894". Railway Heritage Register. Archived from the original on 26 December 2015.
  57. ^ "Somerset Dorset Joint 4 Wheel Passenger Brake section (body only)". Railway Heritage Register. Archived from the original on 26 December 2015.
  58. ^ "94-01-016". Flickr. 6 March 1994. Archived from the original on 20 January 2021. Retrieved 17 May 2019.
  59. ^ "S&DJR Wells Brake Van No. 9". Flickr. 27 February 2000. Archived from the original on 20 January 2021. Retrieved 17 May 2019.
  • Cobb, Col M.H. (2003). The Railways of Great Britain: A Historical Atlas. Ian Allan Publishing Ltd. ISBN 0-7110-3002-2.

Further reading

  • Adley, Robert (1988). Covering My Tracks. Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 0-85059-882-6.
  • Atthill, Robin (1967). The Somerset and Dorset Railway. David and Charles. ISBN 0-7153-4164-2.
  • Daniels, Gerald David; Dench, Leslie Alan (May 1973) [1964]. Passengers No More (2nd ed.). Shepperton: Ian Allan. ISBN 0-7110-0438-2. OCLC 2554248. 1513 CEC 573.
  • Harper, Duncan (1998). The Somerset & Dorset Railway: Opening of the Bath Extension 1874. Bath: Millstream Books. p. 47. ISBN 0-948975-49-0.
  • Hawkins, Mac (1986). The Somerset & Dorset Then and Now. London: Guild Publishing.
  • Lucking, J.H. (1968). Railways of Dorset. Railway Correspondence and Travel Society.
  • Mitchell, Vic; Smith, Keith (January 1992). Branch Lines Around Wimborne. Middleton Press. ISBN 0-906520-97-5.
  • Mitchell, Vic; Smith, Keith (November 1998). Country Railway Routes: Bath to Evercreech Junction. Middleton Press. ISBN 0-906520-60-6.
  • Oakley, Mike (2002). Somerset Railway Stations. Midhurst: Dovecote Press.

External links

Tucking Mill

Tucking Mill
Tucking Mill is located in Somerset
Tucking Mill
Tucking Mill
Location within Somerset
OS grid referenceST767615
Civil parish
Unitary authority
Ceremonial county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townBATH
Postcode districtBA2
Dialling code01225
PoliceAvon and Somerset
FireAvon
AmbulanceSouth Western
UK Parliament
List of places
UK
England
Somerset
51°21′11″N 2°20′10″W / 51.353°N 2.336°W / 51.353; -2.336

Tucking Mill is a small hamlet within the parish of Monkton Combe, Somerset, England. It lies on Midford Brook and was a key point on the now disused Somerset Coal Canal.

It is at the southern end of the Two Tunnels Greenway which follows the disused railway trackbed of the Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway from East Twerton through the Bath suburb of Oldfield Park to the Devonshire Tunnel, emerging into Lyncombe Vale before entering the Combe Down Tunnel, and then coming out to cross Tucking Mill Viaduct into Midford.[1]

There is also a small reservoir, which is now a fishery for the disabled.[2]

William Smith's home

From 1798 until 1810 Tucking Mill was the home of William Smith, an English geologist, credited with creating the first nationwide geological map.[3] He is known as the "Father of English Geology" for collating the geological history of England and Wales into a single record. He worked on the Somerset coalfield and the Somerset Coal Canal. There is a plaque on Tucking Mill Cottage saying that it was Smith's home, which was erected in 1888, on the mill which was demolished in 1927, and the tablet was mislaid. When the plaque was rediscovered in the 1930s the Geological Society of London and the Bath Royal Literary and Scientific Institution placed it on the 18th-century cottage.[4][5] However, it is now believed that he actually lived in the nearby Tucking Mill House.[6][7][8] During his occupation he built a small railway to transport stone from a quarry at Kingham Field, Combe Down to the canal.[9]

Fuller's earth factory

From 1883 until the end of World War II it was the site of a fuller's earth factory. George Dames and his brother Charles Richard Dames set up a mine in Horsecombe Vale. At the bottom of the valley was the pan grinding works where water from Horsecombe Brook was used to make a slurry from which sand settled at the bottom of troughs. The slurry then passed through an earthenware pipe to Tucking Mill, where a second stage of sedimentation took place in large troughs where it settled for up to 30 days. Once the water had been drained by sluices the damp caked earth was carried in wooden trams to kilns where it was dried for three to four days. The product was used in the oil refining and pharmaceutical industries. The original uses in woollen production no longer used fuller's earth. A railway siding at Midford railway station was built specifically to load fuller's earth.[10]

