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Luckington is a village and
civil parish In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties, or their combined form, the unitary authorit ...
in the southern Cotswolds, in north-west
Wiltshire Wiltshire (; abbreviated Wilts) is a historic and ceremonial county in South West England with an area of . It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset to the southwest, Somerset to the west, Hampshire to the southeast, Gloucestershire ...
, England, about west of
Malmesbury Malmesbury () is a town and civil parish in north Wiltshire, England, which lies approximately west of Swindon, northeast of Bristol, and north of Chippenham. The older part of the town is on a hilltop which is almost surrounded by the upp ...
. The village is on the B4040 road linking Malmesbury and Old Sodbury. The parish is on the county border with Gloucestershire and includes the village of Alderton and the hamlet of Brook End.


Geography

The Cotswolds are designated as an
Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty An Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB; , AHNE) is an area of countryside in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, that has been designated for conservation due to its significant landscape value. Areas are designated in recognition of ...
(AONB) which means it is recognised as containing some of Britain's finest countryside. As such it is protected as a special landscape of national importance. The area covers 790 square miles, of which some 80% is farmland. The region is delineated by the belt of rich limestone – the source of building materials for cottages, fine buildings and churches. The limestone
Cotswold stone The Cotswolds (, ) is a region in central-southwest England, along a range of rolling hills that rise from the meadows of the upper Thames to an escarpment above the Severn Valley and Evesham Vale. The area is defined by the bedrock of Jur ...
in the northern Cotswolds is a rich honey coloured brown which gradually grades creamier towards the south at Luckington. Badminton House is just across the county border, about southwest of Luckington village. Parkland of the Badminton estate extends a short distance into Luckington parish. In a valley to the south of the village, seasonal springs are the source of the
Bristol Avon The River Avon is a river in the south west of England. To distinguish it from a number of other rivers of the same name, it is often called the Bristol Avon. The name 'Avon' is a cognate of the Welsh word , meaning 'river'. The Avon ...
. The Avon, from Luckington, passes through
Malmesbury Malmesbury () is a town and civil parish in north Wiltshire, England, which lies approximately west of Swindon, northeast of Bristol, and north of Chippenham. The older part of the town is on a hilltop which is almost surrounded by the upp ...
and Chippenham towards Bath and Bristol. The 17th-century writer
John Aubrey John Aubrey (12 March 1626 – 7 June 1697) was an English antiquary, natural philosopher and writer. He is perhaps best known as the author of the '' Brief Lives'', his collection of short biographical pieces. He was a pioneer archaeologist ...
was probably referring to one of these springs when he wrote: "In this village is a fine spring called Hancock's-well… It cures the itch and Scabbe; it hath done much good to the eies," and again the editor Jackson adds: "Hancock's well is still resorted to for the cure of sick dogs, bad legs and the like". J H P Pafford et al. tell us that at the time of writing the well still had the reputation of being good for the eyes. Hancock's well still flows strongly in its stone culvert down to the river close by.


