A bit of history

The heavy rain this lunchtime brought me in from the garden,  it gave me the chance to start taking a look at this little book which I brought back from Grace’s last week. Unfortunately it’s out of print so she has it on loan from her neighbour.

It outlines some of the history of the hamlet where they now live.

Feel free to skip this if it’s of no interest but I want to keep a record of some of this information 


The title is a quote from a vicar in Batheasten in 1855 and was his concern re the population in Bailbrook as they had no chapel or church in the community. 
At that time Bailbrook was part of the parish of Batheasten and it took another 40 years to build the little tin church that remains today, but sadly no longer in use. Also still to be seen is the school which was used until the 1920’s and the house just below Grace with the inscription ‘Thomas Beale, licensed dealer in Tea and Coffee’ was the Kings Arms beer house with a grocer’s shop alongside - see extra compilation. Thomas Beale was there between1828 and 1858. The sign was one of many painted on the stonework uncovered during preparations for repainting in 1980. Apparently walkers still call in sometimes asking for refreshments.

In maps of Batheaston from the early 19th century the area is referred to as ‘Pigacre’, various reasons are suggested. 
It’s a triangular parcel of land with cottages on the western portion and a nursery on the eastern portion. The nursery existed till the retirement of the owners in 1980, the orchards of which can still be seen and there was a nursery/market garden to the south of the hamlet both providing much employment.
The villagers provided service and vegetables to the wealthy people of Bath with the majority of the women being laundresses taking in and carrying washing up the hill and returning the clean, ironed laundry back down.

Bailbrook became part of Bath despite protests in the ‘60’s and ‘70s and there were more protesters in the 1980’s when the council wanted to demolish the community to build new houses. They won that battle and the properties were up graded with kitchens and bathrooms and an additional access road was built but a bypass and extension to the A 46 below the hamlet destroyed the lower market garden and ultimately led to new building there. The road goes under the village so you can hear it in some places it but not see it!

So much information much of which is probably only pertinent to people who lived there many of whom remain (the lady who lent the book to Grace now lives next door but was born in half of their house - it’s a double cottage, her mother still lives in the village too). Old maps also show that the ancient Jurassic Way passes though the village skirting round Little Solsbury Hill just above them.

I’m so pleased Bath council didn’t get its way destroying what has become and no doubt always was a great community.

My hairdresser came this morning, now booked up till Christmas!