Winterbourne

The modern civil parish of Winterbourne was created in 1934 by joining the parishes of the Winterbournes Earl, Dauntsey and Gunner. It is in the south west of Wiltshire, 3.5 miles north east of Salisbury. The soil and subsoil is chalk and the River Bourne runs through the centre of all three communities. Winterbourne was the old name for the river; Dauntsey is from the family of Roger Danteseye, Earls from the earls of Salisbury and Gunner from Gunnora de la Mare, the lady who held the manor in 1249.

The shape formed by the parish boundary is broad and thin. The settlement area is concentrated in the centre, with the railway and a Roman road on either side. The remainder of the parish is open fields, with small areas of woodland to the east.

An extensive field system on the western side is visible on aerial photographs. Now it is ploughed down but field banks up to 0.4m had survived in places when the site was visited by the Ordnance Survey in 1972. Figsbury Ring on the eastern side of the railway is a single ditch Iron Age hill fort covering 15.5 acres. It was excavated in 1924 by Maud Cunnington and there is a detailed account in the Wiltshire Archaeological Magazine. Other archaeological finds include burial sites, four of which are on the boundary.

The Roman road called the Portway, which runs from Silchester to Old Sarum, passes through the parish, crossing the south west and the central northern boundaries. A second Roman road, from Old Sarum to Winchester, crosses the south eastern edge of the parish and follows the boundary for a short distance.

Since the Reformation, the parish of Winterbourne Earls has only changed hands twice. In 1551 it was the property of the Bishops of Salisbury who leased it to the Nicholas family. In 1799 the lease was taken by the Fort family. They eventually bought the manor, holding it until the mid 20th century. Winterbourne Dauntsey was held by the Dauntsey family from 1163-1493. It then changed hands several times until 1845 when it was bought by George Burtt, who held it until c.1930. Winterbourne Gunner takes its name from a lady who died as long ago as 1248. More recently the manor has been held by the Elliotts (from 1676), then the Templemans and lastly the Evanses.

In the 1860s there were six places of worship in Winterbourne, as each community had its own church and chapel. Today there are just two churches and one chapel. The parish church of St Michael at Winterbourne Earls was built in 1868 to replace a building which had its origins possibly in the 12th century. It consists of a chancel, nave, south aisle, porch and tower. The 14th century church at Winterbourne Dauntsey was also demolished in 1867, when it joined with Winterbourne Earls to worship in the one church at Earls that was to be built the following year. St Mary's at Winterbourne Gunner was founded in the 13th century and re-built in the 1880s. It consists of a chancel, nave with south porch, and a tower.

The Methodist chapel at Earls was built c.1843 and closed in 1967. The chapel at Dauntsey was built in 1799 as an Independent Meeting House but later became a Methodist chapel. It closed in the 1950s. The chapel at Gunner was built in 1818 and is still open for worship today.

There are numerous buildings of interest in Winterbourne. The Manor House at Dauntsey was built c.1720. It has three storeys and a basement, and was built in irregular Flemish bond brick. Inside there are three reception rooms, seven bedrooms and three bathrooms. Country Life magazine described it as 'a charming Queen Anne Manor House'. The Manor Farmhouse at Earls was built in the 16th and 17th centuries of brick laced flint. The Manor House at Gunner is mid 19th century, but incorporates fragments of earlier buildings. It is part of a 17th century farmstead of agricultural buildings including a barn and granary.

Manor Farm Mill at Gunner was still in working condition in 1980. In 1924 the mill wheel was removed and replaced with a turbine. The villagers came here to charge their radio batteries. The house at Hurdcott known as The Poplars was a brush factory in the 19th century. Originally it may have been a water mill. The Black Horse public house at Hurdcott is constructed of cob and brick and was built in the 18th century. The south wall was faced with brick in the 19th century, and it was further extended and modernised in the 20th century. There are many examples of 17th and 18th century cottages in the parish.

At the time of the Domesday survey the combined population of Winterbourne was approximately 200-250. The communities at Dauntsey and Gunner were approximately the same size, while that at Earls was twice the size of Dauntsey. All three had a mill. The population rose steadily in the 19th century, reaching a peak of 635 in 1851. In 1931 it peaked again at 710, due to residential development in Gunner. After the Second World War the population more than doubled, as men stationed at nearby Porton and Idmiston lived in Winterbourne. In 2001 the population was 1,336.

The vast majority of the population were employed in agriculture. In an 1819 survey of Earls, when there were 45 households, just seven people were employed in trade or handicraft. During the 18th century the woollen trade was an important source of income. In 1767 one Winterbourne farmer owned 3,000 sheep. In the 19th century, the three villages between them had all the services needed to enable a community to be self sufficient. Examples are shop keeper, publican, boot maker, carpenter, carrier, coal merchant and wheelwright.

Between 1951 and 1981 the population was 1,700. New houses were built during this period and the village was also very active socially. Local employment was provided by Defence establishments at Gunner and nearby Idmiston. The 1939 trade directory mentions 'The Enterprise Garage' and 'Reliance Electrical Installations'. There were two cafés at Gunner, which were probably supported by men living in the Barracks. Current businesses include Marsh Motors, a car sales and garage business established in 1986, and the Riverside Cat Hotel.

Electricity was available from 1939. Mains drainage and water were not supplied until the 1960s. The first mention of a carrier service is in 1915. By 1923 a 'motor omnibus service' was travelling to Salisbury on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. The Wilts and Dorset buses between Tidworth and Salisbury passed through the village three times a day.

Winterbourne Post Office and shop is a service that has been provided since the 19th century and is still thriving. The village has its own website and the shop is one of many services and activities that are available. There is a pub, a village hall, a scout troop, a day centre, a link scheme and a history society. The 'what's on' page of the website shows that there is plenty of activity in this lively and thriving community.