Derry Hill
Encyclopedia
Derry Hill is a village
in the English
county of Wiltshire
, belonging to the civil parish of Calne Without
.
and 3 miles (4.8 km) to the west of Calne
. The old London
to Bristol
road turned left after the Soho Inn, along what is now the village's Church Road, to join the Devizes
road; then the old road descended Old Derry Hill. The modern section of the road, avoiding the descent, was built between 1787 and 1810, and is now part of the A4.
Previously, Derry Hill was in the vicinity of Calne branch of Wilts & Berks Canal that followed the course of the river Marden
; Wilts & Berks Canal Trust
aims to restore the canal to run through the village, just north of Church Road.
Moreover, Chippenham and Calne Line
of Great Western Railway
passed by the village, since its opening in 1863, and until its closure to passengers in 1965.
Nearby towns and cities: Chippenham
, Calne
, Devizes
Nearby villages: Studley
, Lacock
, Pewsham
, Sandy Lane
. In the 18th century, there were several small settlements along the London
to Bristol
road, near the north-west corner of Bowood House
Park; among them, a settlement known as Red Hill, possibly squatters' cottages. Most houses now standing in the village are built in the 19th or 20th century, with some 19th century ones built on 18th century house sites.
The village traditionally provided houses for the Bowood estate workers. The estate's Christ Church has helped the village develop in the early 19th century. Later, in 1843, the school was built, again with help from the Bowood estate. Previously to the school being built, classes for the village children were held in various locations around the village. In addition to these facilities a village hall and reading room was built. The street lighting was installed in 1878.
The main development has taken place since the early-1970s
, when a new housing estate, consisting of about 220 houses, was built in the fields immediately to the north of village—between the old road, leading to the Devizes road, and the present A4 road. Until then, the village was essentially one road; as a result, the population grew sharply, requiring the school's extension. A new school building was added to the existing one, providing three new classrooms and a school hall. Further stages of development took place around the village in the 1990s
. More recently, an extension known as the 'Davis Building' was added to the school, providing two new classrooms.
In order to meet the needs of the village a new village hall was built in 2000, and named the Lansdowne Hall in memory of the 8th Lord Lansdowne
, who had died in 1997.
A small building called the Well House was restored by the Wiltshire Historic Buildings Trust
in 2002–2003.
In late-2006 a new housing development of 25 new homes commenced on village land adjacent to the A4 national route, and a small number of large, individual new homes were also built during 2005-2006.
Today, Derry Hill is considered as one of most prosperous villages in the northwest Wiltshire area. The original hamlet of Derry Hill, now known as 'Old Derry Hill', lies at the foot of the hill, between the A4/A342 junction and the Lysley Arms, previously known as the Swan.
parish church
(built in 1840), a primary school, a pre-school, a pub
known since 1838 as the Lansdowne Arms (its present building dating back to 1843), and a modern village hall
(built in 2000).
Without, which also includes the villages of Studley
, Sandy Lane
and Compton Bassett
. At a district Level it was part of North Wiltshire
District Council until 2009 (based in Chippenham
) and at county level is part of Wiltshire
, now a Unitary Authority. The village lies on the edge of the Devizes
parliamentary constituency.
and Sandy Lane
in 1839-1840, to a design by T.H. Wyatt and D. Brandon, in the Late Perpendicular Gothic style, in dressed stone, and beautifully decorated inside. There were three banks of pews (556 seats) in a wide nave with a small sanctuary. The West tower with a needle spire was provided by the 3rd Lord Lansdowne, at a cost of £111. Later, ca.1862, an organ was provided. Before the choir stalls were built in 1953-1954, the choir had sung from the gallery. Other improvements to the church in the 20th century included re-seating the nave in 1936, and replacing the stone roof tiles with slate, together with other general repairs, in 1961-1962. Also in the 1960s
the layout of pews was altered to the current configuration of two banks separated by a central isle.
The church was used regularly by the Lansdowne family for weddings and funerals when their private chapel was too small. Regular services taking place at the church include Mattins, Holy Communion, and the family service on Sundays. Additionally, the Church sometimes hosts events such as concerts in order to raise funds.
