2026 - Archived
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March '26
BERWICK ST JAMES
Congratulations to Stan Palmer on his 100th birthday on 5th March, we all wish him a very Happy Birthday.
Welcome to Rob and Sally Page, we hope you enjoy living in Berwick.
CHURCH NEWS
As Easter fast approaches, the church looks forward to a busier month in March.
We have our two usual regular services, being a Holy communion at 9.30am on Sunday 1st March and our Mothering Day service at 11.00am on Sunday 15th March. Posies will be available for children to give to their mothers during the service and for older members of the congregation, daffodils will be available to put in a vase to remember mothers who may no longer be with us. It would be lovely to see a multi-generational congregation in church for this special service on Mothering Sunday.
In addition to the services, we are holding a Lent lunch in the Reading Room on Monday 16th March between 12.30 and 2.00pm. Do just drop in and chat to fellow residents. Delicious homemade soups, bread, cheese and fruit will be provided free of charge. This is an annual event and the aim is to raise money for a local charity, so attendees are asked, if possible, to made a donation. This year the selected charity is Salisbury Hospice, whose work has touched so many in our local communities.
TEA and CAKE and CHAT
The Tea and Cake and Chats in March will be on Tuesday 3rd, and Tuesday 17th, and in April on Tuesday 7th and 21st. We are open from 2.30pm to 4pm in the Reading Room, and you are welcome to come at any time, and there is no charge. Whilst the weather is chilly we try to have toasted teacakes or crumpets, and cakes are always welcome. It will be great to see new villagers and old friends. Children welcome.
ART APPRECIATION IN BERWICK-ST-JAMES
On Thursday 12th March at 7.30pm, the presentation will be on the theme of mid 19th century French Art, title yet to be decided. Further information on this presentation will soon be available on the Berwick-St-James website.
Art History Appreciation meetings take place in the Reading Room, immediately opposite the Boot Inn with entry available from 7.15pm. Admission at the door, £5 as a donation to the Reading Room Fund to include a glass of wine, beer or soft drink. In addition to the village website, enquiries welcome at [email protected] or telephone Brian Armstrong on 07999 325804
PLANT PRODUCE and FLOWER table supporting CRUK
Hello villagers and neighbouring villages. It’s good to be back, by the time you read this it will be glorious spring what a welcome joy. I am very happy to tell you that an amazing 870 pounds was raised in 2025, it wasn’t the easiest of years with the Berwick bridge being closed for so long and of course the growing conditions. But having said that people rallied in so many ways that touched my heart. I would like to extend a big thank you to a very special wee girl, Ivie from the farm shop for her amazing funds raised, you are a star x
Greenhouses and propagators are at the ready so lets get growing for our table supporting this worthwhile cause. I wish you love and happiness in your little bit of heaven.
Yours Aye Christine x
Berwick Village Meeting – A303 Update
The Village Meeting held on 22 January included two key leaders within our local road network who came to share information with us and to address our concerns. David Bullock, Interim Director of Highways & Transport (Head of Major Projects) for Wiltshire Council. David was also the Project Director for National Highways on the A303 Amesbury to Berwick Down road scheme. Joining him was Chris Hilldrup who is National Highways Route Manager for Gloucestershire and Wiltshire. Topics for discussion overed the Governments’s cancellation of the A303 project and their proposal to withdraw the Development Consent Order. They also outlined 5-6 small safety improvement projects along the A303, which are currently under consideration by Wiltshire council and National Highways for implementation in 2031. Full information can be found on our village website under “Parish Meetings/Village Meetings 2026
Reality check: With the A303 scheme cancelled and with no central government funds available for the foreseeable future – not even for a much needed Winterbourne Stoke bypass – we are faced with the harsh reality that the traffic issues afflicting our local roads will remain “unresolved”. Nonetheless Berwick, in conjunction with other local communities, will continue to have open discussions with key stakeholders and local government officials to push for more robust action in their dialogue with central government.
Carolyn MacDougall
A Barn Dance Themed Event on Saturday 8 August 2026 – save the date!