Gallery

References

  1. ^ "Two Tunnels Greenway, Bath". Explore. Ordnance Survey. Retrieved 9 July 2008.
  2. ^ "Tucking Mill". wessex Water. Retrieved 19 November 2010.
  3. ^ "Tucking Mill, Pilgrimage to Smith of the Rocks". Bath Daily Photo. Retrieved 19 July 2010.
  4. ^ "Tucking Mill Cottage". historicengland.org.uk. English Heritage. Retrieved 19 July 2010.
  5. ^ "William Smith". Bath Royal Literary & Scientific Institution. Archived from the original on 13 October 2007. Retrieved 19 July 2010.
  6. ^ "Tucking Mill House". historicengland.org.uk. English Heritage.
  7. ^ Simon Winchester, The Map That Changed the World: William Smith and the Birth of Modern Geology, (2001), New York: Harper Collins, ISBN 0-14-028039-1, pp. 103-104
  8. ^ "John Strachey, William Smith, and the Strata of England, 1719-1801". The Geological Society. Archived from the original on 5 June 2011. Retrieved 19 July 2010.
  9. ^ "William Smith's Tucking Mill to Kingham Quarry Tramway". The Somersetshire Coal Canal (Society). Archived from the original on 27 May 2011. Retrieved 19 July 2010.
  10. ^ Macmillen, Neil (2009). A History of the Fuller's Earth Mining Industry Around Bath. Lydney: Lightmoor Press. pp. 33–52. ISBN 978-1-899889-32-7.

William Smith and Tucking Mill link: William Smith and Tucking Mill

Bristol and North Somerset Railway

Bristol and North Somerset Railway
Overview
OwnerBritish Rail
History
Opened1873
Closed1959
Technical
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+12 in)
Old gauge7 ft 14 in (2,140 mm)
Bristol and
North Somerset Railway
Bristol Temple Meads
Brislington
Whitchurch Halt
Pensford
Clutton
Camerton branch
Hallatrow
Farrington Gurney Halt
Paulton Halt
Radford and Timsbury Halt
Camerton
Dunkerton Colliery Halt
Dunkerton
Combe Hay Halt
Midsomer Norton and Welton
Radstock West
Midford Halt
Monkton Combe Halt
Limpley Stoke
Mells Road
Westbury
Frome

The Bristol and North Somerset Railway was a railway line in the West of England that connected Bristol with Radstock, through Pensford and further into northern Somerset, to allow access to the Somerset Coalfield. The line ran almost due south from Bristol and was 16 miles (26 km) long.

Opened in 1873, it joined with an existing branch from Frome to Radstock, and was later worked with it as a single entity. In 1882 the Camerton Branch was opened by the Great Western Railway to serve collieries at Camerton; it was later extended to Limpley Stoke, on the Bath to Trowbridge line. It closed to passenger traffic in 1925.

The line's primary traffic was coal, and travel to work commuting into Bristol. Both of these traffic sources substantially declined in the 1950s, with the Camerton Branch fully closed in 1951. Passenger traffic ceased on the rest of the entire line complex before the Beeching Axe in 1959, with complete closure of the line in 1973 following the closure of the last colliery in the Somerset Coalfield at Kilmersdon.

History

Getting an Act for the line

The Wilts, Somerset and Weymouth Railway (WS&WR) was established in 1845 to build a network of lines, running from near Chippenham on the Great Western Railway (GWR) to Salisbury and Weymouth.[1] At that time Radstock was the most important mining centre of the Somerset Coalfield, and the WS&WR included in its plans a branch from near Frome to Radstock. The WS&WR found raising money for its ambitious network difficult, and the Company sold its lines, not all of which were complete, to the GWR on 14 March 1850, confirmed by an Act of Parliament on 3 July 1851. The GWR opened the Radstock branch to mineral traffic only on 14 November 1854, built to broad gauge.[1][2]

As early as 1863 the Board of the GWR had resolved to create a standard gauge line from Bristol to Salisbury through the district,[note 1][3] and there were numerous independent schemes to serve the important colliery sites north of Radstock, and link them to the city of Bristol.

These schemes came to nothing until in September 1862 when promoters formed an agreement to make a line from Bristol, with connections to other lines there, to a junction with the newly formed Somerset and Dorset Railway near Bruton,[note 2] running through the colliery areas of Pensford and Clutton, and with a branch to Camerton, where there were further collieries. It was to connect at Bristol with both broad gauge and narrow gauge lines, as well as having a tramway to the City Docks at the Floating Harbour.

The proposal became a Parliamentary bill, and received the Royal Assent on 21 July 1863: it was to be called the Bristol and North Somerset Railway, with capital of £275,000 and borrowing powers of £91,000.[4][5]

This appeared to serve the GWR objective admirably; the Wilts, Somerset and Weymouth had a branch to Radstock, and the network also served Salisbury; if the gauge of their Radstock branch were mixed, the desired through route to Salisbury would be created via Radstock at minimum cost.[3] However, when the Bristol and North Somerset Railway (B&NSR) approached the GWR to explore the GWR's willingness to work the line, and to run passenger trains on their Frome - Radstock line, the GWR's reaction was cool.[4]

A series of proposed extensions

Following this success in Parliament, the Company immediately set about proposing extensions as Bills for the 1864 session: from onward from the authorised Camerton branch to Bath; from the main line to Shepton Mallet, to join the East Somerset Railway there; and various branches in Bristol and at the docks there.

Three Bills followed for the 1865 session: for a railway from Radstock passing Writhlington (where there was an important colliery) and through Wellow and Midford to Monkton Combe, on the Bradford on Avon to Bathampton line; for a line from Farrington Gurney to Shepton Mallet and the East Somerset line again; and from near Hallatrow to the Midland Railway Bath branch, joining it between Weston and Kelston, west of Bath, connecting with the GWR line in passing.

