Broadwell – about 1880

Broadwell features quite often on this site and that is only right and proper. For Broadwell was until living memory for the oldest residents the source of water which allowed our community to develop and prosper. Without Broadwell there’d have been no Market Lavington.

Our earliest image is the 1837 sketch by Philip Wynell Mayow – click here to see it. This painting, recently passed to the museum, dates we think, from around 1880.

Broadwell ca 1880 – a painting believed to be by James Gye

The cottage we see belonged to Merritt’s the blacksmiths so let’s imagine it is Mr Merritt in the doorway. We can see the pump on the left. It’s no longer there but its former position can easily be spotted. In the 1837 image another cottage stood at the extreme left but that has clearly been demolished and it looks as though the wood may have been planted and fenced off.

The crossing is clearly a ford which has ducks swimming over it (not a common site at Broadwell) but for those who needed dry feet there are some well spaced stepping stones. It all looks an idyllic scene.

We believe this may have been painted by James Gye, grandfather of Tom who died last year. It isn’t signed but is clearly charmingly naïve and similar to another painting which the late Tom had told us was by his grandfather.

Whilst not pre-photography this dates from before common use of the camera so helps fill in a gap in our history. We feel very pleased to have this item in the museum.

 

Advertisement

The old bake house at Easterton

At another successful Museum Miscellany, at the start of this October, we showed a picture of Mike Allen working on his painting of the old bake house in Easterton. This building might not have been everyone’s choice for it is almost past the stage of being derelict. Yet for some people – and presumably Mike was one of them, it held a fascination and a kind of beauty. It seemed worthy of recording before it finally returned to nature or got subsumed into future developments.

Mike has now finished his work and has given a good quality copy to the museum.

The Old Bakehouse at Easterton – a painting by Mike Allen

We think Mike has done a fantastic job in recording this delightful old building. We look forward to seeing future Mike Allen watercolours – or indeed art in any medium he might use.

At the Day Centre

The Day Centre in Market Lavington has been running for a very long time – 33 years in fact. This picture dates from the 5^th birthday party for the Day Centre which was on 28^th April 1987.

Norman Miller painting of The Day Centre – 1987

We’ll see that this is not a photograph. It is a painting by Reverend Norman Miller who lived in Easterton. Norman presented it to Bunny Odbert to celebrate that 5^th birthday.

We see a group of people sitting round a table in the Old School. St Mary’s church is visible through the window,

These are real people. Mrs Oram, then aged 96 but living long enough to reach the three figures faces us. Next to her is the comparatively youthful Mr Froud – a mere 79 years old. Then we have Mrs Shore, aged 80 who was born and raised in our museum building. We also have 81 year old Mrs Oliver and, we think, Mrs Druce.

One of the themes for this year’s Museum Miscellany, on October 3rd in the Community Hall, will be ‘Paint and Pencil’ and will feature Market Lavington and Easterton through the eyes and work of the painters and sketchers. This will include items which have never been on display to the public and will provide a fascinating look at Market Lavington before the days of photography. That’s certainly one to look forward to.

The Grove – a water colour

Many people say that a photograph may capture the truth but a painting captures the spirit of the place. So perhaps, today, we are capturing the spirit of The Grove area or perhaps our artist has caught the spirit of the past.

The artist set up his easel somewhere near the church and looked out to the west over what was still, then, the fields of Grove Farm.

The Grove – a 1986 water colour by Norman Miller

Beyond the pastoral scene, with grazing sheep we see a more sylvan backdrop which, perhaps, makes Lavington School look just a bit surprising.  The houses on Park Road do seem to lead the eye to the school building – very much in the style of the 1960s.

Beyond the trees there’s a hint of Salisbury Plain and above all, cumulous clouds rise up to mask most of the blue sky.

The artist was Norman Miller (1906-1995) who worked, this time, in water colours. This was painted in 1986.

Norman, a retired church minister, lived in Easterton. We have a couple of his paintings in the museum.

Brooke Bond Tea

Bridget Brooke, who at one time lived at what was then called The Fives Court on Parsonage Lane, was a member of the Brooke family of Brooke Bond tea. In our museum we have a couple of portraits painted by Bridget. This one is of another local resident, Percy Wilkins.

Percy Wilkins as painted by Bridget Brooke

But this blog, really, is about another advert from Harry Hobbs’ High Street shop. It is as you’ll be expecting, for Brooke Bond tea.

1956 advert for Brooke Bond Tea from Harry Hobb’s shop on High Street in Market Lavington

This ad can be dated with some accuracy by our curator for the tea cards depicted are from the ‘Out into Space’ series. Rog collected this set as a lad at junior school. They were issued in 1956/58. As the ad does not refer to the PG Tips brand it probably dates from 1956. The advert has actual cards glued to the display.

The wasp wasted lady depicted appears to come from an earlier era though. Maybe this was an attempt to portray this brand of tea as time honoured and dependable.

Our advert has certainly become time honoured and dependable having been stored away for well over fifty years.