It was agreed at our Village Meeting in January that the village would be organizing a fun family barn dance themed fundraising event to take place on Saturday 8 August in the grounds of the Cricket Club. This is open to all Berwick residents (children and adults) plus their family and friends. We are very fortunate to have bn given a large stretch tent for the occasion, with a capacity for 200+ people, so our invitation will extend to our neighbouring parish residents. It will be a “ticket-only” entrance event offering live country-style music, bar and BBQ. On Friday 6 February we organized a kick-off planning meeting at The Boot Inn to discuss ideas. We are delighted that a good number of volunteers have expressed a willingness to be involved. More details will follow with regard to ticketing, pricing, timing, food, drink and music. In the meantime, please save the date.
Carolyn MacDougall
Berwick Village Meeting held on 22nd January.
Full minutes of the Meeting held in the Reading Room are on the village website under Parish Meetings – Village Meeting 2026. And also on the village noticeboards.
LOCAL HISTORY - WHITE LODGE
I have been doing some research on White Lodge, the thatched house beyond Asserton towards Winterbourne Stoke.
White Lodge was built in the 1840’s. It was part of Asserton Farm, then owned by Harry Biggs. It was two cottages for farm workers built in the “Picturesque style”, both to look attractive and also as improved accommodation for the workers.
In the 1840’s and early 1850’s Thomas Smith aged 47, and his son George 25, both farm labourers, lived in one of the cottages, and John and Ann Blake and their children Henry 18, Jonah 14, George 9 (all farm labourers – including George) Liddia 6 and Stephen 4.
The people living there worked on Asserton Farm, as carters or shepherds (in 1871 John Howells and his sons Charles and Thomas were all shepherds), farm workers, cowman, dairyman, stockman and in 1939 Gilbert Sanger was a tractor driver.
No women were recorded as having paid employment, and no women were head of household – only the men working on the farm, up until the house was sold after the 2nd World War.
Each house had five rooms being 3 bedrooms, Kitchen and Parlour. The number of people in each house varied from two - James and Lucy Pearce, to ten with John and Lydia Howells and their 8 children in the 1870’s, and Amos and Fanny Warren in the 1880’s and their 8 children.
In 1939 Gilbert Sanger and his wife Margaret looked after Ruth Brooks aged 7 and Doris Brooks aged 5. The two little girls were evacuees from Portsmouth, brought by Hillside School and went to Berwick School. Mrs Sanger also cared for the evacuee Margaret Lewis slightly later on.
Most people moved regularly, unusually James Pearce and his wife Lucy stayed for at least 20 years, and possibly nearer 30. Between 1850 and 1921 I have found 14 different families that made the two cottages home, (there may be more of course).
The cottages were bought by Sir James and Lady Margary Reid-Young and they converted them in 1953 into one house called Huka Lodge, their family had bought Asserton House in 1952.
In 1988, the now White Lodge was bought by Mary and Tony Gatling, who lived there for the rest of their lives until 2024.
Written and researched by Nicky Street
It is also very interesting to see where the people who lived in Asserton cottages had lived before, and where they went, there is too much to be included here. So perhaps there will be another article.
WILDLIFE WATCH
It is great to see all the signs of spring – many snowdrops, daffodils and crocuses, although the rain has beaten down the delicate crocuses. Also frogspawn in Berwick and Winterbourne Stoke ponds. As I write I see goldfinches, sparrows, Blue tits, chaffinches, a pigeon, a robin and jackdaws around the bird table (even though it is raining). And within the last few days Great tits, collared doves and a greenfinch. Nicky Street
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February '26
BERWICK ST JAMES
WELCOME to all new villagers. We hope you enjoy living in Berwick.
GET WELL SOON to everyone suffering with the winter colds and flu, and also to all under the weather at the moment.
CHURCH NEWS
Memories of Christmas are rapidly receding but it was a great joy to see the church full for the Candlelit Carol Service, and for there to be over 65, including 14 children, in the congregation on Christmas morning. My sincere thanks to all those who contributed so magnificently to the decoration of the church, to the music and to the organisation of the services. It is greatly appreciated.
Early February is a lull before we move into Lent, with Ash Wednesday being on 18th February. We have two services in February, a Communion service at 9.30am on 1st February and a Matis service at 11.00am on Sunday 15th February.
TEA and CAKE and CHAT
The February Tea and Chat will be on Tuesday 3rd in the Reading Room, 2.30 - 4pm. All Welcome. For the moment we may not be able to hold a Tea and Chat on 17th as we would normally. If we can, then we will let the village know by WhatsApp.
We had a great time in January - the room was lovely and warm, as were the crumpets - great to have a jolly chat over lemon tarts and chocolate cake too.