History

Evidence of
Neolithic The Neolithic period, or New Stone Age, is an Old World archaeological period and the final division of the Stone Age. It saw the Neolithic Revolution, a wide-ranging set of developments that appear to have arisen independently in several p ...
settlement includes Giant's Cave, a chambered
long barrow Long barrows are a style of monument constructed across Western Europe in the fifth and fourth millennia BCE, during the Early Neolithic period. Typically constructed from earth and either timber or stone, those using the latter material repre ...
in the west of the parish. The Fosse Way Roman road forms part of the parish boundary in the southeast. Five roads meet at Luckington, principally the former Oxford-Bristol road via Malmesbury and Sherston. The Domesday Book of 1086 recorded two manors with 21 households at ''Lochintone'' and two manors with 15 households at ''Aldritone''. From 1141 until the 14th century, the manor of Luckington was held by the Earls of Hereford; from the 17th century until the early 19th it was owned by a Fitzherbert family, who enlarged Luckington Court c.1700. Alderton was acquired by the Montagu family of Lackham, then bought in 1827 by
Joseph Neeld Joseph Neeld (1789–1856) was Member of Parliament of the United Kingdom for the rotten borough of Gatton, Surrey from March to July 1830 and for Chippenham, Wiltshire, England from September 1830 to March 1856. Career Neeld was one of five b ...
. When the estate was sold in 1966, most was bought by the Duke of Beaufort. A school was built in Alderton at Joseph Neeld's expense in 1844, some materials coming from the renovation of St Giles' church. In 1858 there were 20–30 children. The school closed in 1923, with pupils transferred to Luckington. A National School was built in Luckington in 1874, with two classrooms. This school continues as Luckington Community School. A Primitive Methodist chapel was built in Luckington in 1903 in "
tin tabernacle A tin tabernacle, also known as an iron church, is a type of prefabricated ecclesiastical building made from corrugated galvanised iron. They were developed in the mid-19th century initially in the United Kingdom. Corrugated iron was first us ...
" style, and today is part of the North Wiltshire circuit. The
Badminton railway line The Badminton railway line is a railway line opened in 1903 by the Great Western Railway between the Great Western Main Line at Wootton Bassett in Wiltshire and Patchway and Filton, north of Bristol, England. Forming the eastern section of the ...
was opened across the parish in 1903, running just south of Alderton where it passes through the Alderton Tunnel. The track continues in use as part of the
South Wales Main Line The South Wales Main Line ( cy, Prif Linell De Cymru), originally known as the London, Bristol and South Wales Direct Railway or simply as the Bristol and South Wales Direct Railway, is a branch of the Great Western Main Line in Great Britain. ...
, although the local stations –
Hullavington Hullavington is a village and civil parish in Wiltshire, England, just to the north of the M4 motorway. The village lies about southwest of Malmesbury and north of Chippenham. The Fosse Way, a Roman road, forms the western boundary of the par ...
was closed in 1965, and
Badminton Badminton is a racquet sport played using racquets to hit a shuttlecock across a net. Although it may be played with larger teams, the most common forms of the game are "singles" (with one player per side) and "doubles" (with two players p ...
closed in 1968.


Parish church

The
parish church A parish church (or parochial church) in Christianity is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish. In many parts of the world, especially in rural areas, the parish church may play a significant role in community activities, ...
of St Mary and St Ethelbert dates from c. 1200; the surviving parts from that date include a three-bay arcade and a two-bay arcade to the southeast chapel, both much restored. The lower stages of the tower are from the same century. The tower was completed in the 15th century, and the windows and roof of the nave and aisle are from the same period.
Restoration Restoration is the act of restoring something to its original state and may refer to: * Conservation and restoration of cultural heritage ** Audio restoration ** Film restoration ** Image restoration ** Textile restoration * Restoration ecology ...
in 1872 by A.W. Blomfield included the rebuilding of the chancel and southeast chapel. The tower has four bells: one dated c. 1520 and the others from the 17th century. The church was designated as Grade I listed in 1959. The parish is now one of eight served by the Gauzebrook group ministry.


Luckington Court

Luckington Court, close to the parish church, dates from the 16th century. The house has been
Grade II* listed building 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 Ir ...
since December 1952. The listing states that it was built ca. 1700 "for H. Fitzherbert, on C16 or earlier core"; the family owned it until the early 1800s. A
dovecote A dovecote or dovecot , doocot ( Scots) or columbarium is a structure intended to house pigeons or doves. Dovecotes may be free-standing structures in a variety of shapes, or built into the end of a house or barn. They generally contain pige ...
may be of the same period. Both the interiors and exterior were used to represent Longbourn, the Bennet family home, in the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
's 1995 TV series '' Pride and Prejudice''. An earlier manor on the same site was used by King Harold II as a hunting box, prior to 1066. Some time before the current house was built, there was another house on the site, called Peach House. The current house was enlarged and remodelled in 1921 when it was owned by the Johnson-Ferguson family. The owner in 1995 and in 2013 was Angela Horn, according to published reports. In addition to the seven-bedroom house with six reception rooms, the property also includes a stable and outbuildings, five cottages and farm buildings.