In 1866 the GWR and the B&NSR jointly submitted a bill for a line from Mells to through Nettlebridge, south of Radstock to Chilcompton.

In 1869 the B&NSR obtained an Act confirming its powers to build the harbour tramway at Bristol.

None of these lines was built by the Company; only the line from a junction with the GWR immediately east of Bristol Temple Meads to Radstock was built.[note 3]

The Somerset and Dorset Railway was independent at this time, and the B&NSR made overtures to that company about an alliance or merger. This seemed to be a more fruitful way forward, and Parliamentary Bills were deposited to authorise the merger, and a physical connection at Shepton Mallet, but in May 1866 it emerged that the S&DR had undertaken to route major traffic flows via the Bristol and Exeter Railway, with which it connected at Highbridge. This frustrated any advantage for the B&NSR in merging, and its Bill was withdrawn.[4]

Construction, and collapse

Having obtained its authorising Act, the Company appointed its engineer, James Frazer, and a contractor, Bethell and Walton. However Bethell and Walton asked for an advance of payment, but only got some shares in the Company. They had what is now called a cash-flow problem, and further requests for cash came from them, with little work output to show. On 9 April 1864 they were given a formal ultimatum by the Company Secretary, at which they declared that they would not continue with the work. A firm called Lawrence and Fry took over the works, while Bethell and Walton issued demands for payment for work done. The Company itself was desperately short of money as subscribers had failed to respond to calls, and land acquisition was proving unaffordable; then on 27 June 1864 it was announced that Lawrence and Fry had become bankrupt. Lawrence subsequently approached the Company in his private capacity, and a deal was struck enabling him to work as the Company's contractor.

The Company's money shortage meant that little real progress seems to have taken place; perhaps the Company's management focus had been on Parliamentary work on extensions. In July 1866 the banking firm of Overend, Gurney and Company failed, and this triggered a financial crisis; many people lost large amounts of money, and obtaining share subscriptions for new construction became, for a time impossible. The Bristol and North Somerset Company found that raising finance was now impossible, and the Company "collapsed".[3] At a shareholders' meeting on 4 May 1867, the Board disclosed that the Company was now in the hands of creditors. Moreover, of the authorised share capital of £275,000, only £16,080 of shares had been applied for and issued; more had been given free to unfortunate suppliers and contractors in payment. Individual Directors had given personal surety for Company borrowings in the amount of £180,000; this was twice the authorised quantum. The liabilities were said to amount to £300,000, and sums expended could not be made to equate to work actually completed. The Company Secretary John Bingham became embroiled in claims of improper dealings. The "collapse" of the Company was complete.[4]

A new company

Many people had lost a lot of money, but the area still needed a railway line, and a new Bristol and North Somerset Railway was created, authorised by Act of 31 July 1868. The engineer was William Clarke and his first task was to assess what physical works had actually been made. As well as doing so, he proposed a simplification of the route at Radstock making a northerly sweep and avoiding housing in the town centre, and joining more directly into the GWR terminus. This required another authorising Act and it was obtained on 14 July 1870.[note 4]

On getting the Act, the Company sought offers from contractors and John Perry and Sons of Stratford quoted £90,000 to complete the line, and was awarded contracts. The intention was to open at least between Bristol and Pensford by the following spring of 1871. Further problems were encountered with the quality and rate of progress of the construction, but at length the line was ready for the Board of Trade inspection. Col Rich visited the line on 2 September 1873. His report alluded to a great number of detail matters, but he approved the opening.[4]

Opening at last

The opening of the line took place on 3 September 1873. It was built on the standard gauge, and it was worked by the Great Western Railway.

The new B&NSR line met the WS&WR line at Radstock, but that was a broad gauge line, so there was a break of gauge at Radstock. The opening of the B&NSR activated a neglected obligation on the GWR: in February 1874 the GWR Board recorded that:

By the terms of an Agreement with the Bristol and North Somerset Company and the principal Colliery Proprietors of the Radstock District, this Company is under engagement to lay the narrow gauge between Radstock and Salisbury on or before 3rd September next ... In view of this obligation, the Directors ... consider that the convenience of the public will be best met, and the interest of the Proprietors best secured, by the alteration from Broad to Narrow Gauge of all the Lines in the district which these railways accommodate.[6]

In fact the entire Wilts, Somerset and Weymouth network, 131 miles of line, now GWR property, was to be converted to standard gauge, triggered by the opening of the B&NSR line. The standard gauge was ready for the first time on 22 June 1874.[1][7]

The GWR continued with the upgrading of the Frome to Witham line, making it ready for passenger operation; this included laying a west curve at Frome to reach the station there; the mineral line connection faced Westbury. On 5 July 1875 following an inspection by Col Yolland, the line opened to passengers. There were five trains between Bristol and Frome via Radstock daily, with two on Sundays.[4]

MacDermot summarises the events from the GWR point of view in stark terms:

The opening of the Bristol and North Somerset Railway, a line with a tragic financial story too involved to be recounted here, and of little interest nowadays, created a new break of gauge at Radstock, where it joined the old Great Western mineral branch from Frome; so, until the latter was converted to narrow gauge in June 1874, the 23 miles between Bristol and Frome had of course to be worked in two distinct sections, the southern of which was not adapted for passenger traffic until the 5th July 1875.[8]