ART APPRECIATION IN BERWICK-ST-JAMES
On Thursday 12th February, the next presentation in 2026, will be on the theme of the place of women in society in the paintings of the Dutch 17th century "Golden Age", a period in Art History, when many of the most renowned and revered masters, including Frans Hals, Rembrandt, Pieter de Hooch, and of course Vermeer, idolised them as lovers, wives and mothers. There will of course be reference to Andrew Graham-Dixon's latest book, A Life Lost and Found, where the author provides a persuasive argument for reinterpreting the meanings of Vermeer's iconic, The Milkmaid and the Girl with the Pearl Earring.
Women in the paintings of the Dutch Golden Age, will take place in the Reading Room, opposite the Boot Inn on Thursday 12th February, commencing 7.30pm with doors open from 7.15pm. Admission at the door, £5 as a donation to the Reading Room Fund, to include a glass of wine, beer, or soft drink. For further information, please see the Berwick-St-James website, or email Brian Armstrong at [email protected].
READING ROOM DATES FOR YOUR DIARY
3rd Feb - Tea and Cake and Chat. Reading Room
12th Feb - Art Appreciation. Reading Room.
2nd March - Cheese and Wine Evening. Reading Room - (Note Cancelled)
3rd March - Tea and Cake and Chat. Reading Room
12th March - Art Appreciation. Reading Room
17th March - Tea and Cake and Chat. Reading Room
21st May - Village Meeting AGM. Reading Room
LOCAL HISTORY - DRUID'S LODGE CONFEDERACY
At our Christmas Book Club we had a "Secret Santa" and one of the books was "The Druid's Lodge Confederacy" by Paul Mathiue. This is a fascinating story well worth reading. Several villagers hadn't heard about it, so I thought it would be interesting to put it in the magazine again. In 1895 Druid's Lodge and the buildings were purpose built as a Racing Stable, where previously there had only been The Druid's Head public house. Wilfred Purefoy, A P Cunliffe (who owned the land around, and bought Asserton in 1909) Frank Forester, Edward Wigan and Holmer Peard with their trainer Jack Fallon, spent over £2 ½ million pounds setting up the perfect place to train racehorses in absolute secrecy. Although the partners wanted winners, and had a good many including several of the Classic races, they really made the business work through betting on their own horses, and winning a great deal of money. Sometimes their methods of getting a very low handicap for a good horse was fairly close to being illegal, - and their methods of betting large sums of money made the bookmakers change many of their rules. Hacklers Pride won the Cambridgeshire and is reputed to have won the syndicate over £10 million pounds at 1990 values. That was just one race! In 1907 after many successful seasons Jack Fallon left to train at his own stables - Scotland Lodge at Winterbourne Stoke. In 1913 the Druid's Lodge trained Aboyeur won the Derby, the race in which the Suffragette Emily Davidson was killed by the King's horse Anmer. During the 1914-18 Great War all the land and buildings were requisitioned. Afterwards Cunliffe patched up the gallops but nothing was the same again. The stables were shut for several years before Cunliffe sold the estate to J V Rank in 1934. In 1935 Noel Cannon became the flat race trainer for J V Rank at a refurbished Druids Lodge.
Summary by Nicky Street. The book is available on various second hand websites.
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January '26
BERWICK ST JAMES
Happy New Year to everyone.
Welcome to Millie Night, we do hope you enjoy living in Berwick.
Speedy recovery to Margaret Mustill and all who are under the weather.
Many thanks go to everyone who helps in the village in all kinds of ways, and makes it such a special place to live.
Christmas Wreath making at the Boot Inn.
We had a great time making Christmas Wreaths at the Boot Inn, and would very much like to thank those who worked so hard to make it such a success and such fun. Special thanks to Winterbourne Stoke for including Berwick in this fun event.
CHURCH NEWS
I write this a week before the Carol Service so I am hopeful that all the hard work will make it a memorable service. As usual, very many thanks to Stephen Bush for organising it all, to Martin Gairdner and choir for the singing, to our readers, to the flower arrangers, to Ailsa Bush for the refreshments. Many others are contributing their time so sincere thanks to everybody involved in making this a wonderful service.
In January we have our two usual services, a Holy Communion at 9.30a.m on Sundy 4th January and our annual Plough Sunday Service at 11.00am on Sunday 18th. During this service at the traditional start of the agricultural year, we will bless a plough, which close up is a large and impressive piece of machinery. Bill Hiscocks.
