Coombe, Enford, Wiltshire
Encyclopedia
Coombe is a hamlet
of the civil parish
of Enford
, Wiltshire
, about fifteen miles north of the cathedral city of Salisbury
. It lies on the River Avon
between the larger villages of Enford and Netheravon
, with nearly half of its houses on the road connecting the two and the remainder in Coombe Lane.
s of Enford
, Fifield, Littlecott and Longstreet was granted by Athelstan to Winchester Cathedral
as a single estate of thirty hides
. Coombe was part of the Bishop of Winchester
's hundred of 'Elstub', together with the larger settlements of Enford, Netheravon
and Fittleton
. It is thought that since the name of the neighbouring hamlet of 'Fifield' translates as 'five hides', Coombe, of similar size, may also have been valued at five hides
at the time of the Domesday Book
.
Since its foundation, Coombe has probably never grown much beyond the small hamlet that it is today, although no buildings survive from the earliest times. Notably however, the foundations of a small chapel-of-ease dating from the Middle Ages
are still said to be visible, although the chapel is thought to have fallen out of use in the 15th century.
and the nearest pub
, The Swan, are at Enford, while the local shop and nearest doctor's surgery are at Netheravon
.
, due to Coombe's situation in the Salisbury Plain
Training Area (SPTA) and near to several British Army
camps and headquarters.
and Avebury
, Coombe has several tourist attractions. The east end of Coombe Lane is the site of two tumuli, which could be anywhere up to 5,000 years old. Nearby fields have been the site of a number of archeological digs, including one by the Time Team
around three miles to the east.
The River Avon bridge crossing is also a popular site for families on hot summer days due to its easy bathing access.
Hamlet (place)
A hamlet is usually a rural settlement which is too small to be considered a village, though sometimes the word is used for a different sort of community. Historically, when a hamlet became large enough to justify building a church, it was then classified as a village...
of the civil parish
Civil 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 Enford
Enford
Enford is a village and civil parish in Wiltshire, England. The parish includes nine small settlements along the banks of the headwaters of the River Avon...
, 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...
, about fifteen miles north of the cathedral city of 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...
. It lies on the River Avon
River Avon, Hampshire
The River Avon is a river in the south of England. The river rises in the county of Wiltshire and flows through the city of Salisbury and the county of Hampshire before reaching the English Channel through Christchurch Harbour in the county of Dorset....
between the larger villages of Enford and Netheravon
Netheravon
Netheravon is a village and civil parish on the River Avon, about north of the town of Amesbury in Wiltshire.-Notable people:The writer Frank Sawyer , although born in Bulford, spent most of his life in Netheravon as river keeper River Avon and died on the banks of the river near the parish church...
, with nearly half of its houses on the road connecting the two and the remainder in Coombe Lane.
History
The history of Coombe is poorly documented, but an early reference to it dates back to the year 934, when Coombe, along with the manorManorialism
Manorialism, an essential element of feudal society, was the organizing principle of rural economy that originated in the villa system of the Late Roman Empire, was widely practiced in medieval western and parts of central Europe, and was slowly replaced by the advent of a money-based market...
s of Enford
Enford
Enford is a village and civil parish in Wiltshire, England. The parish includes nine small settlements along the banks of the headwaters of the River Avon...
, Fifield, Littlecott and Longstreet was granted by Athelstan to Winchester Cathedral
Winchester Cathedral
Winchester Cathedral at Winchester in Hampshire is one of the largest cathedrals in England, with the longest nave and overall length of any Gothic cathedral in Europe...
as a single estate of thirty hides
Hide (unit)
The hide was originally an amount of land sufficient to support a household, but later in Anglo-Saxon England became a unit used in assessing land for liability to "geld", or land tax. The geld would be collected at a stated rate per hide...
. Coombe was part of the Bishop of Winchester
Bishop of Winchester
The Bishop of Winchester is the head of the Church of England diocese of Winchester, with his cathedra at Winchester Cathedral in Hampshire.The bishop is one of five Church of England bishops to be among the Lords Spiritual regardless of their length of service. His diocese is one of the oldest and...
's hundred of 'Elstub', together with the larger settlements of Enford, Netheravon
Netheravon
Netheravon is a village and civil parish on the River Avon, about north of the town of Amesbury in Wiltshire.-Notable people:The writer Frank Sawyer , although born in Bulford, spent most of his life in Netheravon as river keeper River Avon and died on the banks of the river near the parish church...
and Fittleton
Fittleton
Fittleton is a village and civil parish in the English county of Wiltshire. The parish also contains the adjacent settlement of Haxton.-Location:...
. It is thought that since the name of the neighbouring hamlet of 'Fifield' translates as 'five hides', Coombe, of similar size, may also have been valued at five hides
Hide (unit)
The hide was originally an amount of land sufficient to support a household, but later in Anglo-Saxon England became a unit used in assessing land for liability to "geld", or land tax. The geld would be collected at a stated rate per hide...
at the time of the Domesday Book
Domesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
.
Since its foundation, Coombe has probably never grown much beyond the small hamlet that it is today, although no buildings survive from the earliest times. Notably however, the foundations of a small chapel-of-ease dating from the Middle Ages
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...
are still said to be visible, although the chapel is thought to have fallen out of use in the 15th century.
Amenities
Coombe has few amenities, but these include a postbox and some street lights. The dog-walking facilities are held in high esteem by many of the residents.Nearby amenities
The parish churchParish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
and the nearest pub
Public house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
, The Swan, are at Enford, while the local shop and nearest doctor's surgery are at Netheravon
Netheravon
Netheravon is a village and civil parish on the River Avon, about north of the town of Amesbury in Wiltshire.-Notable people:The writer Frank Sawyer , although born in Bulford, spent most of his life in Netheravon as river keeper River Avon and died on the banks of the river near the parish church...
.
Economy
Since the only working farm was razed to make way for a small housing development in the late 1990s, Coombe has no industries and has become a commuter village, although the proliferation of the internet and the recent availability of broadband-speed web access has allowed some people to work from home. A significant proportion of the population are, or have been, employed by the Ministry of DefenceMinistry of Defence (United Kingdom)
The Ministry of Defence is the United Kingdom government department responsible for implementation of government defence policy and is the headquarters of the British Armed Forces....
, due to Coombe's situation in the Salisbury Plain
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...
Training Area (SPTA) and near to several British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
camps and headquarters.
Tourism
Situated between StonehengeStonehenge
Stonehenge is a prehistoric monument located in the English county of Wiltshire, about west of Amesbury and north of Salisbury. One of the most famous sites in the world, Stonehenge is composed of a circular setting of large standing stones set within earthworks...
and Avebury
Avebury
Avebury is a Neolithic henge monument containing three stone circles which is located around the village of Avebury in Wiltshire, south west England. Unique amongst megalithic monuments, Avebury contains the largest stone circle in Europe, and is one of the best known prehistoric sites in Britain...
, Coombe has several tourist attractions. The east end of Coombe Lane is the site of two tumuli, which could be anywhere up to 5,000 years old. Nearby fields have been the site of a number of archeological digs, including one by the Time Team
Time Team
Time Team is a British television series which has been aired on Channel 4 since 1994. Created by television producer Tim Taylor and presented by actor Tony Robinson, each episode features a team of specialists carrying out an archaeological dig over a period of three days, with Robinson explaining...
around three miles to the east.
The River Avon bridge crossing is also a popular site for families on hot summer days due to its easy bathing access.
Media
Local events, village politics and sports are covered by the Enford Newsletter, based in Coombe Lane.Links
- Enford village newsletter online at enfordnewsletter.org