Posted by: Blog Administrator
on Nov 18, 2011
Tagged in:
William Jeffery ,
Thomas Wise ,
thatcher ,
survey ,
shop ,
Peter Green ,
May Day ,
map ,
Lord Arundell ,
Kinghts Hospitallers ,
James Plowman ,
James Bolton ,
Hospice ,
Hannah Randall ,
cottage ,
Commandery ,
Broadchalke ,
Berry Plowman ,
Ansty
Just recently I looked at a tiny house in the south of Wiltshire. Ansty has a population of about 125 but the head count is greatly expanded every May Day when Ansty holds its very popular celebration around the medieval duck pond, and near the Hospice or Commandery – a venerable 16th century building on land once belonging to the Knights Hospitallers.
A rather more humble building is tucked away on the main street, almost hidden by trees and vegetation that has overgrown it. Nature very readily begins to reclaim its materials if we fail to keep it at bay! This tiny cottage dating to c1700 originally consisted of two small rooms – a living room/kitchen entered directly from the front door, and an unheated store. In 1768 it was leased to a carpenter named James Plowman, aged 55. Initials ‘IP’ found scratched on the soft Tisbury Greensand at the rear could have been those of James Plowman, as an ‘I’ could stand for a ‘J’ then.
The cottage
