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Potterne

Coordinates: 51°19′30″N 2°00′32″W / 51.325°N 02.009°W / 51.325; -02.009
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Potterne
Village centre
Potterne is located in Wiltshire
Potterne
Potterne
Location within Wiltshire
Population1,622 (in 2011)[1]
OS grid referenceST995584
Civil parish
  • Potterne
Unitary authority
Ceremonial county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townDEVIZES
Postcode districtSN10
PoliceWiltshire
FireDorset and Wiltshire
AmbulanceSouth Western
UK Parliament
WebsiteParish Council
List of places
UK
England
Wiltshire
51°19′30″N 2°00′32″W / 51.325°N 02.009°W / 51.325; -02.009

Potterne is a village and civil parish in the county of Wiltshire, England. The civil parish includes the hamlet of Potterne Wick. It is 2 miles (3.2 km) south of Devizes and lies on the A360 which links Devizes to Salisbury. Potterne is known as 'The Place of Springs' since there are many springs around the village; this title was used by the former primary school (Potterne CEVC Primary School) on its emblem.

Local government and services

The civil parish elects a parish council. It is in the area of Wiltshire Council unitary authority, which is responsible for all significant local government functions.

Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service have their control centre on the outskirts of the village, in the grounds of the manor house. Prior to the amalgamation of the Dorset and Wiltshire services in 2016, the manor house (a late 18th century building, extended 1888-9)[2] was the headquarters of Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service. The house was offered for sale in 2017.[3]

Church

The Anglican Church of St Mary is Grade I listed.[4] Dating from the 13th century[5] with restoration in 1872 by Ewan Christian, it is described as "pure Early English".[6]

Notable buildings

  • Porch House, built c.1480, restored 1876 by Ewan Christian, Grade I[7]
  • The Red House, c.1700, a two-storey garden building for Walter Grubbe MP at Eastwell House, Grade II*[8]
  • Whistley House, c.1730, a country house northwest of the village, Grade II*[9]

Amenities

The village has a post office, village hall, village shop, youth club,[10] playing field and a park.

There is one pub, the George & Dragon.[11]

There is a preschool[12] and a primary school (Five Lanes CE VC Primary School) which has two sites: for younger children at Potterne and for older children in the nearby village of Worton.[13]

Potterne Cricket Club, founded as part of the village sports team in 1936, play in the West of England Premier League and Wiltshire County Cricket League.[14]

Many residents of Potterne are part of the 'Potterne Panto Group' which present pantomimes nearly every February. Recently, the village has held Christmas markets in December which have attracted many visitors.

The village has several farms, with many residents working in agriculture, either within the parish or beyond. There are many other small businesses operating in the village such as interior designers, household crafts, landscaping and tourist accommodation.

The Potterne Mummers

The village is home to the Potterne Mummers, who re-enact performances of a traditional Mummers play during the week before Christmas in pubs around the Devizes area and ending each year with a performance at the George and Dragon, Potterne, on Christmas Eve.[15] The Mummers were founded in 1953 by Bernard Baker, a local schoolteacher, who brought together a group to perform a local Mummer's Play which he had found from an archive report from the late nineteenth century. The initial revival of the play only lasted one year; it was performed by Potterne teenagers under the direction of Bernard Baker. In 1976 the cast included Nigel Weeks as Valiant Soldier, and it was next performed in 1972, with a cast which included Mick Hiscock. It has been performed every year since and is a firm annual tradition and the cast, still including Mick Hiscock, put on their tatter coats and tour the pubs collecting money for various charities including the Wiltshire Air Ambulance.

The Potterne Mummers were presented to Prince Philip in 2012 at the Queen's Jubilee event at Salisbury Cathedral and were shortlisted for a Community Service award in 2014. The current group members, as of 2016, include Brian German, John Chandler, Bob Berry, Karel Bechler, Dan Hiscock, Mick Hiscock, pete Taylor, Bill Hicks, Eric Partridge and Andy Gover.

Blount's Court

A medieval part of what is now Potterne was the manor of Blount's Court, which probably originated in the 13th century. By 1953, the house and property now known as Blount's Court had been owned by the Stancomb family since 1809, when William Stancomb started building the house, for which he revived the ancient name. His son William died in 1941 at the age of 90. Blount's Court, which is now divided into flats, is a large 19th Century 'gothic' building with a porch carried up as a battlemented tower. The centre block is of three stories, the wings are of two. The windows are squareheaded, mullioned, and transomed, the parapets battlemented.[16] Blount's Court is also the name given to the suburban public street, of about 100 houses, leading up to the private property surrounding the block of flats.

Notable people

Images

  • Church of St. Mary the Virgin (built in the 13th century)
    Church of St. Mary the Virgin (built in the 13th century)

References

  1. ^ "Wiltshire Community History – Census". Wiltshire Council. Retrieved 31 March 2015.
  2. ^ Historic England. "The Manor House (1243110)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 23 April 2017.
  3. ^ Moore, Joanne (20 January 2017). "Potterne HQ under offer as merged fire service celebrates first year". The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald. Retrieved 23 April 2017. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  4. ^ Historic England. "Church of St Mary, Potterne (1258968)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 23 March 2015.
  5. ^ "Church of St. Mary, Potterne". Wiltshire Community History. Wiltshire Council. Retrieved 1 April 2015.
  6. ^ Cheetham, J.H.; Piper, John (1968). Wiltshire – A Shell Guide (3rd ed.). London: Faber & Faber. p. 139.
  7. ^ Historic England. "Porch House, High St, Potterne (1273182)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 23 March 2015.
  8. ^ Historic England. "The Red House at Eastwell House, Potterne (1258775)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 23 March 2015.
  9. ^ Historic England. "Whistley House, Potterne (1243109)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 23 March 2015.
  10. ^ "Potterne Youth Club". Retrieved 31 March 2015.
  11. ^ "The George & Dragon". Retrieved 31 March 2015.
  12. ^ "Carers Nest Pre-school". Retrieved 31 March 2015.
  13. ^ "Five Lanes CE Primary School". Retrieved 31 March 2015.
  14. ^ "Potterne Cricket Club". Retrieved 31 March 2015.
  15. ^ "The Potterne Mummers". Retrieved 31 March 2015.
  16. ^ "A History of the County of Wiltshire, Volume 7: Pugh & Crittall (1953), pp. 207–217". Retrieved 5 February 2014.

External links

Media related to Potterne at Wikimedia Commons

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