Posted by: Blog Administrator
on Mar 19, 2011
Tagged in:
Wiltshire and Swindon Archives ,
Wiltshire & Swindon History Centre ,
wealth ,
topographical ,
Thomas Cruse ,
surveys ,
surveyed ,
street ,
schedule ,
researchers ,
repaired ,
parishes ,
parish office ,
parish ,
owners ,
occupiers ,
neglect ,
mounted ,
Modern ,
maps ,
map ,
manuscript ,
land surveyor ,
house ,
History Centre. ,
handling ,
field names ,
estates ,
drawn ,
discovery ,
cultivation ,
conserved ,
challenge ,
Calstone Wellington ,
Calne ,
Borough ,
Blackland ,
acreages ,
1828 ,
1827
WSA has a very large number of maps, from 16th-20th centuries, mainly manuscript surveys of individual parishes and estates. They come in various sizes, but one of the largest, was recently found in the attic of the parish office in Calne. Measuring 12 feet x 9 feet (3.6m x 2.75m), the equivalent of a good sized room in a modern house, it was so long that the only way to get it out of the house was for it to be lowered from a first floor window to the street below.
The map laid out on a row of tables
It is a beautifully drawn and accurately surveyed map of the parish of Calne also including Blackland and Calstone Wellington that was made by land surveyor Thomas Cruse in 1827 and 1828 at a scale of 20inches to the mile. The archive team at WSHC was alerted and brought it to the History Centre. It is a very important discovery because of the wealth of topographical information it provides about Calne more than 180 years ago. A copy of the schedule giving details of owners/occupiers field names, acreages and state of cultivation is held the archives as is the associated map of the borough. Years of neglect have taken its toll and the map cannot be available until it has been cleaned and conserved, although it is complete and there will virtually no loss of detail.
Detail of damage the map has sustained
It presents quite a challenge to the archive conservators as it is bigger that the vertical wall board on which maps are repaired, and will have to be repaired in sections. However, they are experienced in handling some large items, and once cleaned and mounted on a new cloth backing it will be available for researchers to use in the History Centre.
If you have enjoyed this article, the following entries may also be of interest:
The 200 Year Old Time Capsule
Why was Wiltshire 1st?
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Posted by: Blog Administrator
on Sep 14, 2010
Tagged in:
Wiltshire ,
visit ,
victims ,
Tudors ,
tour ,
theme ,
Terry ,
teams ,
strong rooms ,
staff ,
seal ,
Saturday 25 September ,
Richard the Lionheart ,
research facilities ,
replica sword ,
quiz ,
prize ,
pox-ridden ,
Planning ,
performers ,
peasant ,
musicians ,
Middle Ages ,
microfiche ,
Medieval Open Day ,
Medieval ,
logitistical exercise ,
Library ,
Labs ,
knights ,
Investigate ,
ills ,
History Centre. ,
History Centre ,
helmet ,
Hedge Witch ,
guest ,
fun ,
free ,
film ,
documents ,
display ,
demonstrations ,
day out ,
cure ,
creative writing ,
costumes ,
conserved ,
computers ,
castles ,
broadsword ,
Black Death ,
behind the scene ,
Arts team ,
artefacts ,
armour ,
Archives & local Studies Manager ,
Archives ,
Archaeologists ,
annual ,
all the family ,
activity ,
activities ,
10 am - 4 pm
Medieval Open Day
Saturday 25 September
10 am - 4 pm
Please 'read more' to find out which fun and free activities are on offer this year...
Posted by: Blog Administrator
on Dec 18, 2009
Tagged in:
winder stair ,
walled town ,
Victorian shop ,
Thames ,
Swindon ,
Saxon ,
rendered ,
passage ,
parlour ,
oldest houses ,
merchant’s house ,
in loco delicioso ,
History Centre. ,
High Street ,
hall ,
estate ,
Ermin Street ,
double-arched braced jointed cruck truss ,
delightful place ,
cruck timber frame ,
Cricklade ,
Cotswold ,
church house ,
capital messuage ,
blackened ,
ancient
Just recently I have been called to Cricklade, a lovely old Cotswold town north-east of Swindon. This Saxon walled town is situated at the highest navigable point of the Thames where it is crossed by Ermin Street. Its town crest bears the Latin words ‘in loco delicioso’ meaning ‘in a delightful place’.
We came to look at what might be one of the oldest houses in the High Street. From the rendered front, there is no indication at all that the interior hides an ancient blackened cruck timber frame.
The Cruck Truss
In fact, the façade is much as you would expect an early Victorian shop front to look – old multi-paned bay windows with thick moulded glazing bars. As soon as you open the front door you stare down a dark, narrow passage straight through to the old planked back door hung on heavy pintle hinges. To the left is a step down to the old, originally unheated parlour. In the end wall is a heavy beam – a mid-rail - which divided the framing into upper and lower panels, now replaced in stone. The upper room, traditionally the hall or parlour end, was reached by going back into the passage, going to the back and around the massive stone stack that was inserted c1600. Once in the hall the massive weight of an over-engineered ceiling is the first thing you notice. When the old open hall was improved with the addition of a proper chimney stack, floors were inserted, using the chimney breast as a support for one end of the ceiling beam – a typical arrangement for this kind of modification. To go upstairs a neat little winder stair was tucked in between the chimney stack and the outside wall, very steep and precipitous! You wonder how they ever got the furniture up there!
Upstairs, the room over the old hall has had its ceiling removed to show off the impressive double-arched braced jointed cruck truss which would originally have been seen from the ground. From inspecting the timber framing closely it is apparent that there was another separate timber framed house next to it, though you would never know this as the building there now is entirely of stone. To find out more please click on 'read more'.
