Burcombe
| Burcombe | |
 River Nadder, Burcombe |
|
  Burcombe |
|
| Population | 156 (in 2011)[1] |
|---|---|
| OS grid reference | SU070310 |
| Civil parish | Burcombe Without |
| Unitary authority | Wiltshire |
| Ceremonial county | Wiltshire |
| Region | South West |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | Salisbury |
| Postcode district | SP2 |
| Dialling code | 01722 |
| Police | Wiltshire |
| Fire | Wiltshire |
| Ambulance | South Western |
| EU Parliament | South West England |
| UK Parliament | Salisbury |
Coordinates: 51°04′41″N 1°54′07″W / 51.078°N 1.902°W
Burcombe is a village and (by the name of Burcombe Without) a civil parish in Wiltshire, England. The village is about 4.5 miles (7 km) west of Salisbury city centre and lies each side of an unclassified road. Burcombe is an unspoiled village with many of the houses' gardens leading down to the River Nadder. The parish includes the hamlet of Ugford which is on the A30 road near the boundary with Wilton parish.
History
At one time in antiquity the village was called South Burcombe and had a twin, North Burcombe, which stood on the north side of what is now the A30 road. Nothing remains of North Burcombe but the Church.[2] To the south of the village are a number of Neolithic earthworks which indicate the area has been a settlement since early times. The name is thought to derive from the Saxon name of Brydancumb or Bryda's Valley.[2]
The Church of St John the Baptist
The Church of St John is built on higher ground on the A30 road, to the north of the village centre, it is assumed to protect it from the possibility of flooding from the river in the lower part of the valley. It was permitted by the Abbesses of Wilton and has features in the corner work of the masonry which indicate strongly that it was originally of Saxon construction although it has undergone many changes and restorations.[2] The church is unusual in that it has a tower, which was rebuilt in 1667,[3] lower than the nave roof.
The Quare Maps
When John Speed prepared a map of Wiltshire he copied a version by Christopher Saxton which contained the annotation Quare (possibly query) over the site of South Burcombe. It is thought that he intended to check the name later, but never did. Later map printers copied Speed's error and the Quare maps of Wiltshire appeared for 145 years until the mistake was rectified.[2]
Amenities
The Ship Inn at Burcombe is a 17th-century village pub with whitewashed walls, low ceilings with oak beams and a large open fire. The village has a butcher's shop and a small suite of rented offices.
The Punchbowl
Nearby to the south, accessible by footpath, is a large semicircular, bowl shaped area of downland called Burcombe Punch Bowl.[4]
References
- ↑ "Parish population". Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 14 March 2015.
- 1 2 3 4 Sawyer. R. 2006. (Nadder) p.194/195, The Hobnob Press, ISBN 0-946418-53-5.
- ↑ Pevsner, N; rev. Cherry B, The Buildings of England (Wiltshire) Penguin Books Ltd, 1975. ISBN 978-0-14-071026-7
- ↑ Crawford, Osbert Guy Stanhope, ed. (1930). Antiquity, Volume 4. Antiquity Publications. Retrieved 2010-01-01.
External links
Media related to Burcombe at Wikimedia Commons