Grovely Wood
Encyclopedia
Grovely Wood is one of the largest woodlands in southern Wiltshire
. It is situated on a chalk ridge above the River Wylye
to the south of the village of Great Wishford
, within the Cranborne Chase and West Wiltshire Downs
Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
. The Sarum Way
enters the wood.
It is recognised for its nature conservation importance through designation as a County Wildlife Site. Among the species found here is the Purple Emperor butterfly.
A roman road
runs east to west through the centre of the wood.
To the west of Grovely, on the same ridge, lies another large block of woodland, Great Ridge Wood
. Adjacent to Grovely, to the north, lies the grassland Site of Special Scientific Interest
Ebsbury Down
. Another SSSI, Baverstock Juniper Bank
is also nearby.
have a right to gather firewood in Grovely Wood on "Oak Apple Day
", May 29. On this day, villagers claim their ancient rights to collect wood from Grovely, said to date back to the Middle Ages
and to have been confirmed by the Forest Court in 1603, thanks to a charter
for the collection of wood in the Royal Forest
of Groveley.
area. Coincidentally, an outbreak of smallpox in 1737 killed 132 people. The local people became convinced that the sisters were responsible for the deaths and accused them of witchcraft and an alliance with the devil. Without an official hearing the sisters were taken to Grovely Wood, murdered by being bludgeoned over the head, and buried a little way apart from each other so that they could not conspire against their murderers. There are four gnarled beech trees associated with the sisters; because either the trees were planted to mark their graves or they mysteriously grew on top of the unmarked graves to remind the locals of their dreadful deed. Sightings of the sisters have been reported over the years. There is a hollow at the back of the largest tree where people leave offerings. The trees are located approximately 50 meters away from the Roman road some ten minutes walk from the Wilton end of the wood.
An image on Purbeck marble
found at Steeple Langford
in 1857, a portrait of a man wearing a long robe, with a horn
hanging from his left shoulder, may be of Alan de Langford, Verderer
of Grovely Wood at the end of the 13th century.
reports in a volume of his The Beauties of England and Wales (1814) that
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...
. It is situated on a chalk ridge above the River 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 :...
to the south of the village of Great Wishford
Great Wishford
Great Wishford is a village in the Wylye Valley in Wiltshire, 3 miles north of Wilton, Wiltshire and approximately 5 miles northwest of Salisbury. It is situated at a curve in the Wylye river, and has a triangular street layout comprising South Street, West Street and Station Road.-History:The...
, within the Cranborne Chase and West Wiltshire Downs
Cranborne Chase and West Wiltshire Downs
The Cranborne Chase and West Wiltshire Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty covers of Dorset, Hampshire, Somerset and Wiltshire. It is the sixth largest AONB in the country....
Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
An Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is an area of countryside considered to have significant landscape value in England, Wales or Northern Ireland, that has been specially designated by the Countryside Agency on behalf of the United Kingdom government; the Countryside Council for Wales on...
. The Sarum Way
The Sarum Way
Old Sarum Way is a 32 mile long-distance footpath in Wiltshire, England that does a complete circle around Salisbury.The route uses existing public roads, public rights of way and some newly created permitted paths...
enters the wood.
It is recognised for its nature conservation importance through designation as a County Wildlife Site. Among the species found here is the Purple Emperor butterfly.
A roman road
Roman road
The Roman roads were a vital part of the development of the Roman state, from about 500 BC through the expansion during the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire. Roman roads enabled the Romans to move armies and trade goods and to communicate. The Roman road system spanned more than 400,000 km...
runs east to west through the centre of the wood.
To the west of Grovely, on the same ridge, lies another large block of woodland, Great Ridge Wood
Great Ridge Wood
Great Ridge Wood, formerly also known as Chicklade Wood, is one of the largest woodlands in southern Wiltshire. It lies on a chalk ridge above the River Wylye, to the north of the village of Fonthill Bishop and to the south of Corton and Stockton, within the Cranborne Chase and West Wiltshire Downs...
. Adjacent to Grovely, to the north, lies the grassland Site of Special Scientific Interest
Site of Special Scientific Interest
A Site of Special Scientific Interest is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom. SSSIs are the basic building block of site-based nature conservation legislation and most other legal nature/geological conservation designations in Great Britain are based upon...