Poor financial results

On 20 July 1874 the Somerset and Dorset Railway opened its Bath extension, passing through Radstock. Running through Midsomer Norton and Radstock from the south-west it crossed over the B&NSR between the two places, paralleling the B&NSR through Radstock itself. There were thus two adjacent level crossings in the centre of the town. The Bath extension exhausted the S&DR Company financially, and it leased its line to the Midland Railway and the London and South Western Railway jointly on 13 July 1876, and became known as the Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway.[9]

The opening of the line gave easy rail access to cheap Midlands coal which was now brought into the area. The Somerset coalfield had the limitation that the seams were narrow and had exceptionally high costs, which were now massively undercut. Miners' wages were reduced leading to industrial action, and local coal production declined.[7] In addition deficient siding accommodation led to congestion in actually getting offered traffic away.

The Company had assumed that the GWR would route through goods traffic over its line, and the GWR did not rush to do this, preferring their own double track line via Bradford on Avon. The Company sustained a loss of £5,600 in 1876.

The situation revived somewhat, and the former WS&WR section carried heavy volumes of coal, and was partly doubled in 1880. Easier coal seams were exploited and deep pits at Pensford and Dunkerton were sunk in the period 1901 - 1920, resulting in a 25% increase in the area's production.

For the entire life of the reconstructed B&NSR Company, money had been short and the line had been worked by the GWR. From time to time negotiations had been opened with a view to selling the line to the larger company, and these were repeatedly fruitless. The B&NSR had huge debts and was making a loss every year, and it is unlikely that the GWR would pay dearly to acquire it. The shareholders may have expected a sale price that would get them their money back; an unrealistic expectation that led them to reject an offer when the GWR made it in 1880, even though the Directors recommended acceptance. Resentment against the GWR for supposedly excessive charges for working the line were also a factor.

The Earl of Warwick had long been owed £113,000 and in January 1882 judgement in his favour was given in the court. The B&NSR had no money to pay, and were put in receivership.[note 5][4]

A hostile rival

A remarkable Parliamentary Bill was submitted for the 1883 session: a Bristol and South Western Junction Railway was to be created. Its route would leave Andover, on the LSWR main line and run via Amesbury and Westbury to Radstock, where it would join both the Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway and the Bristol and North Somerset line. The latter would be doubled, and a new central Bristol station would be built adjacent to the floating harbour, as well as a new central goods station at Lewins Mead. From a much more convenient Bristol station, the journey to London over this route and the LSWR was only 12 miles longer than by the GWR. The capital was to be £1,866,000.

Although the proposal had some popular support, all the directly affected parties opposed the scheme, and during its passage in Parliament it was considerably scaled down. However the preamble was shown not to be proved, and the Bill failed. This had been a direct assault by the LSWR and its friends on the heartland of the GWR network, and if it had succeeded it could have tapped the GWR's core traffic at a number of locations; and in consequence the GWR started to think more defensively about its position. This seems to have pushed the GWR into granting better terms to purchase the B&NSR line,[4] and the Bristol and North Somerset Railway was amalgamated with the GWR in July 1884;[5][7][note 6] the WS&WR had been absorbed by the GWR in 1850, so that the entire line between Bristol and Frome via Radstock was in GWR control and was operated as a single unit.

Features

Pensford Viaduct

The original stations were in most cases built to a standard but distinctive design by the architect William Clarke, featuring large canopies and three tall chimneys.

The B&NSR was one of the railways carried on the Midford viaducts (see photograph above). This had three levels: the B&NSR traversed a river valley on a bridge which crossed by the Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway which crossed the line and the river valley on an almost perpendicular course on a viaduct.

The biggest civil engineering project on the line was the Pensford Viaduct over the River Chew. The viaduct is 995 feet (303 m) long, reaches a maximum height of 95 feet (29 m) to rail level and consists of sixteen arches and is now a Grade II listed structure.

Until 1966 there was no running connection between the North Somerset route and the Somerset and Dorset line; occasional wagon exchange took place through Ludlow Pit private siding; the owner charged 1s 0d per wagon exchanged in this way.[7]

Topography

The line was single throughout.

The line left the Bristol to Bath main line at North Somerset Junction, a little east of Bristol Temple Meads station. An east curve was later built giving access towards Bath, in connection with the enhanced goods facilities at East Depot in 1892. This line trailed in at Marsh Junction, where the Bristol Relief line immediately diverged, towards Pylle Hill.

Passenger stations on the line were then:

On the Camerton line from Hallatrow, the passenger stations were:

  • Paulton Halt, opened 1914
  • Radford and Timsbury Halt, opened 1910
  • Camerton
  • Dunkerton Colliery Halt, opened 1911
  • Dunkerton
  • Combe Hay Halt
  • Midford Halt, opened 1911
  • Monkton Combe, opened 1910

The line joined the Bathampton to Bradford on Avon line at Limpley Stoke.

