Bishopstrow

 

Bishopstrow is a small village just south-west of the town of Warminster. A few miles south of Bishopstrow is the modern A36 and the villages of Heytesbury and Sutton Veny. Bishopstrow is protected by three ancient hill forts: Scratchbury, Battlesbury and Middle Hill, all to the north. The geology of the village is very similar to that of neighbouring Norton Bavant which is 2 miles to the south-east, consisting of greensand and chalk. The river Wylye runs almost directly through the centre of the village.

  The name Bishopstrow comes from the legend of St Aldhelm. The story goes that he preached for so long that his ash staff took root and grew into a tree. The village was then known as Bishop’s tree which later became Bishopstrow. ‘The bishop’s tree,’ or treow. This is probably the place which William of Malmesbury calls Biscepes truue. William of Malmesbury was a chronicler in the 12^th century, famous for The History of the Kings of England.

    Neolithic tools and burial sites were found in Bishopstrow in the early 19^th century by Sir Richard Colt Hoare and William Cunnington. They also discovered the site of a Roman villa at Pit Mead. Bishopstrow is located halfway along an old Roman road from Bath to Old Sarum (in Salisbury). The villa would have been used as a rest stop for those travelling on the road.

That area became known as the Buries after Colt Hoare discovered the site buried underground.

    A Barrow is a Neolithic structure, and the King Barrow is at the northern end of Bishopstrow. It is 70m long, 22m wide and has been partially excavated twice. In 1800 evidence was found of three Saxons burials, among the artefacts was an iron sword.

    Bishopstrow is mentioned in the Domesday book in 1086, also mentioned is a mill. That mill was once a fulling mill, and it played a large part in generating wealth for Bishopstrow. Fulling is the process of cleaning and thickening wool cloth. Edward of Salisbury owned the parish of Bishopstrow from 1086 until his death. It was passed on as part of his estate until 1229 when it was allotted to Ela, Countess of Salisbury. In 1236 Ela made an agreement with her son, William Longespée, which enabled her to gift the manor of Bishopstrow to the nunnery at Lacock. After a series of various owners, the manor was sold to William Temple in 1635 and it remained in his family for the next 300 years. Until the early 19^th century, the manor lay between the Salisbury road and the River Wylye, just above the mill. One of the Temples, also named William, decided to build a new house, north of the Salisbury road.

In 1815 he built an elaborate tunnel underneath the road, connecting the two houses.

     It is recorded in the Domesday book in 1086 that Bishopstrow had a small area of meadow, wood and pasture. There was a considerable increase in cultivated land between 1086 and 1250, with that the population more than doubled rising from 21 tenants to 57. 37 of the tenants in 1250 owned only houses or very small amounts of land. These included a smith, a capper, two shepherds and two millers, among others. Through the medieval period and into the 18th century Bishopstrow’s main income was generated through sheep, cattle and various grains. The farmers would grow and harvest the crops then afterwards they would let the sheep and cattle graze the land until the next season where they would begin the process again. The amount of farming in Bishopstrow greatly declined following the enclosure act in 1801. During that time, a quarter of the arable land was uncultivated due to the manorial rights. The first clothier in Bishopstrow was Richard Middlecott, he was rather successful and founded a family fortune that would last up into the 19^th century.

    Bishopstrow’s mill belonged to the manor, in 1533 it was described as a fulling mill, gig mill and grist mill. Later in 1734 it was described as a grist and wood mill used for grinding dyestuff. The mill was burnt down in 1873 but was later rebuilt.

It was still running into the 1960’s, producing animal feed, with electricity supplementing the old water system. In the early 1970’s it transformed into a housing development.

The church in Bishopstrow was dedicated to St Aldhelm as early as the 13^th century. There is some evidence that the church was constructed by the Saxons in the 8^th century. When the church was first mentioned around 1120 it was the only place of worship in Bishopstrow. This remained the case until 1957 when St. Johns Church in Warminster was transferred to the Rector of Bishopstrow. This meant a new ecclesiastical parish of Bishopstrow and Boreham was founded.

There have been quite a few interesting rectors over the years in Bishopstrow. For example, in 1322 one rector rebelled against Edward II, two 15^th century rectors held offices elsewhere and it’s unlikely they ever even visited Bishopstrow and William Kidely in 1583 was more likely to be found out hunting than at church. In 1782 Thomas Fisher who was also the vicar of Norton Bavant retired to Bath due to gout. Fisher was known to hold services twice on Sundays, with a sermon in the afternoon and communion four times a year. J.H.A. Walsh held communion twelve times a year in 1859 through to 1871 and it seems he was a popular vicar for his Sunday services were often well filled.

The church of St Aldhelm consists of nave, chancel and western tower with a spire.

An inscription records its ‘restoration from the lowest foundations’ in 1757, which included the nave being widened and round windows inserted. In 1840 the church was extended to include 50 extra seats; this was paid for by William Temple. Today you can see a set of stained glass windows facing each other across the church. They show the sons of the major Bishopstrow families: the Temples and the Southeys. Vere de Lone Temple has been depicted as though he is fighting in the crusades and Arthur Southey is shown as a Roman soldier.

In 1553 Bishopstrow had three bells, some of those bells are said to have been taken from Norton Bavant. By 1783 there was only one bell although a second was added in 1902. There was a clock in the church in 1799, the current clock was fitted as a thanks offering for the parishioners who returned safely from the South African war, again this was in 1902.

John Middlecott, lord of the manor was reported in 1583 for not attending church. In 1662 William Temple, his wife and seven other inhabitants did not attend church. Members of these powerful families attended the Old Meeting in Warminster for many years. However, no permanent non-conformist churches were ever established in Bishopstrow. In 1864 a bakehouse was converted into a place of worship, but it wasn’t regularly used.

There was a school for girls in 1808, which was funded by the lady of the manor.

It had around 12 students until 1833 when 18 boys and 21 girls were taught at the school. The school was more often attended by girls and in 1842 it was described as a National School for girls which means that it was supported by the church. Other schools were known as British schools, those schools were non-denominational. Attendance peaked in 1848, when a school building was added to accommodate 60 children, afterwards there was a steady decline in students until 1921 when the school closed. The building stood derelict up until 1962. There is now only one school in Bishopstrow, Bishopstrow college, which was established in 2006, it is a boarding school for international students.

It is interesting to track the variety of jobs in Bishopstrow leading up and into the 20th century. Bishopstrow has always been a relatively small village and due to its close proximity to Warminster there was little need for niche occupations. This didn’t stop a few interesting professions from popping up over the years though, for example in 1848 a watch and clock maker resided in Bishopstrow. In 1895 a fly proprietor was operating in Bishopstrow, a fly is a type of small carriage, the proprietor would rent it out for rides and deliveries. Heading into the 20^th century the variety and number of jobs greatly decreased.

Most people were working for the estates and there were more gamekeepers and farm bailiffs.

One of the most well-known parts of Bishopstrow today is the hotel and spa, located 2 minutes outside of Warminster. The hotel used to be Bishopstrow House, owned by William Temple, until in 1976 it was bought by Kurt Schiller and transformed into a hotel. It has since been passed through many different owners but has remained a hotel throughout. Another notable part of the village is Bishopstrow College, an international boarding school. Established in 2006 it caters to international students looking to learn English and integrate into British schools. Aimed at students aged 7-17 it has a student body with over 20 different nationalities.

    A small but major part of the community is the village hall. In recent years it has been subject to considerable improvement; including a new roof, floor and kitchen. The hall regularly hosts village meetings, clubs and parties. Consequently, it is a crucial part village life and is often in use by members of the community.

 

 

 

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