Atworth
Encyclopedia
Atworth is a village and a Civil Parish in Wiltshire
, England
. According to the 2001 census, it had a population of 1,280. The village is about three miles northwest of Melksham
and nine miles east from Bath.
were a filming location
for the 2008 film The Other Boleyn Girl, an adaptation of the historical novel of the same name, and some scenes of the 2008 BBC Television adaptation of Tess of the d'Urbervilles
.
of Atworth was formed in 1884. It consists of Atworth (formerly a tything of Bradford on Avon
), and the parishes of Great
and Little Chalfield, plus Cottles. Atworth’s northern boundary follows the course of the Roman road and Wansdyke. This boundary is also part of the local government boundary dividing West Wiltshire
from North Wiltshire
.
The soil in this area lies on a thin layer of limestone
over Oxford clay. It is fairly easy to drill through the limestone and tap the water lying on the surface of the clay underneath. Water has always been readily available in the village. At one time there were 76 wells and six public water pumps in the parish.
The name Atworth has had various spellings down the centuries, examples being Ateforde, Attewarde and Ateworthe, meaning ‘Aetta’s farmstead’. The modern spelling was established as late as 1858. Chalfield refers to a ‘cold or exposed open space’, and Cottles (or Cotel) is an old family name.
The Roman villa
at Atworth is one of six within approximately a three mile radius of Box. It is not possible to accurately date the development of this building due to the fact that it was excavated before modern dating methods were available. However, most sections were in evidence by the late 3rd century, and a coin found locally was dated AD270-390.
The Atworth villa
was a long ‘L’ shape and developed in four distinct phases. The first stage was a dwelling house and east wing comprising was two separate buildings. Next a corridor was constructed to provide a covered walk way to protect bathers going from the main building to the bath house. The third phase took place when the villa was at its most prosperous. The roof
and walls
were rebuilt, further baths
added and many of the passages were re-paved with stone slabs. There was a hypocaust to heat the house and the baths.
By the early 400s the building was in decline. Some of the walls were knocked down and there is evidence of burning. The former is likely to be the work of successive farmers rather than theft
of the stone.
The manor
of Atworth was originally part of the estate held by the Abbey of Shaftesbury. Records after the Dissolution are scarce, but for a short time Atworth farm was in the hands of Sir Francis Walsingham. It is probable that this farm was the forerunner of the present Manor Farm
. During medieval times
Atworth was a prosperous area supporting three manors. The second manor was held by Agnes Bourton in 1431. Again, records are scarce, but John Aubrey
mentions it in his ‘Topographical Collections’ as having been sold by Hope Long c.1670. He describes a fine 14th century house, but there are no remains of any great house in Atworth. This manor was later to merge with that of Bradford
, but was retained by Lord Methuen when he sold Bradford c.1854. The third manor is Cottles. It was first held by Robert Cotel c.1102 and its descent can be traced down to the present day. The current building, Cottles House, is of 16th century origin and has been occupied since 1939 by Stonar School
.
A chapel
dedicated to St. Michael was first built here c.1070. Its nave
was partially destroyed by fire during the 12th century and subsequently rebuilt. In 1451 the whole church was rebuilt and enlarged, the existing tower being all that remains of this building. By 1831 the old church was in very poor condition and it was decided to demolish all of it except the tower. The new ashlar
church was built the following year. All Saints church at Great Chalfield is approached through the gatehouse to Great Chalfield Manor
. It originates from the early 14th century, when it consisted of a chancel
and nave. In c1480 the chancel was rebuilt and a chapel added. Further alterations took place in 1775.
Non Conformist
worship
pers have been served by three chapels over the years, but only one remains. The Congregational
or Independent Church was built c.1790. Although unable to support its own pastor
since 1816 the church continues to be served by visiting preachers. The Baptist Ebenezer chapel opened in 1864. Its congregation was always small, but it remained active until 1979. It is now a private house. There was also a Free Church in Atworth.
