Cricklade Timeline

Finds of Roman artefacts in the town suggest that settlement was only temporary, probably used as a marching camp or occupied by those maintaining the Ermin Street crossing over the river Thames

Saxon fortifications built around Cricklade, a planned town, to defend Wessex against the Vikings

A mint is established in the town

St. Sampson's church built

The Danish King Canute plunders Cricklade after rowing up the river Thames with 160 longships

A castle is built by William of Dover

St. Mary's Church built

King Henry II grants the town its charter

Port Mill, a water mill, in existence by this time

Town Bridge built by this time

Priory Hospital of St. John the Baptist founded as a guesthouse for poor wayfarers

The mint is closed down

Baldwin de Reviers, the lord of the manor, is granted the right to hold a market and 3-day fair to be held in September

Two MPs are sent to Parliament from this time - the start of 600 years of electoral corruption

Glove making established from this time

Prime concern of the Priory Hospital from this time is for the needs of poor and incapacitated priests

Following the dissolution of the monasteries the Priory Hospital's charitable work ceases and the building is sold

Tower on St. Sampson's Church completed and contains 4 bells

Waylands Estates founded as a result of a charitable transfer of land and property, the income from which to be used to maintain, sustain and repair the highways of Cricklade

Market House built in front of the White Hart Inn by Sir John Hungerford

Queen Elizabeth I passes through the town on a royal progress through three counties

Sir Anthony Hungerford bequeaths land at Purton, the income from which to be used to buy overcoats for 14 of the most deserving poor

The Parliamentary army, under the command of the Earl of Essex and consisting of 4,000 cavalry and 10,000 infantry, spend a night in the town following the siege of Gloucester

A free school endowed by Robert Jenner, goldsmith and MP, is opened in Bath Road next to St.Sampson's churchyard

Clock installed in St. Sampson's Church

Weekly Saturday markets granted and held in High Street

Port Mill no longer in use

George Inn in existence

High Street and Calcutt Street paved

Jenner's free school is used as a poorhouse

There are four fairs throughout the year by this time

Fire destroys 20 houses

Former Jenner's free school used as a workhouse

Piped water supply for the town installed

All main roads serving Cricklade are turnpiked

The house of Thomas Bett licensed as an Independent meeting house

Postmaster in Cricklade from this time

An Act is passed in Parliament to prevent bribery and corruption in the town's election of MPs

There is a severe smallpox outbreak in the town

Thames and Severn Canal opened

Congregational Church built in Calcutt Street

A treble bell is added to the ring at St. Sampson's church

George Inn has been renamed the Three Horseshoes by this time

Market House demolished

Following the Enclosure Act the use of North Meadow is defined and the land is to remain as the property of the burgesses

Market Cross moved from High Street to St. Sampson's churchyard

North Wilts Canal from Latton to Swindon opened, joining the Thames and Severn Canal at Latton Basin; Chelworth Wharf on the river Fiddle serves as a staging post for Cricklade traffic on the North Wilts Canal; a day school for girls and an evening school for boys in existence

William Cobbett in his 'Rural Rides' describes the town as \" that villainous hole\" and a \"rascally looking place\" with \"dwellings little better than pigbeds\"

Primitive Methodist Society formed

The house of Richard Simmons licensed as a Primitive Methodist meeting house

A day school for boys opens

Board School for Girls opened at 23 High Street; Post Office in High Street from this time

Waylands Estates become the responsibility of the Charity Commissioners

After many years without a weekly market a Market Committee introduces a monthly cattle and corn market to be held in High Street on the 3rd Tuesday of every month; stocks removed from Calcutt Street

A tannery and foundry in existence between Brook House and the river

104 acres of land converted to allotments to benefit the poor of Cricklade and Chelworth

Street lamps erected in the town; an extension to the former Jenner's free school becomes the National School

There are 7 inns in the town: White Lion, King's Head, White Hart, New Inn, White Horse, Bear and Red Lion

Primitive Methodist day school opened

Police station opened in High Street

Baptist Church built in Calcutt Street

Town Bridge rebuilt

New Primitive Methodist chapel built on south side of Calcutt Street

Fire engine with hand pump purchased and building erected in Bath Road to house it

Cricklade Gas & Water Company established and gas works built in Gas Lane; street lamps converted to gas; British School, for the children of non-conformists, opened south of Gas Lane

National School for Infants, endowed by John Pater, built at the north end of the town on site of former foundry

Drains connecting to house drains installed down both sides of High Street

St. Mary's Church restored under the supervision of John Golpin; new Town Hall built in the High Street

Clock installed in St. Mary's Church; Henry Smyth donates and later bequeaths monies in trust for blankets, sheets, bedding and warm clothing for poor parishioners