 

 

Clyffe Hall Garden

Market Lavington Museum has recently acquired a colour print of a water colour of a part of the garden at Clyffe Hall

Clyffe Hall is an attractive 18^th century house which, for many years in the early 20^th century was occupied by Thomas Rolls Warrington (later Lord Warrington of Clyffe) and his wife. Thomas was a high court judge. The couple were childless and, no doubt, much enjoyed the peace their garden offered.

Let’s look at the picture.

The garden at Clyffe Hall, Market Lavington published in 1924.

It is captioned ‘Clyffe Hall, Market Lavington: American Pillar Roses in the herbaceous borders.

This page comes from a copy of ‘My Garden Book’ by John Weathers and published by The Library Press in 1924.

The artist is particularly of interest to us.

It is Ellen Warrington who is surely a relative. Thomas’s wife was Emma Maud. We know nothing of Ellen.

Ellen was a known artist. Her work appears on Tucks Oilette postcards but we’d like to know more about her. Can you help?

Church Street in 1850

The process of taking photographic pictures was developed by William Henry Fox Talbot at Lacock in Wiltshire during the 1830s and 40s. The number and locations of early photographs are limited and so for an image of Market Lavington in the 1850s we turn to the watercolour artist Owen Carter. We do not have the original image at the museum, but rather a monochrome photo of it. (Actually Owen painted more than one scene and we have featured one before.)

This time we are looking at Church Street – a view from near the church towards the crossroads in the middle of the village of Market Lavington.

Church Street in 1850 - a photo of a water colour by Owen Carter is at Market Lavington Museum

The scene in 2011 is significantly different. The idea that chicken might exist in the roadway is now laughable. Owen has painted one wagon stopped somewhere near The Angel Inn. This, later, became the Volunteer and is now long closed. Today the street would have cars all along the left hand side.

The occupation of the people on the left looks interesting. Could cider be in production there?

Could cider be being produced here?

There is certainly a small barrel in the picture and also what appears to be a press.

Any thoughts on just what might be going on would be appreciated.

Clyffe Hall

This (sadly) black and white photograph is of a watercolour of Clyffe Hall, painted in 1858 by the Hon. Louisa Hay who lived there.

Clyffe Hall as seen by the Hon. Louisa Hay in 1858

Either the original painting, or the photographic process has distorted the image.

A photo taken at the village fete on June 11^th 2011 shows a similar view.

Clyffe Hall on fete day - June 11th 2011

The watercolour came into the possession of Eric James and he gave it to Peggy Gye. Perhaps we’ll still find the opportunity to get a better copy.

Clyffe Hall was built by Edward Chivers Vince in 1732 on earlier foundations. Some of the earlier buildings remain – notably the stables block.

In 1900 the Schomberg family extended Clyffe Hall. So that’s the form we see today.

The High Street in 1850

Sadly we do not have an original Owen Carter watercolour. In fact, for this view of Market Lavington High Street, what we have is a black and white photograph of the watercolour painting. However, even that can tell us something of the past, from around 1850 when photography was still in its extreme infancy.

The High Street, Market Lavington - a photo of an 1850 watercolour by Owen Carter

This view shows roughly what, in 2011, is the Co-op and the corner of the Market Place. The building on the right hand edge of the image was a maltings and it, or a replacement, was still there more than 100 years later.

We believe that Owen Carter was an architect by trade, based in Winchester. He had been born in London soon after the start of the 19th century and may well have travelled in Egypt in his younger days. Experts suggest that whilst the buildings he depicts have been executed with accuracy and skill, the people are rather primitive in style. Perhaps that’s what you might expect from an architect.

The Museum has a number of photos of Owen Carter watercolours, all dating from about 1850 and all with the same style of well drawn buildings and rather more basically drawn people.

We’d like to know more of the man. Perhaps a blog reader can give us further information.

Percy Wilkins

Percy was one of the village characters in the 1970s and 80s. Perhaps that’s why he was chosen by local artist Bridget Brooks to be the subject of an oil painting, which we have at Market Lavington Museum.

Percy Wilkins - an oil painting by Bridget Brooke which is held by Market Lavington Museum

Percy was born on 28^th December 1911. At that time, we think his parents, Ernest and Catherine may have been in the Erlestoke area, or possibly somewhere along the Pewsey Avon valley.

Percy married Lilian Blake in 1948.

Lilian died in 1994 and Percy followed her in 1997. Both are buried in the churchyard of St Mary’s, Market Lavington.

Their home, on burial records, was listed as High Street, but earlier they had lived on The Terrace, which is along the path above Northbrook.

Percy had worked at Lavington School, in the days when there was a farm at that establishment.

Percy is remembered in the village for bustling around, usually in his Wellington boots, acting as a paperboy. He was always an active chap and always ready for a good chinwag with other people.

He is also known for his part in the film of ‘Far From the Madding Crowd’ where Percy took the part of a coachman in scenes filmed in Devizes.