Atworth is rich in listed buildings, with many houses, cottages and farmhouse
s dating from the 17th and 18th centuries. The oldest farmhouse is at Poplar Farm on Bradford Road. This dates from the 15th century, although it was extensively altered in the 18th century. One of the farm buildings contains a pigeon loft and is now home to Atworth Museum. One of the oldest cottages is also along the Bradford Road. Built c.1650 it was originally The Three Horseshoes Inn and later became a forge. Another listed inn is The White Hart on the Bath Road which is late 18th century.
The Clock Tower
was built to commemorate Queen Victoria’s reign. In 1897 a Queen Victoria Jubilee memorial appeal was launched, looking to raise approximately £100. In later years the tower also served as the village war memorial.
Although separated from the village and lying about half a mile to the west, the Cottles Estate has always been part of the parish of Atworth. There is some evidence that there may have been a small monastery
on this site. It was supposedly founded by St. Aldhelm in 1001 and given to the nuns at Shaftesbury Abbey
. The first Cottles manor house was owned by Sir Robert Cotel in 1102 and stayed with this family until 1309. The present building dates from the 16th century, and there is a large Elizabethan stone chimneypiece inside bearing the Paulett family arms.
The house was extensively rebuilt by the Hale family during the 1770s and 1830s. They were also responsible for rebuilding the church and founding the school
. By the 1870s it was in the hands of the Fuller family, who made a generous contribution towards the cost of the Clock Tower. The last member of the Fuller family to live at Cottles House was Norah Forestier-Walker, who died there in 1935. The house was then left empty and began to deteriorate. In 1939 Stonar School were evacuated there from Sandwich
, and they have been there ever since.
Great Chalfield Manor
was built c.1470 by Thomas Tropenell, and is described by Pevsner
as being ‘one of the most perfect examples of the late medieval English manor house’. During the Civil War it was garrisoned for Parliamentary forces, being occupied by approximately 200 men and 100 horses. The house was bought by the Fuller family in 1878. After carrying out a full restoration, they gave it to the National Trust in 1943.
Like most villages in the early 20th century, Atworth was largely self sufficient. All the usual services were available, such as the grocer, baker, dairy, blacksmith, carpenter, wheelwright and butcher. There was also a Post Office. Over the years there have been three public houses. Farming was a source of employment – within the parish boundary there are 15 farms marked on the map. There were various quarries in the area, such as those at Corsham and Neston, which were also local employers. However, the two biggest employers were the Neston Estate and Dowty’s.
Neston Park employed a large staff of more than 100 craftsmen and others. Masons, tilers, decorators and carpenters were in demand, and since transport depended largely upon horses, grooms and blacksmiths were also needed. Dowty Fuel Systems Ltd was established in 1922. It had existed earlier than this, under the name of the Mendip Motor and Engineering Works. The firm was responsible for designing and planning the Mendip Car, eventually producing 500 cars. After the death of the owner, when the firm was in Bristol, the Thatcher brothers started up in Atworth again. They were soon producing high-class engineering materials. The firm expanded rapidly in the Second World War, providing components for the aircraft industry. Its workforce had now grown to 600. The business was sold to the Dowty Group in 1948. In 1991 Dowty New Mendip finally shut down production after 69 years.
As Atworth was originally a tything of Bradford-on-Avon it has no entry of its own in Domesday. The ancient parish of Bradford included the town of Bradford, with Trowle, Leigh, Woolley, Cumberwell, Holt, Atworth, South Wraxall, Winsley and Limpley Stoke. The estimated population for this large area at the time of Domesday is 750. The first figure we have for Atworth is the Poll Tax for 1377, when 57 people, aged over 14 years were recorded. In 1428 the village appeared on a list of parishes with less than ten households.
The three Medieval Manors played an important part in the agricultural development of the village. The land was farmed intensively and the amount of land under cultivation was increasing all the time. Expansion continued until the 18th and early 19th centuries, when the wool trade brought increasing prosperity. The population in 1811 was 549, rising to 824 in 1841. In 1891 the figure was 676. In 1885 the new parish of Atworth was created. The 1891 figure therefore included Great and Little Chalfield, giving a population for the whole parish of 767. By 2001 the population had risen to 1,280.