The B&NSR main line was steeply graded; leaving Marsh Junction it climbed at 1 in 62 to Brislington station, continuing at 1 in 60 to Whitchurch, a single platform halt, continuing to climb to the bridge for the Norton Malreward road. The line then fell at 1 in 66 to Pensford, where there was a sixteen arch viaduct. The line then climbed again, passing Pensford Pit; reaching another summit it fell at 1 in 169, and then 1 in 71 towards Clutton, first passing sidings that accessed a siding serving Fry's Bottom Pit. The sidings at Clutton handled coal from Greyfield Pit.

The line now fell at 1 in 58 to Hallatrow, where the Camerton line trailed in. There was a short bay platform for Camerton branch passenger trains. Rising again, the line climbed at 1 in 65 and then fell again to Farrington Gurney Halt, where passengers obtained tickets at the Miner's Arms public house. Farrington Pit was alongside. Continuing to fall, the line reached Midsomer Norton and Welton passenger station and finally Radstock, later named Radstock West.[7]

Services

The passenger service was typical for a rural railway; in 1884 there were five passenger trains in each direction. By 1910, there were eight trains a day on Thursdays and Saturdays, fewer on other weekdays, and not all of those ran through to or from Frome.

On 28 December 1946 the dirt batch at Pensford Pit slipped, burying and blocking the line; it was closed there for three months, with passenger operation from Bristol to Pensford and from Clutton to Frome.

In the 1950s new and efficient bus services were introduced in the greater Bristol area; there had been good business from passengers travelling to work in Bristol, and the bus services hit passenger carryings on the line. In September 1958 the passenger service on the line was halved. Nonetheless the line was stated to be losing £18,542 annually, and the last passenger train ran on 31 October 1959.[7]

Later events

The line crossed the Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway at Radstock, and when that line closed to all traffic on 6 March 1966, there was a need to continue to serve a colliery at Writhlington, a little east of Radstock. As the Bristol and North Somerset line was still open for mineral traffic, a connection between the two lines was formed at Radstock, and for a period Writhlington was served in that way.

Somerset coal continued to be transported to the Bristol area, although not in the former volumes, until the embankment near Pensford was washed out in the summer of 1968. It was considered uneconomic to reinstate it, but the former WS&WR line to Frome was intact, although it had been dormant since April 1966. Accordingly, the line to Frome was re-opened and Somerset coal ran to Bristol via Frome. The Bristol and North Somerset line was finally closed north of the washout site to Marsh Junction, Bristol.

Nonetheless the coalfield was in terminal decline, and the last pit closed in 1973; the final revenue movement of coal on the line was on 16 November 1973. There was an independent wagon repair activity at Radstock, and that continued to be rail served for a time.[7]

The Camerton branch

The Camerton branch had been authorised by the original Act for the Bristol and North Somerset Railway, but not proceeded with by the impecunious company. Coal had been extracted for some time at Camerton – the Camerton New Colliery had been opened in 1800 – and in the 1873 session of Parliament the B&NSR received authority to build the branch; the Act was passed on 21 July with capital of £40,000; the GWR was permitted to fund the construction. The development of this scheme for a relatively short branch line seems to have been ill-prepared. Only after the passage of the Act was Clarke, the Company's engineer, told to prepare detailed estimates for the construction. At a Board meeting on 30 June 1875 was it decided to start negotiations with the Somerset Coal Canal Company to get permission to cross its canal. On 24 October 1875 the GWR accepted a tender for the construction from W Monsley in the sum of £19,000. Evidently the B&NSR had persuaded the GWR to handle the management of the work.

In October 1880 and again on 21 May 1881 Major-General Hutchinson performed the formal inspection of the line and, with some comments, approved the line for opening. The construction had cost £42,214. It appears that the GWR had funded the construction on the basis of a promise of reimbursement by the B&NSR, for Vincent records that "a special meeting was held of the North Somerset's board of directors on 31 March 1882 which then allowed the company to raise the Camerton branch capital".[10]

Although authorised for opening in 1881, no colliery company applied for a siding connection, and for a period the line remained in suspense. In fact it opened for passengers and goods and mineral traffic on 1 March 1882.[11] The line was three miles long and very steeply graded, falling at 1 in 47 from Hallatrow, that is, against the loaded direction. Train loads were limited to fifteen wagons.

The opening of the branch hit the Somerset Coal Canal hard, and by 1898 it was derelict. In 1903 the GWR purchased the canal for £2,000,[11] and extended the Camerton branch along the canal alignment to Limpley Stoke, there forming a junction with the GWR line from Bath to Trowbridge. The first section, about a mile in length from Camerton, reached Dunkerton Pit, and was opened on 26 August 1908, and the remainder on 9 May 1910.[11] From that time most of the coal was routed via Freshford sidings.[7]

A passenger service was operated on the Camerton branch from the time of opening as a through line; but despite serving mining communities, there was little business. Attempts to run an economic service with railmotors were made, but the passenger service was discontinued during the First World War, ceasing on 22 March 1915. It was restored in the summer of 1923 (on 9 July) as an experimental service, omitting Midford Halt, but was finally abandoned on 21 September 1925.[11][7]

Goods services on the section from Hallatrow to Camerton ceased on the same day; the track was lifted on this section about 1930. Goods and mineral traffic continued, accessed at the Limpley Stoke end only, but that finally closed too on 15 February 1951[7][11] and the track was taken up in 1958.