In 1994, the Derry Hill vicarage was united with that of Bremhill
and Foxham
, with one vicar covering both parishes. The parish registers from 1840 (baptisms and burials) and 1842 (marriages), other than those in current use, are held in the Wiltshire and Swindon Record Office.
Football Club
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
in the English
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...
county of 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...
, belonging to the civil parish of Calne Without
Calne Without
Calne Without is a hamlet and civil parish in Wiltshire, England. It lies approximately south-west from Calne, its nearest town. The civil parish contains the settlements of Calstone Wellington Calne Without is a hamlet and civil parish in Wiltshire, England. It lies approximately south-west from...
.
Geography
Derry Hill is located to the south of the A4 road, 3.5 miles (5.6 km) east of ChippenhamChippenham, Wiltshire
Chippenham is a market town in Wiltshire, England, located east of Bath and west of London. In the 2001 census the population of the town was recorded as 28,065....
and 3 miles (4.8 km) to the west of Calne
Calne
Calne is a town in Wiltshire, southwestern England. It is situated at the northwestern extremity of the North Wessex Downs hill range, a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty....
. The old London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
to Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
road turned left after the Soho Inn, along what is now the village's Church Road, to join the Devizes
Devizes
Devizes is a market town and civil parish in Wiltshire, England. The town is about southeast of Chippenham and about east of Trowbridge.Devizes serves as a centre for banks, solicitors and shops, with a large open market place where a market is held once a week...
road; then the old road descended Old Derry Hill. The modern section of the road, avoiding the descent, was built between 1787 and 1810, and is now part of the A4.
Previously, Derry Hill was in the vicinity of Calne branch of Wilts & Berks Canal that followed the course of the river Marden
River Marden
The River Marden is a small tributary of the River Avon in England. It flows from the hills surrounding Calne and meets the River Avon about a mile upstream of Chippenham. The river has a mean flow of .-Course:...
; Wilts & Berks Canal Trust
Wilts & Berks Canal Trust
The Wilts & Berks Canal Trust is a registered charity no. 299595, and a waterway society based in Wiltshire, England, concerned with the restoration of the Wilts & Berks Canal....
aims to restore the canal to run through the village, just north of Church Road.
Moreover, Chippenham and Calne Line
Chippenham and Calne Line
The Chippenham and Calne Line was a five mile long Great Western Railway built single track branch railway line that ran along the valley of the River Marden in Wiltshire, England, that ran from Chippenham railway station on the Great Western Main Line to via two intermediate stations, , and...
of Great Western Railway
Great Western Railway
The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
passed by the village, since its opening in 1863, and until its closure to passengers in 1965.
Chippenham, Wiltshire
Chippenham is a market town in Wiltshire, England, located east of Bath and west of London. In the 2001 census the population of the town was recorded as 28,065....
, Calne
Calne
Calne is a town in Wiltshire, southwestern England. It is situated at the northwestern extremity of the North Wessex Downs hill range, a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty....
, Devizes
Devizes
Devizes is a market town and civil parish in Wiltshire, England. The town is about southeast of Chippenham and about east of Trowbridge.Devizes serves as a centre for banks, solicitors and shops, with a large open market place where a market is held once a week...
Nearby villages: Studley
Studley, Wiltshire
Studley is a small village in the county of Wiltshire, South West England, belonging to the civil parish of Calne Without. -Geography:It is situated to the west of Calne, east of Chippenham and east of the city of Bath...
, Lacock
Lacock
Lacock is a village in Wiltshire, England, 3 miles from the town of Chippenham. The village is owned almost in its entirety by the National Trust, and attracts many visitors by virtue of its unspoiled appearance.-History:...
, Pewsham
Pewsham
Pewsham is a small village of approximately 100 residents located on the A4 national route between Chippenham and Calne in Wiltshire, southwestern England....
