The History of Easton Royal
The following articles have been reproduced from the Heritage Group’s book ‘A Wiltshire Village – Easton Royal’ compiled and edited by Elizabeth Johnson.
Early Settlers
Easton Royal lies at the eastern end of the Vale of Pewsey, immediately north of the great chalk plateau of Salisbury Plain and ….
A Case of Witchcraft
Whitsun 1599 – Edmund Pike, steward of Edward Seymour, the Earl of Hertford at Tottenham Park, was charged by his …
Holy Trinity Church
Two places of worship existed in Easton in the early 14th century – a parish church of early Norman structure dedicated to the ….
Easton House
Easton House is architecturally the finest house in the village, reputedly built in 1783 as a grand farmhouse for….
Utilities
Easton Royal has always enjoyed a constant supply of water stored underground even in long periods of …
A Nasty Accident on Easton Street
Frederick Waite was born in Easton Royal in 1902 and went to the village school until the day after his thirteenth birthday when….
Savernake Forest
The medieval village of Estun sat within the south western boundary of an area referred to by King Athelstan in a charter dated 934….
Lower Farm
In October 1525, Thomas Pyke became the first recorded ‘copyholder’ of a house and two virgates of land ….
Rustic Revels on Easton Hill
Early in the morning of 28th August 1826, William Cobbett, a political commentator of the time, rode across the downs from….
The Chapel
One day in 1880, John Pearce, churchwarden at Holy Trinity, saddled up his cob and rode for twenty miles across ….
Haymaking
In his memories of Easton Royal village life, Alec Choules paints a picture of haymaking in his childhood….
The Village Hall
An important event was recorded this week when the village hall at Easton Royal was declared open, providing a new centre….
The Priory
At the start of the 12th century, the manorial lord was an Anglo-Norman, Sir Adam de Estun who lived with his wife and three ….
Appledore
Appledore (Old English for apple tree) is a Grade II listed, thatched house on the village street….
The Bruce Arms
The Gammon of Bacon Inn stood on Easton Green, one mile out of Easton Royal, at the intersection of the road to Pewsey and ….
The Old Rectory
The Old Rectory stands on land which in the mid-12th century was held by John FitzGilbert, King’s Marshal to Henry III…
Conygre and Breach Farms
Conygre farm stands a little out from the village on the north Ram Alley portion of the parish on land entirely composed of ….
Chandlers
Chandlers is a Grade II listed house which has been rebuilt and altered over the centuries. Originally thatched…..
The Village Post Office
In 1878 the cottage which was previously the Bleeding Horse alehouse, was taken over by William Bailey who moved in ….
Easton Manor
Easton Manor, located at the south end of the village, has its origins in the 16th century and for four hundred years was the….
Education
Prior to the 1870 Elementary Education Act, education was voluntary and funded by subscriptions. The earliest…
A Tragic Tale
On 2nd May 1908 the Marlborough Times reported a gruesome discovery in a well at Southgrove Farm on the Burbage ….
The Cob Wall
Standing side by side on the village street in Easton Royal are two Grade II listed properties, both former farmhouses but ….
Between the Wars
In the years after the first world war, Easton was a close-knit farming community of around three hundred residents. Having….
The Story of the Bus Shelter
On 16th January 1953, a meeting was held to consider arrangements for the village celebrations of the Coronation of Her….
Conservation for the Future
The Civic Amenities Act of 1967 allowed for geographical areas as well as individual buildings to be conserved for….