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Question
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I am reasearching the history of the Queens Head Inn Dunkirk Hill Devizes, have you any information please? any thoughts on where the name came from? was there any property on this site during the mid 1600's when warring opposing forces were skirmishing aroundabout?is Dunkirk a relatively new name?
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Question asked on
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04 July 2011
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Answer
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The area of Dunkirk, originally in Rowde parish, is in Robson's Commercial Directory of Wiltshire in 1839 and also appears on Greenwood's map of the county in 1820. In Place-names of Wiltshire it is stated that the name is of recent origin and compares it with the use of the Flemish place-name in Kent from the 19th century. I'm afraid that I have no idea why it was used in Wiltshire although the nearby Caen Hill would also seem to indicate a continental influence. However this was called Canehill in 1616.
The Queen's Head was mentioned at the foot of the hill in 1769 and the Wiltshire and Swindon Record Office holds deeds (WSRO 2816/155/74) for the property that seem to span the period 1758-1920. The Record Office, in Trowbridge, is closed this week and next but will re-open on Monday 30th January.
We have no information about property in this area in the mid 17th century but the Record Office may. It is quite likely that there would have been an earlier house on this roadside site at the bottom of the hill.
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