St. Sampson's church extensively restored and refurbished under the supervision of Ewan Christian

Wesleyan Methodist chapel built in High Street

From this time the National School for Infants becomes St Mary's National School and teaches older children as well

British School closes and the building becomes the National School for Infants

Turnpike roads cease to be turnpiked

Front of Congregational chapel replaced

Board School for Girls closed

The National School becomes a boy's only school and the girls are transferred to St. Mary's National School

Midland and South Western Junction Railway opened between Cirencester and Swindon and a station opened at the southern end of High Street

Cricket Club in existence

Cricklade division of the Vale of the White Horse hunt formed

Cricklade Town Band formed

Final fair held

White Hart inn rebuilt

Vale of Cricklade Benefit Society founded; private boarding school for girls opened in High Street

Schoolroom added to Primitive Methodist chapel

Waylands Estates become the responsibility of the County and Rural District Councils

Medical Hall destroyed by fire

Clock installed at main crossroads to celebrate Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee - paid for by public subscription

Pillar boxes installed in the town; parishes of St. Sampson's and St. Mary's united as Cricklade parish

Cemetery opened in Bath Road

Sewage treatment plants built at the Forty and Hatchetts

New organ installed in Primitive Methodist chapel

New water supply system installed

St.Mary's church restored to designs by C.E. Ponting

First garage and motor shop opened in High Street by L. O. Hammond

North Wilts Canal closed

Cricklade Football Club formed

British school converted to the Royal cinema

New police station opened in High Street

National School for Infants closes - the boys at the National School are transferred to St. Mary's and the infants are transferred to the National School

Thames and Severn Canal abandoned; Bowls Club formed

Gas street lamps replaced by electric lamps

Council refuse collections begin

First telephone kiosk erected in the town

New Town Hall built in High Street; former Town Hall becomes Ockwell's Glove Factory

British School used as a Roman Catholic church

Private boarding school for girls in High Street closed

Royal cinema has closed by this time

Baptist chapel closed

West Mill and the miller's house demolished; Primitive Methodist and Wesleyan Methodist congregations are amalgamated and services are held in the Calcutt Street chapel from this time

Former Baptist church used as a WVS canteen for the armed forces

Market moved to railway station yard; temporary airfields constructed at Blakehill Farm and Down Ampney in preparation for the Allied invasion of Europe

Allotment land, for which demand fell after World War I, sold

Prior Park Preparatory School, run by the Christian Brothers, opened in the Manor House in Calcutt Street

Blakehill County School opened in converted huts at RAF Blakehill Farm; a coat of arms is granted to Cricklade Parish Council

Cricklade Museum opened

132 council houses and bungalows built at Culverhay

Growth of the town with both public and private housing developments to the west

Final market held

Blakehill County School closed

Former Baptist church in Calcutt Street becomes St. Augustine's Roman Catholic church

National school is closed and the building becomes the Parish Hall

Annexe to Town Hall built

Cricklade Church of England Controlled School for children aged 5 to 11 years built in Bath Road

Railway station closed to passenger traffic

St. Mary's school closed and pupils transferred to the secondary school at Purton

Railway station closed to goods traffic; new fire station built in Bath Road

Parsonage Farm and the tithe barn demolished

Pike House on Bath Road, one of four toll houses in Cricklade, demolished

Methodist congregation share the Congregational chapel with the Congregationalists; Methodist chapel in Calcutt Street closed

New road built along the line of the disused railway south west of the town

County branch library opened on a site off Bath Road behind the fire station

Congregationalists and Methodists unite to form the United Reform Church

North Meadow is designated a National Nature Reserve and Site of Special Scientific Interest

Cricklade Parish Council becomes Cricklade Town Council

Cricklade by-pass opened

Bells removed from St. Mary's church tower and one installed in St.Sampson's church

Swindon and Cricklade Railway Company formed to re-lay the line between Moredon and Cricklade; leisure centre built off Stone Lane by Cricklade Community Association

Church of England Controlled School is divided into 2 schools on same site, St. Sampson's Church of England Junior School and St. Sampson's Infants School

St. Mary's church is made redundant; Prior Park Preparatory School sold and becomes a co-educational boarding and day preparatory school under lay management

The Roman Catholic church moves to St. Mary's church

Museum moved to former Baptist chapel in Calcutt Street

Cricklade twinned with Sucé-sur- Erdre in France

Ockwell's glove factory ceases production

Meadowpark, a pre-preparatory and nursery school opens in the grounds of Prior Park School

Airfield at former RAF Blakehill Farm becomes a nature reserve

New rugby pitch opened

Building previously housing the glove factory converted to house the Town Council, the County branch library and a doctor's surgery

New housing to the east of the town