Modern amenities reached Atworth in the early 20th century. The first of these was the telephone, which was first installed in 1884. Mains water did not arrive until the 1930s. Prior to this the villagers relied on the plentiful supply of wells and water pumps. Electricity was brought to the village in 1933.
An important village institution is the Atworth Institute, which opened in 1914. This had three rooms, a reading room, a games room and a room for juniors. They were opened up into one large room for events such as dances. There were also three slipper baths, which remained popular until their removal in 1963. The Institute, recently renamed the Village Hall, is still an important focal point in the village, as most major indoor events take place here.
Sports clubs and other leisure activities have been in existence since at least 1897, when there were cricket and football teams. A tennis court was available on the recreation ground by 1930, and more recently there was a flourishing judo club. There was an Atworth Friendly Society in the 1890s, and also a Girls’ Friendly Society. In 1898 200 girls gathered at Neston for the day and later attended a service in Atworth church. Other popular annual events were the Bible Class and Sunday School Day at Neston, and the Church Choir’s visit to the seaside.
The Women’s Institute was founded in 1945 and is still in existence, as are the Guide and Brownie troops. A Branch of Toc H was established in 1939 and met for 12 years. More recently a ladies Spinning Group and a History Group have been formed. Atworth is a thriving community, and its clubs, groups and events have always been well supported and enjoyed.
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. According to the 2001 census, it had a population of 1,280. The village is about three miles northwest of Melksham
Melksham
Melksham is a medium-sized English town, lying on the River Avon. It lies in the county of Wiltshire.It is situated southeast of the city of Bath, south of Chippenham, west of Devizes and north of Warminster on the A350 national route. The 2001 UK census cited Melksham as having 20,000...
and nine miles east from Bath.
Film industry
In the early 21st century, Atworth parish attracted the attention of the film industry. On the southern outskirts, the house and grounds of Great Chalfield ManorGreat Chalfield Manor
Great Chalfield Manor is an English country house at Great Chalfield, near Bradford-on-Avon, Wiltshire.The house is a moated manor house built around 1465–1480 for Thomas Tropenell, a modest member of the landed gentry who made a fortune as a clothier...
were a filming location
Filming location
A filming location is a place where some or all of a film or television series is produced, in addition to or instead of using sets constructed on a movie studio backlot or soundstage...
for the 2008 film The Other Boleyn Girl, an adaptation of the historical novel of the same name, and some scenes of the 2008 BBC Television adaptation of Tess of the d'Urbervilles
Tess of the D'Urbervilles (TV serial)
Tess of the D'Urbervilles is a 4-hour BBC television adaptation of Thomas Hardy's book of the same name. The script is by David Nicholls. It tells the story of Tess Durbeyfield, a low-born country girl whose family find they have noble connections....
.
History
The modern civil parishCivil parish
In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...
of Atworth was formed in 1884. It consists of Atworth (formerly a tything of Bradford on Avon
Bradford on Avon
Bradford on Avon is a town in west Wiltshire, England with a population of about 9,326. The town's canal, historic buildings, shops, pubs and restaurants make it popular with tourists....
), and the parishes of Great
Great Chalfield Manor
Great Chalfield Manor is an English country house at Great Chalfield, near Bradford-on-Avon, Wiltshire.The house is a moated manor house built around 1465–1480 for Thomas Tropenell, a modest member of the landed gentry who made a fortune as a clothier...
and Little Chalfield, plus Cottles. Atworth’s northern boundary follows the course of the Roman road and Wansdyke. This boundary is also part of the local government boundary dividing West Wiltshire
West Wiltshire
West Wiltshire was a local government district in Wiltshire, England, formed on 1 April 1974, further to the Local Government Act 1972, as a merger of the former urban districts of Bradford-on-Avon, Melksham, Trowbridge, Warminster and Westbury, along with Bradford and Melksham Rural District and...
from North Wiltshire
North Wiltshire
North Wiltshire was a local government district in Wiltshire, England, formed on 1 April 1974, by a merger of the municipal boroughs of Calne, Chippenham, and Malmesbury along with Calne and Chippenham Rural District, Cricklade and Wootton Bassett Rural District and Malmesbury Rural District...