The Titfield Thunderbolt

East-west beneath north-south: the Camerton branch viaduct (left) is dwarfed by the Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway viaduct at Midford

The Camerton line achieved some fame after closure. The Ealing Studios film, The Titfield Thunderbolt, was shot in 1952 using the line. The plot of the film involved a rural line being closed to passengers by British Railways, so local people club together and, against all the odds, run their own passenger service.

Future potential reopening

Numerous proposals have been made to reopen the railway line in some form, most involving the still-existing branch line from Frome to Radstock. A consultation report produced by Halcrow Group in 2014 outlines the feasibility reinstating service on that branch[12] which was estimated to cost £40 million in 2013.[13] Furthermore, the possibility of opening a heritage railway line has been discussed.[14] The former line through Bristol via Brislington and Whitchurch has been described by pressure group Transport for Greater Bristol as 'technically feasible' but would require a large land acquisition budget due to most of the old route being built over.[15]

In January 2019, Campaign for Better Transport released a report identifying the line from Frome to Radstock as Priority 2 for reopening. Priority 2 is for those lines which require further development or a change in circumstances (such as housing developments).[16]

Notes

  1. ^ I.e. standard gauge; in the conflict between the GWR's traditional track gauge known as the broad gauge and standard gauge, the latter was often referred to as narrow gauge for contrast.
  2. ^ The Somerset and Dorset Railway was formed on 1 September 1862 by the amalgamation of the Somerset Central Railway and the Dorset Central Railway; it ran from Highbridge to Templecombe and Blandford to Wimborne, with plans to connect the two portions of line; the Bath extension was opened on 20 July 1874 and became the Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway on 13 July 1876. See Atthill and Nock.
  3. ^ Vincent provides the only available source material for these Parliamentary efforts; presumably all these Bills were thrown out. Vincent says (page 45) that the GWR and B&NSR together "deposited a joint act in 1866"; an Act can't be deposited; it is not clear whether he means they submitted a Bill in 1866 for the 1867 session of Parliament, or that they obtained the Act in 1866.
  4. ^ Vincent describes this as the B&NSR (Deviation at Radstock) Act of 30 November 1869, but that must be the date of deposition of the bill.
  5. ^ But not bankruptcy.
  6. ^ Warnock's date, confirmed by Carter; MacDermot says, on page 76 of volume II, that it was absorbed on 3 September 1874.

References

  1. ^ a b c Derek Phillips, The Story of the Westbury to Weymouth Line, Oxford Publishing Co., Sparkford, 1994, ISBN 0 86093 514 0
  2. ^ E T MacDermot, History of the Great Western Railway, volume I 1833-1863, published by the Great Western Railway., London, 1927
  3. ^ a b c E T MacDermot, History of the Great Western Railway, volume II, published by the Great Western Railway, London, 1932, page 66
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h Mike Vincent, Through Countryside & Coalfield, Oxford Publishing Co, Sparkford, ISBN 0860934284
  5. ^ a b Ernest F Carter, An Historical Geography of the Railways of the British Isles, Cassell, London, 1959
  6. ^ Directors' report, quoted in MacDermot volume II page 67
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j D W Warnock and R G Parsons, The Bristol and North Somerset Railway since 1884, Avon Anglia Productions, Bristol, 1979, ISBN 0 905 466 217
  8. ^ MacDermot volume II, page 84
  9. ^ Robin Atthill & O S Nock, The Somerset & Dorset Railway, David and Charles, Newton Abbot, 1967, ISBN 0-7153-4312-2
  10. ^ Page 103
  11. ^ a b c d e Colin G Maggs, Branch Lines of Somerset, Alan Sutton Publishing Limited, Stroud, 1993, ISBN 0 7509 0226 4
  12. ^ "West of England Area Rail Studies Final Report" (PDF). JTEC - West of England Partnership. Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 March 2016. Retrieved 8 March 2016.
  13. ^ "Reopening Radstock to Frome rail link could cost £40m". Somerset Guardian. 25 January 2013. Retrieved 8 March 2016.[permanent dead link]
  14. ^ "Frome to Radstock rail link planned". Frome Times. Retrieved 8 March 2016.
  15. ^ "Developing a West of England Rail Metro Plan" (PDF). Transport for Greater Bristol Alliance. Retrieved 8 March 2016.
  16. ^ [1] p.42

Further reading

  • Colin G Maggs, The Bristol - Radstock - Frome Line, Oakwood Press, Usk, 2013, ISBN 978-0853617266
  • Vic Mitchell and Keith Smith, Frome to Bristol: Including the Camerton Branch, Middleton Press, Midhurst, 1996, ISBN 978-1873793770
  • Bradshaw's Railway Guide, April 1910 edition, reprinted by David & Charles, 1968
  • Mike Oakley, Somerset Railway Stations, Dovecote Press, Wimborne, 2002, ISBN 978-1904349099
  • Daniels, Gerald David; Dench, Leslie Alan (May 1973) [1964]. Passengers No More (2nd ed.). Shepperton: Ian Allan. ISBN 0-7110-0438-2. OCLC 2554248. 1513 CEC 573.

