Sixty Years Ago, a disaster on Box Hill

Sixty Years Ago, a disaster on Box Hill

For many years Box Hill had 2 public houses, the ‘Quarryman’s Arms’, owned by Ushers Brewery of Trowbridge and the ‘Rising Sun’ owned by George’s Brewery of Bristol.  The ‘Rising Sun’ situated on the main A4 was a popular pub with a good skittles and darts team...

Corsham High Street project – an update

Corsham High Street project – an update

In the last issue it was reported that the Wiltshire Building Record [WBR] were intending to embark on an in depth survey of some of the houses in Corsham High Street, with a view to identifying their origins and usage throughout the ages. Representatives of Corsham...

Planning Matters: A poem by John Betjeman

Planning Matters: A poem by John Betjeman

Inexpensive Progress by John Betjeman Encase your legs in nylons, Bestride your hills with pylons O age without a soul; Away with gentle willows And all the elmy billows That through your valleys roll. Let's say goodbye to hedges And roads with grassy edges And...

50 years of Conservation Areas

50 years of Conservation Areas

It is 50 years since the Civic Amenities Act 1967 introduced the concept of protecting the character of areas of historic and architectural interest by the designation of conservation areas. The concept of conservation areas was introduced in England, Wales and...

Proposed Gladman/ Redrow development

Proposed Gladman/ Redrow development

The long running disputes over this planning application continue [see Summer 2017 issue, pps. 5-6] with Wiltshire Council planning officers. Issues of fundamental importance continue to cause serious concern in this case in two areas - Land Stability and Minerals...

The Mansion House and the  Secretary of State

The Mansion House and the  Secretary of State

I make no apologies for the amount of space taken up in this issue by matters concerning planning, archaeology, heritage and conservation areas. Corsham’s Mansion House and the Bath Road development in Pickwick both invoke key issues about the effectiveness of the...