Wroughton
Encyclopedia
Wroughton is a large village in Wiltshire
, England
. It is part of the Borough of Swindon
and is 4 miles (6 km) south of Swindon
.
period, although this is fairly limited. More significant evidence of settlement and occupation in the area is available for the Neolithic
period, most notably due to the extensive ritual complex at Avebury
(6 miles to the south) and scattered finds in the locality. The earliest archaeological evidence from within Wroughton dates from the Roman period
(AD 43-410), showing a period of intensive settlement and farming in the area. Occupation of the area continued into the early Middle Ages
(AD 410-1066) when two battles are understood to have taken place in the area: Breahburh (AD 567), thought to have been fought by Ceawlin of Wessex
on the slopes of Barbury Hill
, and Ellandun
(AD 825) at Elcombe Hall by Egbert of Wessex
. However there is no agreement that the latter was here (it is known to have been south of Swindon). Burial sites in the vicinity are believed to be associated with these battles.
Until the 19th century it was just a country village. Wroughton is close to The Ridgeway
, a national path which is connected to the ancient Uffington White Horse
.
In 1874, the village celebrated for two days after the horse George Frederick which was stabled in the High Street, won the Epsom Derby
. The horse and its trainer, Tom Leader, who was born in Wroughton, were escorted from Swindon railway station
by a brass band and received in the village which had declared all of its pubs to be open house
s and provided free beer for the occasion.
attended by local farmers and residents from north Wiltshire
in the school holidays.
Events included "A Programme of Horse, Pony, Donkey and Foot racing; climbing the greasy pole
..." the prize being a leg of mutton
at the end. The event was held at the rear of the Three Tuns pub
with other local fairs and a grandstand
was built in the field. The main event was the "Champion Gip Fight", a bare-knuckle boxing competition between a Gypsy
champion and a challenger.
Frederick Large, in his book A Swindon Retrospect 1855-1930 comments:
"At Wroughton Feast, an annual festival lasting a week, it was the custom for many years for "the champion gip" to fight the best man who could be produced, for a purse of gold. The venue was the paddock at the back of the Three Tuns tavern, where the usual paraphernalia of fairs used to congregate in full force. The Feast always took place in the summer at a time which included a week of our school holidays. I was not more than seven or eight years of age when, without my parents' consent, I wandered over to Wroughton ... This annual event always commenced on a Sunday evening by friends and neighbours from Swindon, Wroughton and neighbouring villages congregating at the Three Tuns, where, crowded inside and out, large quantities of beer and spirits were consumed. A miniature grand stand was erected for Feast Week in an orchard adjoining the paddock, upon which many of the elite of the neighbourhood, both ladies and gentlemen, occupied seats, and indulged freely in choice fruits and refreshments."
The Ridgeway School opened in 1967 as Wiltshire's first purpose-built comprehensive school. It teaches ca. 1,500 children aged 11–18. The catchment area includes Bishopstone
, Hinton Parva, Wanborough
, Liddington
, Coate, Badbury
, Chiseldon
, Hodson
, Bassett Down, Uffcott, Broad Hinton
and Winterbourne Bassett
.
RAF Wroughton (Science Museum Swindon)
RAF Wroughton
, just south of the village, closed in the 1990s and is now the Science Museum Swindon
, a part of the National Museum of Science and Industry
and used as a storage site occasionally open to the public.
Ellendune Centre
The Ellendune Centre is a sports and entertainment venue. Amateur entertainment and drama
groups meet and perform there, including the Ellendune Entertainers and WADAMS (Wroughton Amateur Dramatic and Musical Society). It has one of the larger non-professional stages in the area.
Parish Church
The Church of England parish church
of Saint John the Baptist and Saint Helen
Recreation
The Weir Field and the Wroughton Leisure Centre
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...
. It is part of the Borough of Swindon
Swindon (borough)
The Borough of Swindon is a local government authority in South West England. It is centred on the town of Swindon and forms part of the ceremonial county of Wiltshire...
and is 4 miles (6 km) south of Swindon
Swindon
Swindon is a large town within the borough of Swindon and ceremonial county of Wiltshire, in South West England. It is midway between Bristol, west and Reading, east. London is east...
.
History
The earliest evidence of human presence in the area is from the MesolithicMesolithic
The Mesolithic is an archaeological concept used to refer to certain groups of archaeological cultures defined as falling between the Paleolithic and the Neolithic....
period, although this is fairly limited. More significant evidence of settlement and occupation in the area is available for the Neolithic
Neolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
period, most notably due to the extensive ritual complex at 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...
(6 miles to the south) and scattered finds in the locality. The earliest archaeological evidence from within Wroughton dates from the Roman period
Roman conquest of Britain
The Roman conquest of Britain was a gradual process, beginning effectively in AD 43 under Emperor Claudius, whose general Aulus Plautius served as first governor of Britannia. Great Britain had already frequently been the target of invasions, planned and actual, by forces of the Roman Republic and...
