Castle Combe
Encyclopedia
Castle Combe is a small village in Wiltshire
, England
, with a population of about 350. It is renowned for its attractiveness and tranquillity, and for fine buildings including the medieval
church. The 14th century market cross
, erected when the privilege to hold a weekly market
in Castle Combe was granted, is situated where the three principal streets converge. Some small stone steps near the cross were for horse riders to mount and dismount and close by are the remains of the buttercross
. The village has twice played host to the Combe Sunday event, a music extravaganza which attracted 4,000 visitors to the village in 2006.
The 4-star Manor House Hotel
in the village was built in the 14th century. It has 48 rooms and 365 acres (1.5 km²) of gardens.
The village prospered during the fifteenth century, when it belonged to Millicent, the wife of Sir Stehen Scrope and then of Sir John Fastolf (1380–1459), a Norfolk knight who was the effective lord of the manor for fifty years. He promoted the woollen industry, supplying his own troops and others for Henry V's war in France.
Castle Combe is the home of a motor racing venue, Castle Combe Circuit
, located on the disused RAF Castle Combe
airfield. It was also used as a location for the film musical Doctor Dolittle
, but its frequently rainy summer climate, and the residents' irritation at the producers' arbitrary modifications of the area for shooting that was severe enough to incite attempted sabotage, frustrated production. Raymond Austin, director/writer, set the action of his book, Find Me A Spy, Catch me a Traitor in the village and at the Manor. Other productions include "The Murder of Roger Ackroyd", an episode of Agatha Christie's Poirot
, and the films Stardust and The Wolfman. Throughout September 2010, the village was used as a key filming location for Steven Spielberg
's production of War Horse
.
St. Andrew's church is the home of the Castle Combe Clock
, one of the very few English medieval clocks still in use.
The village is near the villages of Grittleton
, Ford
, Nettleton
, Tiddleywink
, and the town of Chippenham
.
Castle Combe is represented in parliament by James Gray and in Wiltshire Council
by Jane Scott
, both Conservatives
.
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...
, with a population of about 350. It is renowned for its attractiveness and tranquillity, and for fine buildings including the medieval
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
church. The 14th century market cross
Market cross
A market cross is a structure used to mark a market square in market towns, originally from the distinctive tradition in Early Medieval Insular art of free-standing stone standing or high crosses, often elaborately carved, which goes back to the 7th century. Market crosses can be found in most...
, erected when the privilege to hold a weekly market
Market town
Market town or market right is a legal term, originating in the medieval period, for a European settlement that has the right to host markets, distinguishing it from a village and city...
in Castle Combe was granted, is situated where the three principal streets converge. Some small stone steps near the cross were for horse riders to mount and dismount and close by are the remains of the buttercross
Buttercross
A buttercross, also known as butter cross, is a type of market cross associated with English market towns and dating from medieval times. Its name originates from the fact that they were located at the market place, where people from neighbouring villages would gather to buy locally produced...
. The village has twice played host to the Combe Sunday event, a music extravaganza which attracted 4,000 visitors to the village in 2006.
The 4-star Manor House Hotel
Manor House Hotel
Manor House Hotel is a 14th century country house hotel in Castle Combe, Wiltshire in the south of England.-History:The Manor House is noteworthy for several reasons throughout history...
in the village was built in the 14th century. It has 48 rooms and 365 acres (1.5 km²) of gardens.
The village prospered during the fifteenth century, when it belonged to Millicent, the wife of Sir Stehen Scrope and then of Sir John Fastolf (1380–1459), a Norfolk knight who was the effective lord of the manor for fifty years. He promoted the woollen industry, supplying his own troops and others for Henry V's war in France.
Castle Combe is the home of a motor racing venue, Castle Combe Circuit
Castle Combe Circuit
Castle Combe Circuit is a motor racing circuit in Wiltshire, England, approximately from Bristol. The circuit used to be the perimeter track of a World War II airfield, and opened to racing in 1950.- History :...