.
The soil in this area lies on a thin layer of limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
over Oxford clay. It is fairly easy to drill through the limestone and tap the water lying on the surface of the clay underneath. Water has always been readily available in the village. At one time there were 76 wells and six public water pumps in the parish.
The name Atworth has had various spellings down the centuries, examples being Ateforde, Attewarde and Ateworthe, meaning ‘Aetta’s farmstead’. The modern spelling was established as late as 1858. Chalfield refers to a ‘cold or exposed open space’, and Cottles (or Cotel) is an old family name.
The Roman villa
Roman villa
A Roman villa is a villa that was built or lived in during the Roman republic and the Roman Empire. A villa was originally a Roman country house built for the upper class...
at Atworth is one of six within approximately a three mile radius of Box. It is not possible to accurately date the development of this building due to the fact that it was excavated before modern dating methods were available. However, most sections were in evidence by the late 3rd century, and a coin found locally was dated AD270-390.
The Atworth villa
Villa
A villa was originally an ancient Roman upper-class country house. Since its origins in the Roman villa, the idea and function of a villa have evolved considerably. After the fall of the Roman Republic, villas became small farming compounds, which were increasingly fortified in Late Antiquity,...
was a long ‘L’ shape and developed in four distinct phases. The first stage was a dwelling house and east wing comprising was two separate buildings. Next a corridor was constructed to provide a covered walk way to protect bathers going from the main building to the bath house. The third phase took place when the villa was at its most prosperous. The roof
Roof
A roof is the covering on the uppermost part of a building. A roof protects the building and its contents from the effects of weather. Structures that require roofs range from a letter box to a cathedral or stadium, dwellings being the most numerous....
and walls
Walls
- Other uses :*Wall's , a company that makes ice cream*Wall's sausages, a British sausage brand*Walls, an episode of Power Rangers S.P.D.- Music :*Walls EP, a 2005 album by The Red Paintings*Walls , 2007...
were rebuilt, further baths
Bathing
Bathing is the washing or cleansing of the body in a fluid, usually water or an aqueous solution. It may be practised for personal hygiene, religious ritual or therapeutic purposes or as a recreational activity....
added and many of the passages were re-paved with stone slabs. There was a hypocaust to heat the house and the baths.
By the early 400s the building was in decline. Some of the walls were knocked down and there is evidence of burning. The former is likely to be the work of successive farmers rather than theft
Theft
In common usage, theft is the illegal taking of another person's property without that person's permission or consent. The word is also used as an informal shorthand term for some crimes against property, such as burglary, embezzlement, larceny, looting, robbery, shoplifting and fraud...
of the stone.
The manor
Manor house
A manor house is a country house that historically formed the administrative centre of a manor, the lowest unit of territorial organisation in the feudal system in Europe. The term is applied to country houses that belonged to the gentry and other grand stately homes...
of Atworth was originally part of the estate held by the Abbey of Shaftesbury. Records after the Dissolution are scarce, but for a short time Atworth farm was in the hands of Sir Francis Walsingham. It is probable that this farm was the forerunner of the present Manor Farm
Manor Farm
Manor Farm is the name traditionally given to a farm that was part of a Manor in England. Its produce was used to supply the Manor. Due to its ancient origins, there are many uses of the name Manor Farm to be found in England;...
. During medieval times
Medieval Times
Medieval Times Dinner and Tournament is a family dinner theater featuring staged medieval-style games, sword-fighting, and jousting performed by a cast of 75 actors and 20 horses. Each location is housed in a replica 11th-century castle, with the exception of the Toronto location, which is housed...
