THE HISTORY OF WOODLANDS
Woodlands lies on the north eastern border of the Mendip Hills and the ancient Selwood Forest and the counties of Somerset, Dorset and Wiltshire in south west England. In Anglo-Saxon times it was a far more substantial forest and covered a much greater area forming a natural barrier between the Anglo-Saxon of Wessex and the Britons of Dumnonia and the Severn Valley.
The name Selwood is first recorded in Old English around 894 as Seluudu which some etymologists consider to derive from Sealhwudu or Sallow Wood ‘Wood where sallow trees grow’ and Sallow is from Salix…Willow.
Selwood may have been the location of the Battle of Peonnum in 658. At this battle King Cenwalh of Wessex defeated the Britons and annexed Somerset as far west as the River Parret. Selwood is the location of Egbert’s Stone, where Alfred the Great rallied his forces against the Great Heathen Army in 878 and is celebrated in history as being the retreat of Alfred the Great before the battle of Ethandune. (Eddington)
The event is recorded in Asser’s Life of King Alfred:
In the seventh week after Easter, Alfred rode to the stone of Egbert, which is in the eastern part of the wood which is called Selwood, which means in Latin Silva Magna, the Great Wood, but in British Coit mawr and there met him all the inhabitants of Somerset and Wiltshire, and all such inhabitants of Hampshire as had not sailed beyond sea for fear of the Pagans, and upon seeing the King received him as was proper like one come to life again after so many troubles, and were filled with excessive joy, and there they encamped for one night.”
Asser’s “The Life of King Alfred”
Much of the area from 1540 belonged to the Longleat Estate, where a former priory stood, 60 acres at that time were purchased for £53 by John Thynne. Many of the houses in the two villages were formerly owned by the Thynne family and used by the estate workers and tenant farmers. Large parts of the Estate were sold in 1947 to meet death duties.
The local Pub (the Horse and Groom) and the Village Hall still belong to the Estate. The Thynne Educational Foundation now owns the hall which is run by a committee of local volunteers and is well used by the community for a wide variety of events.
Manor Farmhouse in West Woodlands provides a particularly good example of 17th century architecture and was the formerly the George Inn.
St. Algars Farmhouse – grade II* listed Farmhouse. Named after Ælfgar of Selwood dates from the C14, further alterations of C17, further C19 work. Former chapel of a monastic settlement. Virtually all of the C14 arch-braced collar beam roof remains over the chapel.
ARCHAEOLOGY
There are several archaeological sites within the East Woodlands area. An Iron Age hill fort – Roddenbury Camp – and the early mediaeval Hales Castle are located near East Woodlands.
HALES CASTLE aerial view
Hales Castle is a roughly circular ringwork on the lower end of a gently sloping spur north west of Roddenbury Hill. It seems, by castelologists, to be accepted as a medieval castle probably Norman but the location and form is equally that of an Iron Age site.
Diagram showing Hales Castle (top) and Roddenbury Camp (bottom)
RODDENBURY CAMP is a univallate or single rampart Iron Age hillfort. It is a Scheduled Ancient Monument and on the Heritage at Risk register.
In the woods along the southern edge of East Woodlands are the remains of Dog Street, once a notorious haunt of robbers and villains. It is recorded that the remote backwaters of East and West Woodlands became notorious for the coining of false money called Woodland groats (a coin equal to four pennies) and for clipping, or paring, the genuine coin of the realm… Finally in 1693 a party of soldiers quartered at Frome were ordered to attack a gang of these coiners at a place called Salmons or Seaman’s house, where they withstood a veritable siege, in which a coiner was killed and others taken and executed. This broke the trade but as late as 1714 one Nicholas Andrews of Frome was hanged on Oldford Hill with two Wiltshire men ‘for counterfeiting Her Majesties Coyne’.
Does Longleat still own the woodland/forest patches of East and West Woodlands?
yes in the main. a small piece of woodland behind the Rectory in E Woodlands was sold to the current owner, I understand.
My grandfather was vicar of St. Katharine’s, E Woodlands from 1914 to 1916. I have two old photos of the rectory (vicarage?) taken at that time. Does anyone know if the building is still standing? I couldn’t find it on Google Earth.
Yes, it does.
