The Francis Frith Collection.
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2008 Christmas Gift Guide - great gifts for your family and friends

Fovant

Fovant photos (32 available)

Old photo of Fovant

Fovant maps (2 available)

Old map of Fovant

Fovant books (12 available)

Fovant memories

A good place to live

My mum & dad along with my brother & me came to live in Fovant in 1952. Mum & dad owned the butchers shop in the village. My brother Brian & me went to the school, we both made lots of friends. It was a good school, the teachers were nice. Every Sunday my dad played the organ at Fovant church. There was lots of things to do in Fovant. We played football in the street, went for bike rides around the other villages. I had lots of pets. I had a lamb called Larry, I used to take him for a walk on a lead. One day the Bishop of Salisbury came to see my dad & because dad was ...read more here
Contributed by sheila guilfoyle

Wiltshire memories

A good place to live

My mum & dad along with my brother & me came to live in Fovant in 1952. Mum & dad owned the butchers shop in the village. My brother Brian & me went to the school, we both made lots of friends. It was a good school, the teachers were nice. Every Sunday my dad played the organ at Fovant church. There was lots of things to do in Fovant. We played football in the street, went for bike rides around the other villages. I had lots of pets. I had a lamb called Larry, I used to take him for a walk on a lead. One day the Bishop of Salisbury came to see my dad & because dad was ...read more here
A memory of Fovant contributed by sheila guilfoyle

Years Ago.

My grandparents lived in the old rectory which was a few hundred yards from the Beckford Arms. I spent many happy holidays there with my cousins. We had wonderful Christmases, lots of snow and in the better weather long bike rides. Idyllic days. Shopping in Tisbury, and going to Wardour Castle, also my grandfather liked to go to Scats.
A memory of Fonthill Gifford contributed by Rosemary Davies

Chipperfield's Circus

Great Wishford, the Village c1955

In fact these are not Lotmore Cottages, which were along the road that leads to the River Wylye, immediately left in the photograph past the front of the Royal Oak pub on the left, about 50 metres down on the right.  I know this because I lived in Lotmore as a small boy, in the first of two semi detached cottages.  There was a hilly field opposite that led up towards Grovely Wood.  Chipperfield's Circus used to rest in this field when not on the road.  Sometimes there were elephants there.  Old Mr Chipperfield made me a wooden dog on wheels which we called Chipperdog.  Lotmore was demolished many years ago and some late 50's council houses now stand on the ...read more here
A memory of Great Wishford contributed by chris rawlence

Extracts From Fovant & Wiltshire books

Salisbury, Queen Street c1950

The importance of Salisbury to the military establishment after the war can be seen in this picture of Fish Row, just behind the Guildhall. A Pickfords lorry is fighting its way along the narrow street, possibly heading for the Military Tailors in the left foreground, or to the Servicemen’s Hostel next door.
An extract from from"Salisbury Pocket Album".

Salisbury, Cathedral, from Old Mill c1955

The Cathedral viewed from the south has been a favourite subject for artists—including, of course, Constable. This particular view is from the Old Mill at Harnham, and shows the Mill itself, the river and the water meadows as well as the Cathedral. Harnham Mill is a very old building, dating from around 1500. Like the first photograph in this book, the timeless beauty of this scene has remained unchanged for more than half a millennium.
An extract from from"Salisbury Pocket Album".

Salisbury, De Vaux Place 1928

On the Salisbury side of Harnham Bridge, De Vaux Place leads to The Close—the Harnham Gate is at the far end of the wall. Most of the old houses here were built in the 18th and 19th centuries using stone from the remains of the De Vaux College, which was established here by the Bishop to train clergy as early as 1262—probably the first university college in the century.
An extract from from"Salisbury Pocket Album".

Salisbury, Harnham Bridge 1928

The bridge was built by the Bishop of Salisbury around 1240 to facilitate trade between the new city and the south: the Cathedral spire can be seen in the background. Nearly seven hundred years later, the bridge was still carrying all south- bound traffic around the city and across the Avon, but a new bridge was built just downstream in 1931.
An extract from from"Salisbury Pocket Album".

Harnham, the Church 1906

The Victorian Church of All Saints in Harnham was built in 1854 and dedicated to the memory of a former Dean of Salisbury Cathedral. Today, heavy traffic thunders close by on the road in the foreground (the A3094), but drivers do not see the church because of the screen of trees which has grown up along the wall in front of it.
An extract from from"Salisbury Pocket Album".