Atworth was a prosperous area supporting three manors. The second manor was held by Agnes Bourton in 1431. Again, records are scarce, but John Aubrey
John Aubrey
John Aubrey FRS, was an English antiquary, natural philosopher and writer. He is perhaps best known as the author of the collection of short biographical pieces usually referred to as Brief Lives...
mentions it in his ‘Topographical Collections’ as having been sold by Hope Long c.1670. He describes a fine 14th century house, but there are no remains of any great house in Atworth. This manor was later to merge with that of Bradford
Bradford
Bradford lies at the heart of the City of Bradford, a metropolitan borough of West Yorkshire, in Northern England. It is situated in the foothills of the Pennines, west of Leeds, and northwest of Wakefield. Bradford became a municipal borough in 1847, and received its charter as a city in 1897...
, but was retained by Lord Methuen when he sold Bradford c.1854. The third manor is Cottles. It was first held by Robert Cotel c.1102 and its descent can be traced down to the present day. The current building, Cottles House, is of 16th century origin and has been occupied since 1939 by Stonar School
Stonar School
Stonar School, founded in 1895, is one of the UK's independent leading day and boarding school, at Cottles Park, Atworth, near in Wiltshire, south-west England...
.
A chapel
Chapel
A chapel is a building used by Christians as a place of fellowship and worship. It may be part of a larger structure or complex, such as a church, college, hospital, palace, prison or funeral home, located on board a military or commercial ship, or it may be an entirely free-standing building,...
dedicated to St. Michael was first built here c.1070. Its nave
Nave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
was partially destroyed by fire during the 12th century and subsequently rebuilt. In 1451 the whole church was rebuilt and enlarged, the existing tower being all that remains of this building. By 1831 the old church was in very poor condition and it was decided to demolish all of it except the tower. The new ashlar
Ashlar
Ashlar is prepared stone work of any type of stone. Masonry using such stones laid in parallel courses is known as ashlar masonry, whereas masonry using irregularly shaped stones is known as rubble masonry. Ashlar blocks are rectangular cuboid blocks that are masonry sculpted to have square edges...
church was built the following year. All Saints church at Great Chalfield is approached through the gatehouse to Great Chalfield Manor
Great Chalfield Manor
Great Chalfield Manor is an English country house at Great Chalfield, near Bradford-on-Avon, Wiltshire.The house is a moated manor house built around 1465–1480 for Thomas Tropenell, a modest member of the landed gentry who made a fortune as a clothier...
. It originates from the early 14th century, when it consisted of a chancel
Chancel
In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar in the sanctuary at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building...
and nave. In c1480 the chancel was rebuilt and a chapel added. Further alterations took place in 1775.
Non Conformist
Conformist
In English history, Conformists were those whose religious practices conformed with the requirements of the Act of Uniformity and so were in concert with the Established Church, the Church of England, as opposed to those of Nonconformists whose practices were not acceptable to the Church of England....
worship
Worship
Worship is an act of religious devotion usually directed towards a deity. The word is derived from the Old English worthscipe, meaning worthiness or worth-ship — to give, at its simplest, worth to something, for example, Christian worship.Evelyn Underhill defines worship thus: "The absolute...
pers have been served by three chapels over the years, but only one remains. The Congregational
Congregational church
Congregational churches are Protestant Christian churches practicing Congregationalist church governance, in which each congregation independently and autonomously runs its own affairs....
or Independent Church was built c.1790. Although unable to support its own pastor
Pastor
The word pastor usually refers to an ordained leader of a Christian congregation. When used as an ecclesiastical styling or title, this role may be abbreviated to "Pr." or often "Ps"....
since 1816 the church continues to be served by visiting preachers. The Baptist Ebenezer chapel opened in 1864. Its congregation was always small, but it remained active until 1979. It is now a private house. There was also a Free Church in Atworth.
