The Spring – 1978

We have another view of the road known as The Spring today. This one is some 17 years newer than the one we saw yesterday. It was taken in 1978 and shows a view across the field once known as the Warrington Field. By 1978 part of this had become the front field at Lavington School and part of it belonged to Dauntsey’s School. Here’s the image.

A Spring view in 1978

The most prominent feature in this photo is the tree which stands in the grounds of Lavington School. This is a Wellingtonia Fir and was planted in 1887 to mark the Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria.

To the left of the tree we can see a reminder of an earlier use of this field.

Former cricket pavilion

This building had been originally erected as the cricket pavilion in about 1910. Charles Awdry, who owned the Manor at that time, was keen on cricket and laid out a very classy ground with a superb pavilion. After Charles’ death in 1912 and then the outbreak of World War One, the cricket pavilion found other uses. At the time of this photo it was probably the home of the Lavington School caretaker. It has now been demolished and a small estate of houses, ‘Pavilion Gardens’ stands on the site.

The photo shows the house once known as The Alban Estate, lining The Spring beyond the pavilion.

There is another house to the right of the tree.

Gardener’s Cottage, Clyffe Hall

This was the gardener’s cottage for Clyffe Hall and would once have been lived in by James Lye. He was known far and wide, particularly for his skill in raising fuchsias. He developed many cultivars and many are still available. Gardeners could grow these Lavington developed plants for there is a James Lye Fuchsia collection, dedicated to preserving the known James Lye varieties and, just maybe, finding some of the lost ones again. You can see their site at http://www.jameslyefuchsias.co.uk/

That’s quite a bit of history in a small area.

The Alban Estate

 

The Alban Estate dates from around 1926 -28. We could say it was the first modern housing estate built in the village with houses along The Spring and also on Park Road which was, for many years, known as Estate Road. Twenty six houses were built which must have had quite an impact in Market Lavington, more or less joining our village with neighbouring West Lavington. When built, at the end of the twenties, the houses were built for rental but in 1939 the estate was sold off with sitting tenants getting a favourable price.

This photo dates from the 1930s

The Alban Estate in about 1930

At the extreme left of the photo is the former cricket pavilion which is now the site of a much newer and smaller housing estate known as Pavilion Gardens. Then we get the row of ‘villas’ as built by George Bishop and known as the Alban Estate.

This estate saw houses built on generous plots. Recent householders have all, it seems, found space for cars off the road and this view, for most of the day is still devoid of parked cars.

Here’s a 21^st century photo.

Similar view – 21st century

From the old rec

Once upon a time, the recreation field in Market Lavington was behind what is now Shires Close. This view is taken from that field.

Market Lavington from the old recreation ground on The Spring

Our caption tells us that this was before the garage was built. But of course, the garage, built in about 1967, is now long gone itself and the houses of Shires Close stand there. But let’s take a look at what we have got in the picture.

Grove Farm

This is the Grove Farmhouse which, for many years was the home of the Francis family. Amongst other activities they milked cows and had a milk round – buckets and bicycle style – in the village.

Grove Farm has vanished under the Grove Farm estate and the Community Hall now stands just in front of where the farm house once stood.

St Mary’s Church – unchanging over the years (unless you look at older photos and sketches).  The area in the foreground of this part of the photo was once occupied by mobile classrooms for Market Lavington School and is now occupied by a pair of houses.

St Mary’s Church

Meadow Cottage

Meadow Cottage is still in place and looks much the same except that the thatched roof is now tiled. This was the birthplace, back in 1921, of our museum founder, Peggy Gye although, of course, she was Peggy Welch then. We can just see one corner of our museum, peeping between Meadow Cottage and the church.

We don’t have a date for this photo but the complete absence of TV aerials makes us think it is actually pre 1953. But maybe somebody out there can advise us with more accuracy.

The day before they felled the limes

Our dateline today is 1987. Grove farm estate is under construction and a new road, Grove Road, needs driving through it. A line of lime trees is more or less on its route and they have to go. A quick thinking person had discovered that the trees were to be felled and snapped a photo, just in time.

The Spring, Market Lavington in 1987 – the day before they felled the limes.

It is a grand photo, capturing that snapshot in time – and not only with regard to those wintry lime trees.

On the extreme right we have some corrugated buildings which had been a part of the farm. That, of course, has all gone and the wonderful Community Hall occupies the spot. Overhead there is a wonderful myriad of cables and the lime trees are just beyond the wires which cross the road. There’s a period ERF lorry, probably delivering materials for the building work. Pearce, the lorry owner was a builder’s merchant. Lavington School can just be made out above the cab of the lorry.

The garage has gone too. The housing known as Shires Close stands there now. But we are reminded that back in 1987 we could buy petrol branded as Elf in the village and that it cost somewhere either side of £1.50 – and that would be for a gallon which works out at about 33p for a litre.

Something was on offer for free at the garage. This probably meant you had to buy a can of oil and then you got a little bonus.

Amongst ‘free’ offers the garage made there was a little sports bag which is still used by our curator.

‘Free’ gift from Shires Filling Station