| Winterbourne Bassett | |
|---|---|
) Farmland near Hackpen White Horse | |
)  Winterbourne Bassett Location within Wiltshire | |
| Population | 159 (in 2011)[1] |
| OS grid reference | SU102749 |
| Civil parish |
|
| Unitary authority | |
| Ceremonial county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | Swindon |
| Postcode district | SN4 |
| Dialling code | 01793 |
| Police | Wiltshire |
| Fire | Dorset and Wiltshire |
| Ambulance | South Western |
| UK Parliament | |
Winterbourne Bassett is a small village and civil parish in Wiltshire, England, about 6 miles (10 km) southwest of Swindon and 7 miles (11 km) northwest of Marlborough.
The village lies just west of the A4361 road between Swindon and Devizes, about 3 miles (5 km) north of Avebury. The minor road through the village continues west to Clyffe Pypard.
History
The remains of a Late Neolithic or Early Bronze Age stone circle lie largely hidden on a low ridge, about 1 kilometre (0.6 mi) northwest of the village.[2] The ancient trackway known as The Ridgeway crosses the east of the parish.[3]
In 1086, Domesday Book recorded 37 households at Wintreburne, and land held by Amesbury Abbey.[4] The name Winterbourne refers to seasonal streams in the area, which meet to form the upper waters of the River Kennet. The Bassett suffix is from lords of the manor in the 12th and 13th centuries,[3] and distinguishes the parish and village from Winterbourne Monkton, close by to the south.
Winterbourne manor was granted in 1194 to Alan Basset (d.1232/3), whose name appears in Magna Carta as an advisor to the king.[5] The manor was inherited in turn by his sons Gilbert (d.1241), Fulk (later bishop of London, d.1259) and Philip (Justiciar of England, d.1271). Philip's daughter Aline married Hugh le Despencer, 1st Baron le Despencer (d.1265) and thus the manor was inherited by her son Hugh Despenser the Elder (advisor to Edward I, executed 1326). The manor reverted to the Crown; the Wiltshire Victoria County History traces its later ownership.[3] The present manor house, just north of the church, was built in brick in the late 18th century.[6]
There were further settlements at Rabson (southeast of Winterbourne Bassett) and Richardson (southwest). Rabson probably dwindled to a single farmstead by the 16th century;[3] the house known as Rabson Manor, 400m south of the church and now surrounded by farm buildings, dates from the early 17th century.[7]
Richardson (Ricardestone in 1242) was further south.[3] The site of the deserted village – a scheduled monument – survives as building platforms, enclosures and tracks, one leading to a ford across the river. A country house here was demolished in the 19th century.[8]
Local government
Winterbourne Bassett and the larger adjacent parish of Broad Hinton elect a joint parish council called Broad Hinton and Winterbourne Bassett. It falls within the area of the Wiltshire Council unitary authority, which is responsible for all significant local government functions.
Amenities
The 14th-century Church of England parish church of St Katherine and St Peter is Grade I listed.[9][10]
A Methodist chapel was built in 1904 and sold in 1960.[11]
There was a small school in the village from 1875 to 1966; primary school children now go to Broad Hinton.[12]
The village has a public house and restaurant called The Winterbourne,[13] owned by a community benefit society.[14]
References
- ^ "Wiltshire Community History - Census". Wiltshire Council. Retrieved 12 September 2014.
- ^ Historic England. "Concentric stone circle 275m south-east of Lambourne Ground (1005708)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 16 February 2021.
- ^ a b c d e Baggs, A. P.; Freeman, Jane; Stevenson, Janet H. (1983). "Parishes: Winterbourne Bassett". In Crowley, D. A. (ed.). A History of the County of Wiltshire, Volume 12. University of London. pp. 184–192. Retrieved 16 February 2021 – via British History Online.
- ^ Winterbourne Bassett in the Domesday Book
- ^ "1215 Magna Carta - Preface". Magna Carta Project. Retrieved 17 February 2021.
- ^ Historic England. "Manor House (1365934)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 17 February 2021.
- ^ Historic England. "Rabson Manor (1182936)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 16 February 2021.
- ^ Historic England. "Details from listed building database (1019188)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 16 February 2021.
- ^ Historic England. "Church of St Katherine and St Peter (1284298)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 27 July 2015.
- ^ "Church of St. Katherine and St. Peter, Winterbourne Bassett". Wiltshire Community History. Wiltshire Council. Retrieved 27 July 2015.
- ^ "Methodist Chapel, Winterbourne Bassett". Wiltshire Community History. Wiltshire Council. Retrieved 27 July 2015.
- ^ "Winterbourne Bassett School". Wiltshire Community History. Wiltshire Council. Retrieved 27 July 2015.
- ^ "The Winterbourne". thewinterbourne.business.site. Retrieved 5 January 2020.
- ^ "Winterbourne Bassett Community Pub Ltd". Retrieved 5 January 2020.
Sources
- "Winterbourne Bassett". Wiltshire Community History. Wiltshire Council. Retrieved 15 February 2021.
External links
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Media related to Winterbourne Bassett at Wikimedia Commons