(AD 43-410), showing a period of intensive settlement and farming in the area. Occupation of the area continued into the early Middle Ages
Early Middle Ages
The Early Middle Ages was the period of European history lasting from the 5th century to approximately 1000. The Early Middle Ages followed the decline of the Western Roman Empire and preceded the High Middle Ages...
(AD 410-1066) when two battles are understood to have taken place in the area: Breahburh (AD 567), thought to have been fought by Ceawlin of Wessex
Ceawlin of Wessex
Ceawlin was a King of Wessex. He may have been the son of Cynric of Wessex and the grandson of Cerdic of Wessex, whom the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle represents as the leader of the first group of Saxons to come to the land which later became Wessex...
on the slopes of Barbury Hill
Barbury Castle
Barbury Castle is an Iron Age hill fort situated in Wiltshire, England. It is one of several such forts found along the ancient Ridgeway route. The site, which lies within the Wessex Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, has been managed as a country park by Swindon Borough Council since 1971...
, and Ellandun
Ellandun
Ellandun was the site of the Battle of Ellandun between Egbert of Wessex and Beornwulf of Mercia in 825. Sir Frank Stenton described it as "One of the most decisive battles of English history", effectively ending the Mercian supremacy over the kingdoms of the Anglo-Saxon Heptarchy...
(AD 825) at Elcombe Hall by Egbert of Wessex
Egbert of Wessex
Egbert was King of Wessex from 802 until his death in 839. His father was Ealhmund of Kent...
. However there is no agreement that the latter was here (it is known to have been south of Swindon). Burial sites in the vicinity are believed to be associated with these battles.
Until the 19th century it was just a country village. Wroughton is close to The Ridgeway
The Ridgeway
thumb|right|thumb|The ancient tree-lined path winds over the downs countrysideThe Ridgeway is a ridgeway or ancient trackway described as Britain's oldest road...
, a national path which is connected to the ancient Uffington White Horse
Uffington White Horse
The Uffington White Horse is a highly stylised prehistoric hill figure, 110 m long , formed from deep trenches filled with crushed white chalk...
.
In 1874, the village celebrated for two days after the horse George Frederick which was stabled in the High Street, won the Epsom Derby
Epsom Derby
The Derby Stakes, popularly known as The Derby, internationally as the Epsom Derby, and under its present sponsor as the Investec Derby, is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies...
. The horse and its trainer, Tom Leader, who was born in Wroughton, were escorted from Swindon railway station
Swindon railway station
Swindon railway station is in the town of Swindon, Wiltshire, England. The station entrance is on Station Road, to the south of the line.It is approximately from the central bus station and the town centre...
by a brass band and received in the village which had declared all of its pubs to be open house
Open House
Open House may refer to:*Open house , a common school event held in the United States and Canada*Open House , a 1960 album by jazz organist Jimmy Smith*Open House , a 2004 independent film...
s and provided free beer for the occasion.
Wroughton Feast
Between 1855 and 1930, there was an "annual feast"--a week-long summer fairFair
A fair or fayre is a gathering of people to display or trade produce or other goods, to parade or display animals and often to enjoy associated carnival or funfair entertainment. It is normally of the essence of a fair that it is temporary; some last only an afternoon while others may ten weeks. ...
attended by local farmers and residents from 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...
in the school holidays.
Greasy pole
Greasy pole or grease pole refers to a pole that has been made slippery and thus difficult to grip. More specifically, it is the name of several events that involve staying on, climbing up, walking over or otherwise traversing such a pole...
..." the prize being a leg of mutton
Lamb (food)
Lamb, mutton, and hogget are the meat of domestic sheep. The meat of a sheep in its first year is lamb; that of a juvenile sheep older than 1 year is hogget; and the meat of an adult sheep is mutton....
at the end. The event was held at the rear of the Three Tuns 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...
with other local fairs and a grandstand
Grandstand
A grandstand is a large and normally permanent structure for seating spectators, most often at a racetrack. This includes both auto racing and horse racing. The grandstand is in essence like a single section of a stadium, but differs from a stadium in that it does not wrap all or most of the way...
was built in the field. The main event was the "Champion Gip Fight", a bare-knuckle boxing competition between a Gypsy
Romnichal
The Romanichals are a Romani sub-group in the United Kingdom.Romanichals are thought to have arrived in Britain in the 16th century...
champion and a challenger.
Frederick Large, in his book A Swindon Retrospect 1855-1930 comments:
"At Wroughton Feast, an annual festival lasting a week, it was the custom for many years for "the champion gip" to fight the best man who could be produced, for a purse of gold. The venue was the paddock at the back of the Three Tuns tavern, where the usual paraphernalia of fairs used to congregate in full force. The Feast always took place in the summer at a time which included a week of our school holidays. I was not more than seven or eight years of age when, without my parents' consent, I wandered over to Wroughton ... This annual event always commenced on a Sunday evening by friends and neighbours from Swindon, Wroughton and neighbouring villages congregating at the Three Tuns, where, crowded inside and out, large quantities of beer and spirits were consumed. A miniature grand stand was erected for Feast Week in an orchard adjoining the paddock, upon which many of the elite of the neighbourhood, both ladies and gentlemen, occupied seats, and indulged freely in choice fruits and refreshments."