, Sandy Lane
Sandy Lane, Wiltshire
Sandy Lane is a hamlet situated between the towns of Chippenham and Devizes in Wiltshire, and between the villages of Bromham and Derry Hill on the A342 road. It is 3 km south of the old Roman Road running from Bath to London, now called the A4, and was called Verlucio in Roman times...
History
Derry Hill has grown out of the ancient settlement of StudleyStudley, Wiltshire
Studley is a small village in the county of Wiltshire, South West England, belonging to the civil parish of Calne Without. -Geography:It is situated to the west of Calne, east of Chippenham and east of the city of Bath...
. In the 18th century, there were several small settlements along the London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
to Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
road, near the north-west corner of Bowood House
Bowood House
Bowood is a grade I listed Georgian country house with interiors by Robert Adam and a garden designed by Lancelot "Capability" Brown. It is adjacent to the village of Derry Hill, halfway between Calne and Chippenham in Wiltshire, England...
Park; among them, a settlement known as Red Hill, possibly squatters' cottages. Most houses now standing in the village are built in the 19th or 20th century, with some 19th century ones built on 18th century house sites.
The village traditionally provided houses for the Bowood estate workers. The estate's Christ Church has helped the village develop in the early 19th century. Later, in 1843, the school was built, again with help from the Bowood estate. Previously to the school being built, classes for the village children were held in various locations around the village. In addition to these facilities a village hall and reading room was built. The street lighting was installed in 1878.
The main development has taken place since the early-1970s
1970s
File:1970s decade montage.png|From left, clockwise: US President Richard Nixon doing the V for Victory sign after his resignation from office after the Watergate scandal in 1974; Refugees aboard a US naval boat after the Fall of Saigon, leading to the end of the Vietnam War in 1975; The 1973 oil...
, when a new housing estate, consisting of about 220 houses, was built in the fields immediately to the north of village—between the old road, leading to the Devizes road, and the present A4 road. Until then, the village was essentially one road; as a result, the population grew sharply, requiring the school's extension. A new school building was added to the existing one, providing three new classrooms and a school hall. Further stages of development took place around the village in the 1990s
1990s
File:1990s decade montage.png|From left, clockwise: The Hubble Space Telescope floats in space after it was taken up in 1990; American F-16s and F-15s fly over burning oil fields and the USA Lexie in Operation Desert Storm, also known as the 1991 Gulf War; The signing of the Oslo Accords on...
. More recently, an extension known as the 'Davis Building' was added to the school, providing two new classrooms.
In order to meet the needs of the village a new village hall was built in 2000, and named the Lansdowne Hall in memory of the 8th Lord Lansdowne
George Petty-Fitzmaurice, 8th Marquess of Lansdowne
George John Charles Mercer Nairne Petty-Fitzmaurice, 8th Marquess of Lansdowne DL , known as George Petty-Fitzmaurice until 1944, was a British peer and Conservative politician.-Background:...
, who had died in 1997.
A small building called the Well House was restored by the Wiltshire Historic Buildings Trust
Wiltshire Historic Buildings Trust
The Wiltshire Historic Buildings Trust is a charitable organization which works to preserve the architectural heritage of Wiltshire, in the West of England.-History:...
in 2002–2003.
In late-2006 a new housing development of 25 new homes commenced on village land adjacent to the A4 national route, and a small number of large, individual new homes were also built during 2005-2006.
Today, Derry Hill is considered as one of most prosperous villages in the northwest Wiltshire area. The original hamlet of Derry Hill, now known as 'Old Derry Hill', lies at the foot of the hill, between the A4/A342 junction and the Lysley Arms, previously known as the Swan.
Village amenities
The village has a village shop called the 'Village Stores', a Church of EnglandChurch of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
parish church
Parish 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....
(built in 1840), a primary school, a pre-school, a 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...
known since 1838 as the Lansdowne Arms (its present building dating back to 1843), and a modern village hall
Village hall
In the United States, a village hall is the seat of government for villages. It functions much as a city hall does within cities.In the United Kingdom, a village hall is usually a building within a village which contains at least one large room, usually owned by and run for the benefit of the local...
(built in 2000).