, located on the disused RAF Castle Combe
RAF Castle Combe
RAF Castle Combe was a Second World War Royal Air Force station situated half a mile southeast of Castle Combe in Wiltshire, England.The Castle Combe airfield opened in May 1941. The land which the airfield occupied belonged to the Castle Combe estate, which was owned by the Gorst family.It was...
airfield. It was also used as a location for the film musical Doctor Dolittle
Doctor Dolittle (film)
Doctor Dolittle is a 1967 American musical film directed by Richard Fleischer and starring Rex Harrison, Samantha Eggar, Anthony Newley and Richard Attenborough. It's adapted by Leslie Bricusse from the novel series by Hugh Lofting, primarily The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle, The Story of Doctor...
, but its frequently rainy summer climate, and the residents' irritation at the producers' arbitrary modifications of the area for shooting that was severe enough to incite attempted sabotage, frustrated production. Raymond Austin, director/writer, set the action of his book, Find Me A Spy, Catch me a Traitor in the village and at the Manor. Other productions include "The Murder of Roger Ackroyd", an episode of Agatha Christie's Poirot
Agatha Christie's Poirot
Agatha Christie's Poirot is a British television drama that has aired on ITV since 1989. It stars David Suchet as Agatha Christie's fictional detective Hercule Poirot. It was originally made by LWT and is now made by ITV Studios...
, and the films Stardust and The Wolfman. Throughout September 2010, the village was used as a key filming location for Steven Spielberg
Steven Spielberg
Steven Allan Spielberg KBE is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, video game designer, and studio entrepreneur. In a career of more than four decades, Spielberg's films have covered many themes and genres. Spielberg's early science-fiction and adventure films were seen as an...
's production of War Horse
War Horse (film)
War Horse is a 2011 British-American war drama film directed by Steven Spielberg and is intended for release in the United States on 25 December 2011 and in the United Kingdom on 13 January 2012...
.
St. Andrew's church is the home of the Castle Combe Clock
Castle Combe Clock
The Castle Combe clock is situated in St. Andrews Church, Castle Combe, Wiltshire.- History :There are no known documents that show an exact date when the clock was manufactured, but it is of similar construction to the Exeter Cathedral Clock, the Marston Magna clock, and the Cotehele clock...
, one of the very few English medieval clocks still in use.
The village is near the villages of Grittleton
Grittleton
Grittleton is a village and civil parish in Wiltshire, England, 7 miles NW of Chippenham, Wiltshire at .The Grittleton House estate is the home of Grittleton House School, which was founded in 1951....
, Ford
Ford, Wiltshire
Ford is a small village located in the northwest of Wiltshire. It had a population of 580 in the 2001 census. The village is situated along a small stretch of the A420 road, lying 11 miles east of Bristol and 4 miles west of Chippenham....
, Nettleton
Nettleton, Wiltshire
Nettleton is a village and civil parish about northwest of Chippenham in Wiltshire, England.-Archaeology:Lugbury is a chambered long barrow about east of the village. Excavations in the 19th century found 28 human skeletons in its chambers....
, Tiddleywink
Tiddleywink
Tiddleywink is a hamlet consisting of eight cottages on the B4039 road, near the village of Yatton Keynell, about three miles to the west of Chippenham, Wiltshire, England...
, and the town of Chippenham
Chippenham
Chippenham may be:* Chippenham, Wiltshire* Chippenham * Chippenham, Cambridgeshire-See also:* Virginia State Route 150, also known as Chippenham Parkway, USA* Cippenham, Berkshire, UK...
.
Castle Combe is represented in parliament by James Gray and 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...
by Jane Scott
Jane Scott (politician)
Jane Antoinette Scott OBE is an English Conservative politician, Leader of the former Wiltshire County Council from 2003 to 2009 and of its successor the new Wiltshire Council from June 2009....
, both Conservatives
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
.