TEA and CAKE and CHAT in the Reading Room
The January Tea and Chats are on Tuesdays 6th and 20th from 2.30 to 4pm. And the February ones on Tuesdays 3rd and 17th. Everyone is very much welcome – there is no charge. It was lovely to have small children playing whilst we had tea cakes and crumpets. We welcome all ages, and I will bring toys if needed! Nicky and Christine.
VILLAGE MEETINGS – 2026 DATES FOR YOUR DIARY
We have set a date for our Village Meeting for Thursday 22nd at 7pm as we must vote on our Precept early in the new year. Details of the Precept will be emailed beforehand. We are also planning to keynote guest speaker/s that evening for an open discussion about road concerns. Beyond that we have two further dates: Monday 2 March for a Cheese & Wine evening to discuss social events and Thursday 21 May for our AGM. All meetings take place in the Reading Room. Please pop these dates in your diary so we can ensure good attendance and variety or input. Julian Glyn-Owen Chair.
BERWICK BOOK CLUB
The Book Club has been reading many different entertaining and thought provoking books, and having fun chatting over wine once a month. Our next book is The Mercies by Kiran Millwood Hargrave.
CHRISTMAS FAIR AT BERWICK READING ROOM
The Reading Room Committee is delighted to let you know that we made a fabulous £460 for the Reading Room at the Christmas Fair on Saturday 22nd November. Thank you so much to everyone who donated, helped and came. It was lovely to have the extra stalls and the Hot Mulled Apple Juice was delicious! Thank you all again.
WILDLIFE WATCH
A pied flycatcher was seen in a Berwick garden in late November. This is surprising as they are migrants and usually long gone by November. Presumably there was still food available. Few blackbirds have been seen recently, I haven’t had any at my bird table for some time. However, the “Merlin” app heard at least one in the middle of Berwick at the start of December. Are there blackbirds in any of our villages?
LOCAL HISTORY
Dr Tom Heritage, who is an academic living in Barnet in London, has very kindly submitted this article as outreach for a project he is researching. He visited Berwick whilst a student at Southampton University, and he was “captivated by the closed-knit nature of the community, and the extent to which it has remained unchanged since the nineteenth century”.
LOCAL HISTORY – THE VICTORIAN POOR OF BERWICK ST JAMES
When we think of the Victorians, we conjure up images of urban poverty, squalor, and Dickens’ Oliver Twist asking for more in a workhouse, but what was life like for the rural poor of Berwick St James?
There are clues from the historical 1841 census, where 19 out of the 247 villagers were described as ‘paupers’. Under the 1834 New Poor Law, this was the official term for anybody that received a form of welfare known as poor relief. They would be granted ‘outdoor relief’ if paid at home. This was either a weekly allowance of cash (for example, one shilling to two shillings and sixpence), or in kind (such as bread, or clothing). Widows with children were often recipients, although most outdoor relief was prescribed to older people, who could receive up to five shillings weekly based on medical conditions, or retirement. In fact, the 1841, 1851 and 1861 censuses show that Elizabeth Marshall (b. abt. 1785-1786) claimed outdoor relief throughout her late fifties, sixties, and seventies.
By contrast, the Wilton Union Board of Guardians (those responsible for treating the poor of Berwick St James) could refuse outdoor relief to an applicant, and instead offer a stay in the Wilton Union workhouse, termed ‘indoor relief’. The workhouse was designed to deter those from applying for welfare, but also provided institutional care for those disabled. One inmate, born in Berwick St James, was described in the 1871 census as having a mental disability – to quote the Victorians, an ‘imbecile from birth’ – and an 1861 parliamentary report reveals that he had remained in the workhouse since 1847.
By the late nineteenth century, the Victorians began to stress that poverty was society’s failure to tackle inequality, far removed from the culpability of the poor. To that end, the Old Age Pensions Act of 1908 decreed that those aged 70 years and over were entitled to five shillings weekly (with ten shillings for married couples), to be collected from the Post Office. The 1911 census captures Berwick St James resident Ann Humphries, aged 73 years, described as an ‘old age pensioner’. Away from the unfamiliar workhouse environment, villagers like Ann were at long last afforded a decent quality of living among their family and friends.
Written and researched by Dr Tom Heritage