Atworth is rich in listed buildings, with many houses, cottages and farmhouse
Farmhouse
Farmhouse is a general term for the main house of a farm. It is a type of building or house which serves a residential purpose in a rural or agricultural setting. Most often, the surrounding environment will be a farm. Many farm houses are shaped like a T...
s dating from the 17th and 18th centuries. The oldest farmhouse is at Poplar Farm on Bradford Road. This dates from the 15th century, although it was extensively altered in the 18th century. One of the farm buildings contains a pigeon loft and is now home to Atworth Museum. One of the oldest cottages is also along the Bradford Road. Built c.1650 it was originally The Three Horseshoes Inn and later became a forge. Another listed inn is The White Hart on the Bath Road which is late 18th century.
The Clock Tower
Clock tower
A clock tower is a tower specifically built with one or more clock faces. Clock towers can be either freestanding or part of a church or municipal building such as a town hall. Some clock towers are not true clock towers having had their clock faces added to an already existing building...
was built to commemorate Queen Victoria’s reign. In 1897 a Queen Victoria Jubilee memorial appeal was launched, looking to raise approximately £100. In later years the tower also served as the village war memorial.
Although separated from the village and lying about half a mile to the west, the Cottles Estate has always been part of the parish of Atworth. There is some evidence that there may have been a small monastery
Monastery
Monastery denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of monastics, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in community or alone .Monasteries may vary greatly in size – a small dwelling accommodating only...
on this site. It was supposedly founded by St. Aldhelm in 1001 and given to the nuns at Shaftesbury Abbey
Shaftesbury Abbey
Shaftesbury Abbey was an abbey that housed nuns in Shaftesbury, Dorset. Founded in the year 888, the abbey was the wealthiest Benedictine nunnery in England, a major pilgrimage site, and the town's central focus...
. The first Cottles manor house was owned by Sir Robert Cotel in 1102 and stayed with this family until 1309. The present building dates from the 16th century, and there is a large Elizabethan stone chimneypiece inside bearing the Paulett family arms.
The house was extensively rebuilt by the Hale family during the 1770s and 1830s. They were also responsible for rebuilding the church and founding the school
Stonar School
Stonar School, founded in 1895, is one of the UK's independent leading day and boarding school, at Cottles Park, Atworth, near in Wiltshire, south-west England...
. By the 1870s it was in the hands of the Fuller family, who made a generous contribution towards the cost of the Clock Tower. The last member of the Fuller family to live at Cottles House was Norah Forestier-Walker, who died there in 1935. The house was then left empty and began to deteriorate. In 1939 Stonar School were evacuated there from Sandwich
Sandwich, Kent
Sandwich is a historic town and civil parish on the River Stour in the Non-metropolitan district of Dover, within the ceremonial county of Kent, south-east England. It has a population of 6,800....
, and they have been there ever since.
Great Chalfield Manor
Great Chalfield Manor
Great Chalfield Manor is an English country house at Great Chalfield, near Bradford-on-Avon, Wiltshire.The house is a moated manor house built around 1465–1480 for Thomas Tropenell, a modest member of the landed gentry who made a fortune as a clothier...
was built c.1470 by Thomas Tropenell, and is described by Pevsner
Pevsner
Pevsner is a surname, and may refer to:* Antoine Pevsner , a Russian sculptor* Sir Nikolaus Pevsner , a German-born British scholar of the history of architecture;** ....
as being ‘one of the most perfect examples of the late medieval English manor house’. During the Civil War it was garrisoned for Parliamentary forces, being occupied by approximately 200 men and 100 horses. The house was bought by the Fuller family in 1878. After carrying out a full restoration, they gave it to the National Trust in 1943.
Like most villages in the early 20th century, Atworth was largely self sufficient. All the usual services were available, such as the grocer, baker, dairy, blacksmith, carpenter, wheelwright and butcher. There was also a Post Office. Over the years there have been three public houses. Farming was a source of employment – within the parish boundary there are 15 farms marked on the map. There were various quarries in the area, such as those at Corsham and Neston, which were also local employers. However, the two biggest employers were the Neston Estate and Dowty’s.
