Yatesbury is a village in
Wiltshire, England. It is next to
Cherhill, north of the
A4 road between
Calne and
Marlborough
Marlborough may refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Marlborough, Wiltshire, England
** Marlborough College, public school
* Marlborough School, Woodstock in Oxfordshire, England
* The Marlborough Science Academy in Hertfordshire, England
Austral ...
.
Yatesbury was an ancient parish and in the 19th century became a
civil parish, which was absorbed by
Cherhill parish in 1934.
Yatesbury today has a population of about 150. Whilst having no shops or amenities, the village is on
National Cycle Route 403. It is noted for
RAF Yatesbury
RAF Yatesbury is a former Royal Air Force airfield near the village of Yatesbury, Wiltshire, England, about east of the town of Calne. It was an important training establishment in the First and Second World Wars, and until its closure in 1965. ...
, which was an important training centre during World War II.
Landmarks
The
Church of England parish church of All Saints has 12th-century origins, and 13th-century work can be seen inside; the nave roof and tower are 15th-century. There is a
canonical sundial on the south wall. The chancel was rebuilt in 1854 by C.H. Gabriel, and the church was designated as
Grade I listed
In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...
in 1960.
Since 1973
the parish has been part of the Oldbury Benefice, which comprises the five parishes of
Calstone Wellington
Calstone Wellington is a small village and former parish in Wiltshire, England, about south-east of Calne and now part of the civil parish of Calne Without. The village has a 15th-century church.
Geography
Anciently, there was a distinction b ...
,
Cherhill,
Compton Bassett,
Heddington
Heddington is a village and Civil parishes in England, civil parish in Wiltshire, England south of Calne. The parish includes the hamlet of Heddington Wick.
King's Play Hill is a biological Site of Special Scientific Interest within the parish ...
and Yatesbury.
The nearest primary school is at
Cherhill. Yatesbury had its own small school from 1856 to 1963; after the school closed the building became the village hall.
The Granary at Manor Farm, Yatesbury, was restored by the
Wiltshire Historic Buildings Trust in 2006–2007.
RAF Yatesbury
Opened as a
Royal Flying Corps
"Through Adversity to the Stars"
, colors =
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, mascot =
, anniversaries =
, decorations ...
training site in 1916,
the station closed three years later and returned to farmland.
Pilot training resumed in 1936, then from 1939 the site was used to train many airborne wireless operators and, from 1942, radar operators.
Training of radar operators, mechanics and fitters continued until 1965;
in 1969 the wooden huts were demolished and the land returned again to farming, leaving several brick-built buildings and hangars.
Notable people
The singer, songwriter and author
Julian Cope
Julian David Cope (born 21 October 1957) is an English musician and author. He was the singer and songwriter in Liverpool post-punk band the Teardrop Explodes and has followed a solo career since 1983 in addition to working on musical side proj ...
has lived in the village for many years.
He referenced the village in the song ''My Wall'' in which he collaborated with the American drone metal band
Sunn 0)))
Sunn O))) (pronounced "sun") is an American experimental metal band formed in 1998 in Seattle, Washington. The band is known for their distinctive visual style and slow, heavy sound, which blends diverse genres including doom metal, drone, bla ...
, as well as in his 2013 publication, ''Copendium''.
References
External links
Official site
{{authority control
Villages in Wiltshire
Former civil parishes in Wiltshire