DERELICT SUNDAY

After a good service at Church when we were challenged about “Being Political”, we went out to look for some dereliction.  

We found this tractor and buildings at Vines Farm, on the road to Dauntsey, and I can tell you that this tractor hasn’t moved for a very long time.

As we approached Dauntsey, I noticed we were driving along Sodom Lane, see extra,  so wondered about the origin of the name.  I already knew it was a city mentioned in the Bible said to have been destroyed because of the dreadful sins of the inhabitants, but after a search, and finding a book entitled “Rude UK - 100 Even Ruder British Place Names”, it seems that most places that allude to “Sodom” have been named for negative reasons by people with a grudge to bear against residents in neighbouring areas.  

The area around here appears to be mostly a farming community, so perhaps someone had a grudge against a particular farmer, and maybe the farm was on this lane, which was then named "Sodom Lane" by the person with the grudge.  Who knows?  

We then meandered along the country lanes, wondering if it was going to rain, but thankfully it didn’t, so we stopped and had our picnic - tomato sandwiches with home made chutney, and they went down very well.

Further along the road, towards Great Somerford, we came across a World War II pillbox, also in as an extra, and of course, this is also derelict.  It was interesting to read that this was on the Great Somerford to Tilehurst “stop line”, this particular one being the end of the Red stop line.  

These bunkers, built in 1940 and 1941 were used for the defence of the United Kingdom against a possible enemy invasion during the Second World War, when RAF airfields, which were ideal for German airborne and glider landings, did not have the equipment to defend their perimeters or themselves so “stop lines” were drawn up.  This particular “stop line” consisted of 186 shell-proof pillboxes, 11 anti-tank emplacements and 17 miles of anti-tank ditches.  

Now I am older, and researching my family history, it makes me more interested in this sort of thing, especially as many of my family were in the Armed Forces.

“The human being is
     a political animal.”
Aristotle
Greek Philosopher : 384-322 BC