NOT MUCH DERELICTION ABOUT

We had a great service at Church, following which, as usual, we went out looking for dereliction.  Before we went, I had made up a picnic lunch, so we were also looking for somewhere to sit and eat that.

Mr. HCB decided we would go out towards Royal Wootton Bassett and Lyneham, then we took a little turning to a village called Compton Bassett and were pleasantly surprised at how pretty it was - and to think it was so close to home but we had never been there before.

The first thing we noticed was the beautiful signpost welcoming us to the village - I don’t think I have ever seen one quite like this.  Compton Bassett is a rural parish in Wiltshire with a population of about 250, so quite small.  

We did see a barn that was being held up by metal stakes but it wasn’t that derelict - however, I took a few shots, just in case we didn’t see any more dereliction.

We then came to St. Swithun’s Church which was definitely not derelict - this was built in the 12th Century and is now a Grade I Listed building.  In 1997, the Church gained notoriety when a local resident, Midge Mather, broke into the church and cut through the bell ropes as she couldn’t stand the noise of the bells.  After breaking down the doors, it took her about two hours to cut through the ropes and when she got home, she rang the police and told them what she had done.  Apparently, she was given a Conditional Discharge for her actions.  I wonder if she carried on living in the village?

Driving on through the village, we saw a thatched barn, which had had the top piece renovated, so it looked rather strange with the new bright yellow thatch on the top.  The barn stood next to a beautiful thatched farmhouse, named Austins Farmhouse, and of course, this area is well known for thatched properties.

Two miles out of the village, at Lower Compton, shown at the bottom left of my collage is a derelict building, but sadly there was no way for us to get in to see more of it.  However, I have discovered that although this is now a household recycling centre, it was formerly an RAF Communications Training Station, which was opened in 1940 and became a radar training camp, but had no airfield although there were airfields nearby at Cherhill and Yatesbury.

Many thousands of newly recruited RAF personnel, most having just completed their 8 weeks basic training, were taught their RAF trade skills at RAF Compton Bassett, so as to become competent Wireless Operators, Teleprinter Operators, Telegraphists or Telephonists before being posted to work at RAF operational stations and airfields elsewhere in the United Kingdom or abroad.  

There is one public house in the village of Compton Bassett, named The White Horse, obviously after the White Horse at nearby Cherhill - but I will leave a photograph of that for another day.

The final shot in my collage is a view of the beautiful Wiltshire countryside - a blue sky, with puffy white clouds and corn waving in the breeze - a beautiful sight, and one we love.

It is amazing the things we both learn whilst out looking for good Blips!  We might even have a trip out there sometime when the recycling centre is open, so that I can get a better shot.

“The best thing about living in a small village
     is that when you aren’t sure what’s going on
          in your own life……….
Someone in the village usually does!”
Anon