Ablington
Ablington maps (2 available)
Map of Wiltshire
Beautifully hand-drawn and coloured, dating from around 1840
Personalised maps
Create an historic map centred directly on any postcode!
Ablington books (12 available)
- 1 photos on Ablington appear in 1 Frith books - View photos of Ablington
- Read extracts and see photos from these books on Ablington and Wiltshire
Ablington memories
Read and share memories of Ablington and Wiltshire inspired by Frith photos
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You can also read memories of nearby places in Wiltshire below.
Wiltshire memories
I Miss Home
I live in America now. I have a family here, but I would like to return to Highworth one day. I was born there and Christened in St Michael's Church in 1954.
A memory of Highworth contributed by First Name Last Name
Historical Connections
I am a New Zealander, as my (recent) ancestors have been for more than one and a half centuries! However, my ancestors had emigrated from Highworth twice during the 1800's - firstly to Australia on a 7 +2 year contract with the Australian Agricultural Company in the 1820's, and back to Highworth after 9 years, then eventually to settle permanently NZ from 1841. The descendants families have been in NZ ever since.
Ancestral research only a decade ago discovered that my earlier ancestors had had a lengthy association with St. Michael's Church. The Church records exist of ancestral marriages and christenings from 1714 (commencing with the marriage of Henry Stokes to Deborah Watkins, 9 May 1714) through to 1815.
read more here
A memory of Highworth contributed by Martin Thomas
holidays
my grandparents used to live in church walk in purton , my father and his brothers and sisters grew up there and every summer we used to go to stay there for our holidays.
they had feather beds and gas lighting and we used to go to bed with a candle.
the milkman used to come and fill up the pewter milk jug each morning.
we all got up early in the morning and went looking for mushrooms over the fields then go home and cook up a good breakfast. There was a well in the garden and we used to get water to wash our hair and it came out really shiny and healthy.Our grandfather used to take us on ...read more here
A memory of Purton contributed by Susan Scott
Family Tree
I am researching my fam tree. I have found out some of my ancestors came from Swindon. Due to a long story my Grandmothers biological Grandfather worked on the G.W.R AS A Labourer his name was Edwin New. He married Mary Jane Stroud in 1873 then went on to have my Grandmother Real mother Alice Elizabeth New. Alice was born on the 10th March 1884 at Lower stratton.
I wondered if any one out there knows of these name above. My grandmother was born in a mother and baby hospital in Hackney for unmarried mother on the 24th July 1906. I found the details out with the help of the Salvation Army her real mothers name was given ...read more here
A memory of Swindon contributed by Karen Surtees
Extracts From Ablington & Wiltshire books
Malmesbury Abbey`s unique south porch, dating from the mid 12th century and built in the Romanesque style, is decorated
with thirty-eight fine sculptures depicting detailed and elaborate images, some of which are based on Biblical scenes from
both the Old and New Testaments. The images are divided by columns with decorative patterns.
An extract from from"Malmesbury Photographic Memories".
Taken from the abbey roof,
this photograph shows the
15th-century market cross
in the centre, situated at
the north end of the High
Street. There are no road
markings on the road at
this date. The undulating
roofline of the houses in the
High Street makes a very
attractive scene.
An extract from from"Malmesbury Photographic Memories".
We are overlooking the Old Bell gardens and looking towards the river Avon and the Malmesbury Branch Railway. During
the mid 19th century, proposals were put forward to build a railway line to connect the town with the south of England. The
Wiltshire & Gloucestershire Railway Company put forward a bill to undertake the work, which was finally sanctioned on 21
June 1864. There were also negotiations between the W & GR, the GWR, and the Midland Railway. Progress was hindered by
the hostile attitude between the GWR and the Midland Railway, but eventually a ceremony to cut the first sod of the W & GR
was performed on 1 July 1865 by the Countess of Suffolk and Berkshire, using the silver-mounted ceremonial wheelbarrow
which is now in the Athelstan Museum. Problems between the various railway companies were not resolved for a further
few years, and the W & GR ceased to exist in 1871. Finally a branch line from the GWR line at Dauntsey to Malmesbury
was opened in December 1877, linking the town to Paddington; the station was built east of the town. A spur was also built
at Little Somerford, connecting the Malmesbury branch line to Bristol and South Wales. The railway was finally closed in
November 1962 and dismantled in 1963.
An extract from from"Malmesbury Photographic Memories".
The photograph shows
Abbey Row; we are looking
down towards the Triangle
and the parish of Westport.
The greenhouse behind the
wall (centre foreground)
was owned by the Old Bell;
it was demolished in 1977 to
enable the Queen`s Jubilee
Garden to be created,
which was opened in 1978.
By the garden is a flight of
steps called Betty Geyser`s
(Gaze`s) steps, which lead
down to Burnivale. The west
gate into the walled town
is thought to have been
situated near here. Damage
is thought to have occurred
to Abbey Row during the
Civil War in 1643.
An extract from from"Malmesbury Photographic Memories".
The parvise above the south porch contains a small museum with various artefacts associated with the history of the
abbey. Of particular interest are the four 15th-century beautifully illustrated and illuminated volumes of the Manuscript
Bible. They were formerly at Cole Park, which had connections with the abbots of Malmesbury. They were purchased and
presented to the abbey by the Earl of Suffolk and Berkshire in 1914.
An extract from from"Malmesbury Photographic Memories".