Buildings and amenities
SchoolsThe Ridgeway School opened in 1967 as Wiltshire's first purpose-built comprehensive school. It teaches ca. 1,500 children aged 11–18. The catchment area includes Bishopstone
Bishopstone, Swindon
Bishopstone is a village and civil parish in the Swindon unitary authority of Wiltshire, England, about six miles east of Swindon, and just west of the county border with Oxfordshire.Since 1934 the civil parish has included the village of Hinton Parva...
, Hinton Parva, Wanborough
Wanborough, Wiltshire
Wanborough is a village and civil parish in the borough of Swindon, Wiltshire. The village is about southeast of Swindon town centre. The parish includes the hamlet of Foxhill, southeast of the village.-History:...
, Liddington
Liddington
Liddington is a village near Swindon in Wiltshire, England. The settlement lies south east of Swindon town, close to the M4 motorway, junction 15 of which is about 1.5 kilometres away via the B4192 - known as Purley Road where it passes through Liddington village.The parish as a whole has been an...
, Coate, Badbury
Badbury, Wiltshire
Badbury is a hamlet of the civil parish of Chiseldon in Wiltshire.There is evidence that in 955 King Eadred granted Badbury, then containing twenty-five hides, to Saint Dunstan, Abbot of Glastonbury Abbey. The manor of Badbury was held by the Abbey at the time of the Domesday book, when it was...
, Chiseldon
Chiseldon
Chiseldon is a village in the borough of Swindon, Wiltshire, England.The village lies on the edge of the Marlborough Downs, a mile south of junction 15 of the M4 motorway, on the A346 between Swindon and Marlborough...
, Hodson
Hodson village
Hodson is an unspoilt hamlet in a small valley, just south of Swindon, Wiltshire, England and the M4 Motorway, and near a junction with the Chiseldon to Wroughton main road. It has a popular traditional English public house called the Calley Arms....
, Bassett Down, Uffcott, Broad Hinton
Broad Hinton
Broad Hinton is a village and civil parish in Wiltshire, England. The parish includes the hamlet of The Weir. The village is about southwest of Swindon....
and Winterbourne Bassett
Winterbourne Bassett
Winterbourne Bassett is a village and civil parish in the English county of Wiltshire.-Local government:Although a civil parish Winterbourne Bassett does not have a parish council in its own right, it shares one with Broad Hinton - see Broad Hinton and Winterbourne Bassett...
.
RAF Wroughton (Science Museum Swindon)
RAF Wroughton
RAF Wroughton
RAF Wroughton was a Royal Air Force station located just south of the village of Wroughton, Wiltshire, UK. It is south of the town of Swindon. The station was an operational military installation from the late 1930s through the 70s, during which time it served as host to maintenance units...
, just south of the village, closed in the 1990s and is now the Science Museum Swindon
Science Museum Swindon
The Science Museum at Wroughton, near Swindon, England, is the large-object store of the Science Museum . It is part of the National Museum of Science and Industry.-Overview:...
, a part of the National Museum of Science and Industry
National Museum of Science and Industry
The National Museum of Science and Industry is a collection of British museums, comprising:* The Science Museum, incorporating the Science Museum Library and the Wellcome collections of the history of medicine at South Kensington in London....
and used as a storage site occasionally open to the public.
Ellendune Centre
The Ellendune Centre is a sports and entertainment venue. Amateur entertainment and drama
Drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a...
groups meet and perform there, including the Ellendune Entertainers and WADAMS (Wroughton Amateur Dramatic and Musical Society). It has one of the larger non-professional stages in the area.
Parish Church
The Church of England parish church
Church of England parish church
A parish church in the Church of England is the church which acts as the religious centre for the people within the smallest and most basic Church of England administrative region, known as a parish.-Parishes in England:...
of Saint John the Baptist and Saint Helen
Recreation
The Weir Field and the Wroughton Leisure Centre
Notable people
- Sir Henry Langton, later CalleyHenry CalleySir Henry Algernon Calley DSO DFC DL , known as Henry Algernon Langton until 1974, was an English pilot, owner and manager of a stud farm, and Conservative politician.-Life:The son of the Rev. A. C. M...
- Geoffrey CoxGeoffrey CoxCharles Geoffrey Cox, QC, MP , is a British politician and barrister. A member of the Conservative Party, he is currently a Member of Parliament representing the constituency of Torridge and West Devon.-Early life:...
, MP for the Torridge and West Devon constituency in DevonDevonDevon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
.