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.1946008,-2.3014728,244m/data=!3m1!1e3
in the centre of the map
Thanks very much!
The All British Army WWI Service Records for 1914-1920 indicate that there were 5 men from W Woodlands and 1 from E Woodlands who served in the army during WWI. Can you confirm this please? Were there any from Woodlands who served in the other forces during WWI?
Richard – sorry to be so slow in replying, but your query didn’t show up in the ‘comments’ box, so I was unaware of it until today when I trawled the site again (periodic housekeeping!). I do not know of any way to confirm your data unfortunately. We have few ‘old’ families in the village and no war memorial (too small). I will ask one of the vergers when I get the chance, but I don’t think there will be any kind of record at this end. What were the names? it might help…
Thanks Glyn. I have rechecked the army records, and they suggest that there were actually just three men from the village who served in WW1: Henry Toogood and Albert Tudgay from West Woodlands and George Watts from East Woodlands. Any information you have will be greatly appreciated.
There’s a list of a couple of dozen men from the village who served during WW1 in the church.
And there is a war memorial in the church also listing quite a few deaths:
Name: THYNNE, Lord ALEXANDER GEORGE
Initials: A G
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Lieutenant Colonel
Regiment/Service: Wiltshire Regiment
Unit Text: Commanding 6th (Royal Wilts. Yeo.) Bn.
Age: 45
Date of Death: 14/09/1918
Awards: DSO
Additional information: Awarded the Croix de Guerre (France). Son of the Marquis and Marchioness of Bath. Member of Parliament for Bath.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: II. L. 13.
Cemetery: BETHUNE TOWN CEMETERY
Name: THYNNE, JOHN ALEXANDER
Initials: J A
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Second Lieutenant
Regiment/Service: 2nd Dragoons (Royal Scots Greys)
Age: 20
Date of Death: 13/02/1916
Additional information: Viscount Weymouth. Son of the Sir Thomas Henry Thynne, 5th Marquess and Violet Caroline, Marchioness of Bath.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: II. C. 1.
Cemetery: VERMELLES BRITISH CEMETERY
Name: AYLESBURY, CHARLES JAMES
Initials: C J
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Private
Regiment/Service: Royal Warwickshire Regiment
Unit Text: 2nd/5th Bn.
Date of Death: 06/09/1917
Service No: 235035
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: Panel 23 to 28 and 163A.
Memorial: TYNE COT MEMORIAL
Private 290656 in Monmouthshire Regiment
Lived at Abertillery, Monmouthshire
Private 235035 in 2nd/5th Battalion of Royal Warwickshire Regiment
Enlisted at Abergavenny, Monmouthshire
On Frome War Memorial
WW1 Medal Card
Aylesbury, Charles J
Monmouthshire Regiment 2959 – Private
Born 5th Jan 1891 and Christened 23rd Feb 1891 at Corsley Wesleyan Chapel.
Sone of James Jonah and Emily Jane Aylesbury
(soemtime of Friggle Street)
Killed in action – no known grave.
Name: COOPER, GEORGE NELSON
Initials: G N
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Private
Regiment/Service: Somerset Light Infantry
Unit Text: 12th (West Somserset Yeomanry) Bn.
Age: 25
Date of Death: 27/12/1917
Service No: 37490
Additional information: Son of George and Annie Cooper, of High St., Sutton-Veny, Warminster, Wilts.; husband of Amy Elizabeth Lindsay (formerly Cooper), of Park Rd., Cabramatta, Sydney, Australia.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: Panel 17.
Memorial: JERUSALEM MEMORIAL
Born in Sutton Veny. He was chauffeur to the Rev Dr Dunn of East Woodlands Vicarage.
Joined the West Somerset Yeomanry on 18th Sept 1916
Transferred to 12th Battalion Somerset Light Infantry
Served with the Egyptian Expeditionary Force in Palestine.
Killed in action – no known grave.
Name: DOEL
Initials: Francis B J
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Stoker 1st Class
Regiment/Service: Royal Navy
Unit Text: H.M.S. “Vivid.”
Date of Death: 24/06/1917
Service No: K/30445(Dev)
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: C. 4. 12.
Cemetery: BERKLEY CHURCH CEMETERY
Born in Glastonbury. Abt 1898-99
Lived for many years in Frome with his parents.