External links

Bath Tramways

Bath Tramways
A tram heading towards Bathford
Operation
LocaleBath
Bath Tramways Company era: 1880–1902
Routes Bath Spa railway station via Southgate Street, High Street and Walcot to Grosvenor College
Track gauge 4 ft (1,219 mm)
Propulsion system(s) Horse
Depot(s) South side of London Road, near junction with Brunswick Street
Route length 1.71 miles (2.75 km)
Bath Electric Tramways era: 1902–1939
Routes Bathford, Combe Down Weston, Oldfield Park and Newton St Loe
Owner(s) British Electric Traction
Operator(s) Bath Electric Tramways Company
Track gauge 4 ft 8+12 in (1,435 mm)
Propulsion system(s) Electric
Depot(s) Beehive Yard off Walcot Street
Route length 14.78 miles (23.79 km)

Bath Tramways Company and its successors operated a 4 ft (1,219 mm)[1] horse-drawn tramway service in Bath between 1880 and 1902.[2][3] From 1903 until its closure in 1939 an expanded route carried electric trams operated by Bath Electric Tramways Company.

History

The first service ran on 24 December 1880.[4] The initial 4 ft (1,219 mm) line was from the Bath Spa railway station via Southgate Street, High Street and Walcot to Grosvenor College.[5] It used six horse drawn cars built by George Starbuck of Birkenhead, with a stable and depot in Kensington.[4]

The service was not profitable and on 26 May 1884 the company was taken over by the Patent Cable Tramways Corporation. Seven further 12-seater cars were purchased. It entered liquidation and was taken over by Dick, Kerr & Co. on 11 August 1888. This was taken over by the Bath Road Car and Tramways Company, who already ran the buses in the area, on 1 April 1889.[6] The horse drawn service continued until 1902 when the company was taken over by Bath Corporation and modernised and electrified by the Bath Electric Tramways Company, a subsidiary of British Electric Traction.[7]

The former Bath Electric Tramways depot, Walcot Street

The 4 ft (1,219 mm) tracks were taken up and replaced by a 4 ft 8+12 in (1,435 mm) track. Six electric cars were brought in December 1903 and on 2 January 1904 the new service opened. Additional lines to Bathford, Combe Down, Weston and Oldfield Park were constructed. The company fleet was blue and yellow. There were 18 55-seat tramcars all purchased in 1903 and 1904 from G.F. Milnes & Co. which operated from a new depot in Beehive Yard off Walcot Street. In 1905 an additional line to Newton St Loe opened and proposals were drawn up to connect this with Bristol Tramways although this was never built.[8] To operate this line the fleet was joined by four single-decked 30-seat cars known as 'whippets'.[9] On 3 July 1933, a tram ran away backwards on Wells Road and crashed into another tram. A passenger was killed and fifteen were injured.[10]

In 1936 the company was taken over by the Bristol Tramways and Carriage Company who began to replace the trams with their buses. The Newton St Loe line closed in 1938 with the rest closing in May the following year.

One of the original horse-drawn tramcars has been preserved, and is now at the Ipswich Transport Museum. It was built by Starbuck Car and Wagon Company of Birkenhead as a single deck vehicle around 1880, and operated in Bath until around 1884. It was then purchased by the Bradford and Shelf Tramway Company, where it was probably used as a trailer to a steam tram, although details are sketchy. By 1894 an upper deck had been added, and the tram was sold again to Cambridge Street Tramways, becoming their number 7. The Cambridge system closed in 1914, and the vehicles were sold at auction. Tram number 7 became a workshop extension to a bungalow in Ely, where it remained until it was rescued in 2003 by the museum. The vehicle was renovated between 2012 and 2019, assisted by a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund, and its previous history became apparent as the layers of paint were stripped away.[11][12]

Proposal to re-introduce

In 2006 a private group Trams for Bath proposed their re-introduction. In 2015 a further initiative was under discussion by a new group Bath Trams.[13][14]

In 2017 Bath and North East Somerset council announced it was to carry out a feasibility study of a light rail system.[15] The study was produced by Atkins,[16] and in January 2018, Bath Council identified four routes which could have tram routes and identified that the proposals would need further consideration.[17]

References

  1. ^ Prior 2013.
  2. ^ Klapper 1974.
  3. ^ "Bath Tramways". Combe Down. Retrieved 26 December 2016.
  4. ^ a b Oppitz 1990, p. 69.
  5. ^ "Bath Electric Tramways Ltd". South Western Electricity Historical Society. Archived from the original on 22 July 2013. Retrieved 26 December 2016.
  6. ^ Oppitz 1990, p. 70.
  7. ^ "Bath". The Electrical Engineer. 29: 198. 7 February 1902.
  8. ^ Oppitz 1990, pp. 70–71.
  9. ^ Oppitz 1990, p. 72.
  10. ^ "Runaway tramcar". The Times. No. 46487. London. 4 July 1933. col C, p. 16.
  11. ^ "Starbuck Horse Tram". Ipswich Transport Museum. Archived from the original on 6 March 2016. Retrieved 7 June 2019.
  12. ^ Prior 2019.
  13. ^ "Why trams are a modern, low cost and convenient solution to Baths choking transport issues". Claverton Energy Group. Retrieved 26 December 2016.
  14. ^ "Agenda piece: Are you ready to hop on board a push for a city tram system in Bath?". Bath Chronicle. 3 April 2015. Archived from the original on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 26 December 2016.
  15. ^ "Council to carry out study into feasibility of a 'Bath tram'". Bath and North East Somerset Council. Retrieved 24 June 2017.
  16. ^ "The potential introduction of trams to Bath" (PDF). democracy.bathnes.gov.uk. Retrieved 19 August 2019.
  17. ^ Baber 2018.