Ebsbury Down
Ebsbury Down
Ebsbury Down is a 53.4 hectare biological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Wiltshire, notified in 1975.It lies adjacent to Grovely Wood.-Source:* -External links:*...
. Another SSSI, Baverstock Juniper Bank
Baverstock Juniper Bank
Baverstock Juniper Bank is a 2.6 hectare biological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Wiltshire, England, notified in 1971.-Source:* -External links:*...
is also nearby.
Ancient custom
According to a mediaeval custom, villagers of Great WishfordGreat Wishford
Great Wishford is a village in the Wylye Valley in Wiltshire, 3 miles north of Wilton, Wiltshire and approximately 5 miles northwest of Salisbury. It is situated at a curve in the Wylye river, and has a triangular street layout comprising South Street, West Street and Station Road.-History:The...
have a right to gather firewood in Grovely Wood on "Oak Apple Day
Oak Apple Day
Oak Apple Day or Royal Oak Day was a holiday celebrated in England on 29 May to commemorate the restoration of the English monarchy, in May 1660...
", May 29. On this day, villagers claim their ancient rights to collect wood from Grovely, said to date back to 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...
and to have been confirmed by the Forest Court in 1603, thanks to a charter
Charter
A charter is the grant of authority or rights, stating that the granter formally recognizes the prerogative of the recipient to exercise the rights specified...
for the collection of wood in the Royal Forest
Royal forest
A royal forest is an area of land with different meanings in England, Wales and Scotland; the term forest does not mean forest as it is understood today, as an area of densely wooded land...
of Groveley.
The Handsel sisters
The four Handsel sisters were of Danish origin but they had moved to the WiltonWilton, Wiltshire
Wilton is a town in Wiltshire, , England, with a rich heritage dating back to the Anglo-Saxons. Today it is dwarfed by its larger and more famous neighbour, Salisbury, but still has a range of notable shops and attractions, including Wilton House.The confluence of the rivers Wylye and Nadder is at...
area. Coincidentally, an outbreak of smallpox in 1737 killed 132 people. The local people became convinced that the sisters were responsible for the deaths and accused them of witchcraft and an alliance with the devil. Without an official hearing the sisters were taken to Grovely Wood, murdered by being bludgeoned over the head, and buried a little way apart from each other so that they could not conspire against their murderers. There are four gnarled beech trees associated with the sisters; because either the trees were planted to mark their graves or they mysteriously grew on top of the unmarked graves to remind the locals of their dreadful deed. Sightings of the sisters have been reported over the years. There is a hollow at the back of the largest tree where people leave offerings. The trees are located approximately 50 meters away from the Roman road some ten minutes walk from the Wilton end of the wood.
The Burcombe Woodsman
The Burcombe Woodsman is thought to be a poacher who was hung from a tree for his 'crimes', or possibly an artist who painted in watercolour and was accidentally shot in the woods during a deer cull. It is said that he lodged in Burcombe thus earning him the title of the Burcombe Woodsman. Sightings of him have been reported, usually after hearing the cracking of a twig.An image on Purbeck marble
Purbeck Marble
Purbeck Marble is a fossiliferous limestone quarried in the Isle of Purbeck, a peninsula in south-east Dorset, England.It is one of many kinds of Purbeck Limestone, deposited in the late Jurassic or early Cretaceous periods....
found at Steeple Langford
Steeple Langford
Steeple Langford is a village and civil parish in the English county of Wiltshire, six miles north west of Wilton. It has also been called Great Langford, or Langford Magna....
in 1857, a portrait of a man wearing a long robe, with a horn
Blowing horn
The blowing horn or winding horn is a sound device by and large shaped like a horn or actually a cattle or other animal horn arranged to blow from a hole in the pointed end of it...
hanging from his left shoulder, may be of Alan de Langford, Verderer
Verderer
Verderers are officials in Britain who deal with Common land in certain former royal hunting areas which are the property of The Crown.-Origins:...
of Grovely Wood at the end of the 13th century.
The Beauties of England and Wales (1814)
The antiquary John BrittonJohn Britton (antiquary)
-Early life:Britton was born on 7 July 1771 at Kington St. Michael, near Chippenham. His parents were in humble circumstances, and he was left an orphan at an early age. At sixteen he went to London and was apprenticed to a wine merchant. Prevented by ill-health from serving his full term, he found...
reports in a volume of his The Beauties of England and Wales (1814) that