Joined the navy in Jan 1916 and quickly promoted.
He died by unknown cause, and was returned to Frome for burial.
Grave ref C.4.12 at Berkley.
Name on Berkley War Memorial.
Edward LEWER
Name: LEWER, EDWIN THOMAS
Initials: E T
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Lance Corporal
Regiment/Service: Wiltshire Regiment
Unit Text: 1st Bn
Age: 27
Date of Death: 02/09/1915
Service No: 10261
Additional information: Son of Mr. W. H. Lewer, of The Hollies, East Woodlands, Frome, Somerset.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: Panel 53.
Memorial: YPRES (MENIN GATE) MEMORIAL
Name: LEWER, JOHN
Initials: J
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Lance Corporal
Regiment/Service: Somerset Light Infantry
Unit Text: 8th Bn.
Date of Death: 01/07/1916
Service No: 14755
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: Pier and Face 2 A.
Memorial: THIEPVAL MEMORIAL
Name: MUSSELL, WILLIAM
Initials: W
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Private
Regiment/Service: Somerset Light Infantry
Unit Text: 6th Bn.
Age: 19
Date of Death: 21/03/1918
Service No: 29262
Additional information: Son of Mary Ann Mussell, of East Woodlands, Frome, Somerset, and the late Frederick Mussell.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: Panel 25 and 26.
Memorial: POZIERES MEMORIAL
Name: SINGER
Initials: T
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Private
Regiment/Service: Somerset Light Infantry
Age: 39
Date of Death: 14/02/1917
Service No: 25955
Additional information: Husband of Edith M. Edwards (formerly Singer), of 7, The Mint, Frome.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: III. 984.
Cemetery: FROME (CHRIST CHURCH) CHURCHYARD
Name: SPAREY, WILLIAM
Initials: W
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Private
Regiment/Service: Worcestershire Regiment
Unit Text: 3rd Bn.
Date of Death: 26/08/1916
Service No: 28861
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: Pier and Face 5 A and 6 C.
Memorial: THIEPVAL MEMORIAL
Thomas STONE
Name: STONE
Initials: T
Nationality: Canadian
Rank: Private
Regiment/Service: Canadian Machine Gun Corps
Unit Text: 12th Coy.
Date of Death: 09/04/1917
Service No: 417398
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Memorial: VIMY MEMORIAL
Name: TUDGAY, ALBERT
Initials: A
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Driver
Regiment/Service: Army Service Corps
Unit Text: Base H.T. Depot (Salonika)
Age: 40
Date of Death: 02/06/1917
Service No: T4/110349
Additional information: Son of Thomas and Eliza Tudgay, of Kingston Deverill, Bath; husband of Sarah Ann Tudgay, of 48, West Woodlands, Frome, Somerset.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Memorial: CHATBY MEMORIAL (Egypt)
Name: WILLS
Initials: W J
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Private
Regiment/Service: Somerset Light Infantry
Unit Text: 3rd Bn.
Date of Death: 04/05/1917
Service No: 34257
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Memorial: SAVONA MEMORIAL
Hi Richard,
I’ve no idea if you’ll come across this in time but at the moment ( 30/12/16) on e-bay a postcard showing a military camp at St Algars farm. I assume it is a territorial camp as the description states circa 1910.
The item no. Is 401240189372.
Tim Bickerdike, Wells
Colin, thanks very much for taking the time and trouble to send me this information. I was especially interested to read that George Nelson Cooper, who served in the Somerset Light Infantry, was chauffeur to my grandfather, Rev Dr Dunn.
Hello a colleague & I are writing a book on the pubs of Frome and don’t seem to have any photos of The George, Woodlands. Does anyone have one that we could use or know its precise location?
Many thanks,
Mick Davis
There used to be a pub called The George at West Woodlands now a private residence.
Are you able to help me locate the site of the famer, William Webb’s house at Roddenbury? Webb was murdered in the building by two labourers from Dog Street in December 1812, both of whom were tried, convicted and executed (on Arn Hill) in March 1813. I’m unsure whether Webb’s house still exists. Does anyone know?
The farm was called Oxstalls, if that’s any help…
I’ll look into it with a local historian.