Bibliography

External links

Royal Bath and West Show

2006 Royal Bath and West Show

The Royal Bath and West is an agricultural show for the West of England. Held every year at its permanent show ground near Shepton Mallet, Somerset, it is one of a number of County shows in the United Kingdom and is a four-day show. In 2009 and 2010 it attracted over 155,000 people.[1]

Background

The Royal Bath and West Show is organised and run by the Royal Bath and West of England Society. It was founded in 1777 in Bath by a group of philanthropists led by Edmund Rack,[2] and is now a registered charity organisation (1039397).[3] The Society was formed with the aims of encouraging agriculture, arts, manufacture and commerce.

The show

The annual show was initiated at Taunton in 1852 and was originally peripatetic. It was held on Durdham Down in Bristol in 1886 and again in 1921.[4] Latterly it was held in Bath in 1912 and 1927.[5] Exeter's Whipton Barton Exhibition Fields hosted the show in 1909[6][7] and 1954.[8]

The Royal Bath & West Show aims to celebrate all aspects of farming and rural life, from the best of British livestock to the latest technological innovations in the farming industry. The show offers shopping, food halls, floral marquee, rural crafts, country pursuits, dog show, equestrian competitions and arena displays. The show also attracts over 1,000 trade stands.

It is set in a 240 acres (97 ha) permanent showground, with a 3 acres (1.2 ha) show ring with a 1,200-seater grandstand and complete with its own steam model railway, a canoeing lake and a professional 4x4 off-road track.

Royal visitors

Every year a member of the Royal Family visits the show. In 2008, Princess Anne visited the show, and in 2009 the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall both attended; the Prince of Wales had last visited the show in 1991. In 2010, the Countess of Wessex become the new Vice Patron of the Royal Bath and West Society. The Queen Mother and Queen Elizabeth II have also visited the show in past years.

21st century

2009 show

The 2009 Royal Bath & West Show was held from Wednesday 27 May to Saturday 30 May. Mortimer’s Farm won Supreme Champion Beef Animal with their Charolais bull ‘Mortimer’s Eurovision’.[9] The Imagineering Fair won the Gold Medal for the best feature in Show with its display of aircraft and vehicles celebrating the 100 Years of Naval Aviation.[10] The Smelliest Cheese competition was won by Charles Martell, the maker of the Stinking Bishop.[11] The Champion Cheese in the Dairy Produce section, which was a block of Davidstow Cheddar made by Dairy Crest, was brought by R H Longman for £1000.[12]

The Cannon Ball Man, the Band of the Brigade of Gurkhas and the French ornithologist Christian Moullec with his geese, were all features of the show.[12]

2010 show

The 2010 Royal Bath and West show took place from 2 to 5 June. Over 155,000 visitors attended, highlights included the Red Devils Parachute Display team and skilled displays from the Avon & Somerset Mounted and Dog Handling Sections. Over 2,400 Pigs, Sheep, Goats and Cattle and 2,000 horses were in competition. For the first time ever a Ladies Day took place on Friday 4 June.

References

  1. ^ "Results from the Royal Bath and West Show". Clevedon Mercury. This is Somerset. 4 June 2005. Retrieved 15 February 2010.
  2. ^ "Formation of the institution". Royal Bath and West of England Society. Archived from the original on 17 February 2012. Retrieved 15 February 2010.
  3. ^ "Extract from the Central Register of Charities maintained by the Charity Commission for England and Wales". Charity Commission. Retrieved 22 October 2007.
  4. ^ Oakley, Mike (2006). Bristol Railway Stations 1840–2005. Redcliffe Press. ISBN 1-904537-54-5.
  5. ^ Colin G. Maggs (2013). The GWR Bristol To Bath. Amberley Publishing. ISBN 9781445625829. Retrieved 1 February 2015.
  6. ^ "Bath and West at Exeter". Western News. 19 June 1908.
  7. ^ ""Bath and West" at Exeter". Western Times. 9 November 1909.
  8. ^ "Unimer at the Bath and West Show". Cornish Guardian. 27 May 1954.
  9. ^ "RURAL TV Helps Royal Bath & West Show Attract Record 155,960 Visitors". Rural TV. Archived from the original on 30 May 2010. Retrieved 27 March 2010.
  10. ^ "Imagineering Triumph at Bath & West Show". Imagineering Foundation. Retrieved 27 March 2010.
  11. ^ "Stinking Bishop Britain's smelliest cheese". The Telegraph. 28 May 2009. Retrieved 27 March 2010.
  12. ^ a b "The Royal Bath & West Show 2009". Royal Bath & West Show. 8 June 2009. Archived from the original on 7 July 2011. Retrieved 27 March 2010.

External links

51°09′25″N 2°31′35″W / 51.15694°N 2.52639°W / 51.15694; -2.52639