Neston Park employed a large staff of more than 100 craftsmen and others. Masons, tilers, decorators and carpenters were in demand, and since transport depended largely upon horses, grooms and blacksmiths were also needed. Dowty Fuel Systems Ltd was established in 1922. It had existed earlier than this, under the name of the Mendip Motor and Engineering Works. The firm was responsible for designing and planning the Mendip Car, eventually producing 500 cars. After the death of the owner, when the firm was in Bristol, the Thatcher brothers started up in Atworth again. They were soon producing high-class engineering materials. The firm expanded rapidly in the Second World War, providing components for the aircraft industry. Its workforce had now grown to 600. The business was sold to the Dowty Group in 1948. In 1991 Dowty New Mendip finally shut down production after 69 years.
As Atworth was originally a tything of Bradford-on-Avon it has no entry of its own in Domesday. The ancient parish of Bradford included the town of Bradford, with Trowle, Leigh, Woolley, Cumberwell, Holt, Atworth, South Wraxall, Winsley and Limpley Stoke. The estimated population for this large area at the time of Domesday is 750. The first figure we have for Atworth is the Poll Tax for 1377, when 57 people, aged over 14 years were recorded. In 1428 the village appeared on a list of parishes with less than ten households.
The three Medieval Manors played an important part in the agricultural development of the village. The land was farmed intensively and the amount of land under cultivation was increasing all the time. Expansion continued until the 18th and early 19th centuries, when the wool trade brought increasing prosperity. The population in 1811 was 549, rising to 824 in 1841. In 1891 the figure was 676. In 1885 the new parish of Atworth was created. The 1891 figure therefore included Great and Little Chalfield, giving a population for the whole parish of 767. By 2001 the population had risen to 1,280.
Modern amenities reached Atworth in the early 20th century. The first of these was the telephone, which was first installed in 1884. Mains water did not arrive until the 1930s. Prior to this the villagers relied on the plentiful supply of wells and water pumps. Electricity was brought to the village in 1933.
An important village institution is the Atworth Institute, which opened in 1914. This had three rooms, a reading room, a games room and a room for juniors. They were opened up into one large room for events such as dances. There were also three slipper baths, which remained popular until their removal in 1963. The Institute, recently renamed the Village Hall, is still an important focal point in the village, as most major indoor events take place here.
Sports clubs and other leisure activities have been in existence since at least 1897, when there were cricket and football teams. A tennis court was available on the recreation ground by 1930, and more recently there was a flourishing judo club. There was an Atworth Friendly Society in the 1890s, and also a Girls’ Friendly Society. In 1898 200 girls gathered at Neston for the day and later attended a service in Atworth church. Other popular annual events were the Bible Class and Sunday School Day at Neston, and the Church Choir’s visit to the seaside.
The Women’s Institute was founded in 1945 and is still in existence, as are the Guide and Brownie troops. A Branch of Toc H was established in 1939 and met for 12 years. More recently a ladies Spinning Group and a History Group have been formed. Atworth is a thriving community, and its clubs, groups and events have always been well supported and enjoyed.
External links
- Wiltshire Council Website
- Atworth Village Website
- Behind the scenes gallery – images of Great Chalfield ManorGreat Chalfield ManorGreat Chalfield Manor is an English country house at Great Chalfield, near Bradford-on-Avon, Wiltshire.The house is a moated manor house built around 1465–1480 for Thomas Tropenell, a modest member of the landed gentry who made a fortune as a clothier...
and Lacock AbbeyLacock AbbeyLacock Abbey in the village of Lacock, Wiltshire, England, was founded in the early 13th century by Ela, Countess of Salisbury, as a nunnery of the Augustinian order.- History :...
from the 2008 film, The Other Boleyn Girl, National TrustNational Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural BeautyThe National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, usually known as the National Trust, is a conservation organisation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland...