Codford
Encyclopedia
Codford is a village and civil parish south of Salisbury Plain
in the Wylye Valley
in Wiltshire
, England
at .
between Salisbury
and Warminster
. The A36 previously ran along the whole length of the Codford High Street, but a bypass was built in the 1990s which has removed the through traffic.
es of Codford St Mary and Codford St Peter. The two adjacent villages grew together and their union was formalised in 1928 with the approval of the union of the benefice
of the two Codfords. Six years later the two parishes became one. Both churches however are still in use today. The village also incorporates the Tything of Ashton Gifford
, a settlement that was cleared to make way for the principle house of the village in the early 19th century.
Anglo-Saxon records show that in the year 906 the area was known as 'Codan Ford' probably meaning 'the ford
of Coda' (a man's name). The river which is forded is called the Wylye
, which may mean winding or perhaps treacherous.
The Codford area has had a long history with Anzac soldiers, during World War I
large training and transfer camps were established for the tens of thousands of troops waiting to move to France
. Codford also became a depot in 1916 for the men who had been evacuated from the front line
and were not fit to return to the front.
Codford's 'Anzac Badge' was the idea of an Australian Brigade Commander during World War I
of 1914-1918 who wished to leave a visible memento behind his brigade when it departed. This consists of a gigantic Rising Sun badge (measuring 53 x 45 metres), carved into the grass of 'Misery Hill' (exposing the underlying bright white chalk) in 1916.
The soldiers of 13 Trg Bn AIF
who maintained the badge as a form of punishment named the site 'Misery Hill'.
The meticulously maintained war cemetery
nearby is the second largest in the UK, and contains the graves of 97 Anzac troops, 66 New Zealanders, and 31 Australians, plus 1 Welsh Guardsman from WWII. The effect of two World Wars still resonates in the local community and there is still a sense of welcoming towards Australians and New Zealanders. Codford villagers hold a remembrance ceremony on 25 April [Anzac Day] at 6.30am each year.
The Australian Rising Sun Badge and the War Cemetery are now the only visible reminders of a period when hundreds of troops from Britain, Australia and New Zealand were stationed in and around Codford.
The village is represented in Parliament
by the MP
for South West Wiltshire, Andrew Murrison
. Its representative in Wiltshire Council
is Christopher Newbury
.
Salisbury Plain
Salisbury Plain is a chalk plateau in central southern England covering . It is part of the Southern England Chalk Formation and largely lies within the county of Wiltshire, with a little in Hampshire. The plain is famous for its rich archaeology, including Stonehenge, one of England's best known...
in the Wylye Valley
River Wylye
The River Wylye is a classic southern England chalk stream; champagne clear water flowing over gravel. Consequently, it is popular with anglers keen on fly fishing.- Course :...
in Wiltshire
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...
at .
Location
The village is on the A36 roadA36 road
The A36 is a trunk road and primary route in England that links the port city of Southampton to the city of Bath. At Bath, the A36 connects with the A4 road to Bristol, thus enabling a road link between the major ports of Southampton and Bristol. Originally, the A36 continued onto Avonmouth, but...
between Salisbury
Salisbury
Salisbury is a cathedral city in Wiltshire, England and the only city in the county. It is the second largest settlement in the county...
and Warminster
Warminster
Warminster is a town in western Wiltshire, England, by-passed by the A36, and near Frome and Westbury. It has a population of about 17,000. The River Were runs through the town and can be seen running through the middle of the town park. The Minster Church of St Denys sits on the River Were...
. The A36 previously ran along the whole length of the Codford High Street, but a bypass was built in the 1990s which has removed the through traffic.
Sources
(Google Maps)History
The village was formed from the two parishParish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
es of Codford St Mary and Codford St Peter. The two adjacent villages grew together and their union was formalised in 1928 with the approval of the union of the benefice
Benefice
A benefice is a reward received in exchange for services rendered and as a retainer for future services. The term is now almost obsolete.-Church of England:...
of the two Codfords. Six years later the two parishes became one. Both churches however are still in use today. The village also incorporates the Tything of Ashton Gifford
Ashton Gifford House
Ashton Gifford House is a Grade II listed building in the hamlet of Ashton Gifford, part of the civil parish of Codford in the English county of Wiltshire. The house was built during the early 19th century, following the precepts of Georgian architecture, and its estate eventually included all of...
, a settlement that was cleared to make way for the principle house of the village in the early 19th century.
Anglo-Saxon records show that in the year 906 the area was known as 'Codan Ford' probably meaning 'the ford
Ford (crossing)
A ford is a shallow place with good footing where a river or stream may be crossed by wading or in a vehicle. A ford is mostly a natural phenomenon, in contrast to a low water crossing, which is an artificial bridge that allows crossing a river or stream when water is low.The names of many towns...
of Coda' (a man's name). The river which is forded is called the Wylye
River Wylye
The River Wylye is a classic southern England chalk stream; champagne clear water flowing over gravel. Consequently, it is popular with anglers keen on fly fishing.- Course :...
, which may mean winding or perhaps treacherous.
The Codford area has had a long history with Anzac soldiers, during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
large training and transfer camps were established for the tens of thousands of troops waiting to move to France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. Codford also became a depot in 1916 for the men who had been evacuated from the front line
Front line
A front line is the farthest-most forward position of an armed force's personnel and equipment - generally in respect of maritime or land forces. Forward Line of Own Troops , or Forward Edge of Battle Area are technical terms used by all branches of the armed services...
and were not fit to return to the front.
Codford's 'Anzac Badge' was the idea of an Australian Brigade Commander during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
of 1914-1918 who wished to leave a visible memento behind his brigade when it departed. This consists of a gigantic Rising Sun badge (measuring 53 x 45 metres), carved into the grass of 'Misery Hill' (exposing the underlying bright white chalk) in 1916.
The soldiers of 13 Trg Bn AIF
First Australian Imperial Force
The First Australian Imperial Force was the main expeditionary force of the Australian Army during World War I. It was formed from 15 August 1914, following Britain's declaration of war on Germany. Generally known at the time as the AIF, it is today referred to as the 1st AIF to distinguish from...
who maintained the badge as a form of punishment named the site 'Misery Hill'.
The meticulously maintained war cemetery
War grave
A war grave is a burial place for soldiers or civilians who died during military campaigns or operations. The term does not only apply to graves: ships sunk during wartime are often considered to be war graves, as are military aircraft that crash into water...
nearby is the second largest in the UK, and contains the graves of 97 Anzac troops, 66 New Zealanders, and 31 Australians, plus 1 Welsh Guardsman from WWII. The effect of two World Wars still resonates in the local community and there is still a sense of welcoming towards Australians and New Zealanders. Codford villagers hold a remembrance ceremony on 25 April [Anzac Day] at 6.30am each year.
The Australian Rising Sun Badge and the War Cemetery are now the only visible reminders of a period when hundreds of troops from Britain, Australia and New Zealand were stationed in and around Codford.
Local government
Local government services are provided by Wiltshire County with offices in Trowbridge, some fifteen miles to the north. Codford also has its own elected parish council of nine members.The village is represented in Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
by the MP
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for South West Wiltshire, Andrew Murrison
Andrew Murrison
Dr Andrew William Murrison is a doctor and Conservative Party politician in the United Kingdom. After serving as the Member of Parliament for Westbury from 2001 to 2010, at the 2010 general election he was elected for the new seat of South West Wiltshire.-Early life:The son of William Gordon...
. Its representative in Wiltshire Council
Wiltshire Council
Wiltshire Council is the unitary authority for most of the county of Wiltshire, in the West of England, the successor authority to Wiltshire County Council and to four districts—Kennet, North Wiltshire, Salisbury, and West Wiltshire—all of which had been created in 1973 and were...
is Christopher Newbury
Christopher Newbury
Christopher Newbury is an English politician, a member of the Congress of the Council of Europe since 1998 and an Independent member of Wiltshire Council since 2009.-Early life:...
.
Notable people
- William CreedWilliam CreedWilliam Creed was an English clergyman and academic, Regius Professor of Divinity at Oxford from 1660.-Life:The son of John Creed, he was a native of Reading, Berkshire. He was elected a scholar of St. John's College, Oxford, in 1631, proceeded B.A., was elected a fellow of his college, commenced...
, a 17th century Rector of Codford St Mary - Robert DampierRobert DampierRobert Dampier was a British artist and clergyman.-Life:Dampier was born in 1799 at the village of Codford St Peter in Wiltshire, England He was baptised on the 20th of Dec. 1799 . He was one of 13 children of Codford St Peter's rector Reverend John Dampier and his wife Jane...
(1799–1874), an artist and clergyman, was born and grew up at Codford St Peter, where his father was Rector. - James IngramJames Ingram (Anglo-Saxon scholar)James Ingram was an English academic at the University of Oxford, who was Rawlinsonian Professor of Anglo-Saxon from 1803 to 1808 and President of Trinity College, Oxford from 1824 until his death.-Life:...
(1774–1850), an OxfordUniversity of OxfordThe University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
don who grew up at Codford St Mary, was Rawlinsonian Professor of Anglo-Saxon and President of Trinity College, OxfordTrinity College, OxfordThe College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity in the University of Oxford, of the foundation of Sir Thomas Pope , or Trinity College for short, is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. It stands on Broad Street, next door to Balliol College and Blackwells bookshop,...
. - Rowland Allanson-Winn, 5th Baron HeadleyRowland Allanson-Winn, 5th Baron Headleythumb|Lord Headley with [[Khwaja Kamal-ud-Din]]Rowland George Allanson Allanson-Winn, 5th Baron Headley , also known as Shaikh Rahmatullah al-Farooq, was an Irish peer and a prominent convert to Islam, who was also one of the leading members of the Woking Muslim Mission alongside Khwaja Kamal-ud-Din...
(1855–1935), also known as Shaikh Rahmatullah al-Farooq, owned and lived at Ashton Gifford HouseAshton Gifford HouseAshton Gifford House is a Grade II listed building in the hamlet of Ashton Gifford, part of the civil parish of Codford in the English county of Wiltshire. The house was built during the early 19th century, following the precepts of Georgian architecture, and its estate eventually included all of...
from 1929 until his death. - Sir William Mahon, 7th Baronet (born 1940), a retired soldier, lives at Codford
See also
- List of places in Wiltshire
- List of civil parishes in England
- Ashton GiffordAshton Gifford HouseAshton Gifford House is a Grade II listed building in the hamlet of Ashton Gifford, part of the civil parish of Codford in the English county of Wiltshire. The house was built during the early 19th century, following the precepts of Georgian architecture, and its estate eventually included all of...
- Sir William Mahon, 7th BaronetSir William Mahon, 7th BaronetColonel Sir William Walter Mahon, 7th Baronet, LVO is an baronet and retired regular officer of the British Army.Mahon is descended from Sir Ross Mahon, 1st Baronet , Member of Parliament for Ennis, who was created a baronet on 14 April 1819.The son of Sir George Edward John Mahon, 6th Baronet,...
External links
- Wiltshire Community History - Codford
- Wiltshire Church History - St Peter's
- Wiltshire Church History - St Mary's
- R.C.Strangman Personal Photograph Album, World War 1914-1918 held in Pictures Collection, National Library of Australia, Canberra
- Codford Village Hall and Social Centre
- The Woolstore Theatre, Codford
- Codford Parish Council