Local government
Derry Hill lies within the Parish of CalneCalne
Calne is a town in Wiltshire, southwestern England. It is situated at the northwestern extremity of the North Wessex Downs hill range, a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty....
Without, which also includes the villages of Studley
Studley, Wiltshire
Studley is a small village in the county of Wiltshire, South West England, belonging to the civil parish of Calne Without. -Geography:It is situated to the west of Calne, east of Chippenham and east of the city of Bath...
, Sandy Lane
Sandy Lane, Wiltshire
Sandy Lane is a hamlet situated between the towns of Chippenham and Devizes in Wiltshire, and between the villages of Bromham and Derry Hill on the A342 road. It is 3 km south of the old Roman Road running from Bath to London, now called the A4, and was called Verlucio in Roman times...
and Compton Bassett
Compton Bassett
Compton Bassett is a village in Wiltshire between Calne and Cherhill with a population of approximately 250. It is a largely rural village with several farms, a church, a pub and a shop.-Midge Mather Incident:...
. At a district Level it was part of North 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...
District Council until 2009 (based in Chippenham
Chippenham, Wiltshire
Chippenham is a market town in Wiltshire, England, located east of Bath and west of London. In the 2001 census the population of the town was recorded as 28,065....
) and at county level is part of 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...
, now a Unitary Authority. The village lies on the edge of the Devizes
Devizes
Devizes is a market town and civil parish in Wiltshire, England. The town is about southeast of Chippenham and about east of Trowbridge.Devizes serves as a centre for banks, solicitors and shops, with a large open market place where a market is held once a week...
parliamentary constituency.
Church
Derry Hill Christchurch is located on Church Road next to the School. It was built for the parish of Derry Hill, Bowood, PewshamPewsham
Pewsham is a small village of approximately 100 residents located on the A4 national route between Chippenham and Calne in Wiltshire, southwestern England....
and Sandy Lane
Sandy Lane
Sandy Lane could be*Sandy Lane, Wiltshire, a village near to Calne in Wiltshire*Sandy Lane, West Yorkshire*Sandy Lane, previous home stadium of English football team Worksop Town F.C....
in 1839-1840, to a design by T.H. Wyatt and D. Brandon, in the Late Perpendicular Gothic style, in dressed stone, and beautifully decorated inside. There were three banks of pews (556 seats) in a wide nave with a small sanctuary. The West tower with a needle spire was provided by the 3rd Lord Lansdowne, at a cost of £111. Later, ca.1862, an organ was provided. Before the choir stalls were built in 1953-1954, the choir had sung from the gallery. Other improvements to the church in the 20th century included re-seating the nave in 1936, and replacing the stone roof tiles with slate, together with other general repairs, in 1961-1962. Also in the 1960s
1960s
The 1960s was the decade that started on January 1, 1960, and ended on December 31, 1969. It was the seventh decade of the 20th century.The 1960s term also refers to an era more often called The Sixties, denoting the complex of inter-related cultural and political trends across the globe...
the layout of pews was altered to the current configuration of two banks separated by a central isle.
The church was used regularly by the Lansdowne family for weddings and funerals when their private chapel was too small. Regular services taking place at the church include Mattins, Holy Communion, and the family service on Sundays. Additionally, the Church sometimes hosts events such as concerts in order to raise funds.
In 1994, the Derry Hill vicarage was united with that of Bremhill
Bremhill
Bremhill is a village located between Calne and Chippenham, Wiltshire. It is notable in particular as one of the termini of Maud Heath's Causeway. Chippenham is the other, the causeway passes through Langley Burrell en route. It was also the home of the notable poet, clergyman and critic, William...
and Foxham
Foxham
Foxham is a village in Bremhill civil parish in Wiltshire, about northeast of Chippenham and a similar distance north-west of Calne.-Manor:Cadenham Manor is a house of five bays built in the second half of the 17th century...
, with one vicar covering both parishes. The parish registers from 1840 (baptisms and burials) and 1842 (marriages), other than those in current use, are held in the Wiltshire and Swindon Record Office.
External links
VillageFootball Club