Other listed buildings

Nearly half the buildings in the parish are Grade II listed. These include the Forge House (c.1700), Manor Farmhouse in Alderton (1676), Witches Cottage (17th century), North End House (1655 and c.1800), Luckington Manor (late 17th), and the Post Office Stores (17th and 18th century). There is also a small
village lock-up A village lock-up is a historic building once used for the temporary detention of people in England and Wales, mostly where official prisons or criminal courts were beyond easy walking distance. Lockups were often used for the confinement of dru ...
from the 18th century, in ashlar with a stepped ashlar roof.


Village life

Luckington has a community school with fewer than fifty pupils taught by three full-time teachers and two teaching assistants. There is a children's playground located on Church Road near the Green, run as a charitable organisation. There are good playing fields (one soccer pitch) and a village hall, each run by committees. The farms which surround Luckington are both dairy and arable; some are owned by the Badminton Estate. The Duke of Beaufort's Hunt and the proximity of
Badminton Badminton is a racquet sport played using racquets to hit a shuttlecock across a net. Although it may be played with larger teams, the most common forms of the game are "singles" (with one player per side) and "doubles" (with two players p ...
have a bearing on village culture. Luckington holds its own fête each year, usually early in July. The Old Royal Ship Inn is a popular village pub with walkers and cyclists, and the Beaufort Hunt meets there occasionally.


Notable people

* Sir
Stewart Menzies Major General Sir Stewart Graham Menzies, (; 30 January 1890 – 29 May 1968) was Chief of MI6, the British Secret Intelligence Service (SIS), from 1939 to 1952, during and after the Second World War. Early life, family Stewart Graham Menzies wa ...
(1890–1968) was Chief of MI6 ( SIS) during and after the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...
, and on whom Ian Fleming based "M" of James Bond fame. In the 1920s he acquired Bridges Court, an 18th-century Grade II-listed Cotswold stone farmhouse, set in 30 acres adjoining the Badminton Estate. As a Major-General, he was President of the Luckington branch of the British Legion and took the march-past of the Army Cadet Force at a ceremony in April 1948. After the war he retired and died in London in 1968. Now owned by Lady Melville, the 18th.c. Grade II Bridges Court is now a bed & breakfast hotel. * Guy N Vansittart (1893–1989), younger brother of diplomat
Robert Vansittart, 1st Baron Vansittart Robert Gilbert Vansittart, 1st Baron Vansittart, (25 June 1881 – 14 February 1957), known as Sir Robert Vansittart between 1929 and 1941, was a senior British diplomat in the period before and during the Second World War. He was Principal Pri ...
, was a director of General Motors Ltd on the continent and managed their HQ in London from 1938. He lived at Luckington Court in the 1940s, and was recruited into "Z” Network and the SOE, headed by
Claude Dansey Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Claude Edward Marjoribanks Dansey, KCMG (10 September 1876 – 11 June 1947), also known as Colonel Z, Haywood, Uncle Claude, and codenamed Z, was the assistant chief of the Secret Intelligence Service known as ACSS, of t ...
. The Z organisation was supposed to operate independently of British embassies and thus avoid the attention of foreign internal security agencies. He moved to London post-war, continuing his career with General Motors and died in 1989. * Captain F. W. Hartman (1884–1942), together with his wife Dorothy (the former Lady Dalrymple), lived in Luckington Manor between 1939 and 1952. Dorothy also owned Home Farm Pinkney and Cowage Farm Foxley around the same time. Bremilham Church on Cowage Farm, near Malmesbury, Wiltshire, holds the Guinness World Record as the smallest "in service" church in the country. They were directors of
Lendrum & Hartman Limited Lendrum & Hartman Ltd was a major London importer, the sole UK concessionaires of Buick and Cadillac cars from North America between 1919 and 1968. It became the most prestigious car dealership in the country, having sold a Buick in 1935 to the Pri ...
, London, sole concessionaires of imported Buick and Cadillac cars from North America. They supplied
King Edward VIII Edward VIII (Edward Albert Christian George Andrew Patrick David; 23 June 1894 – 28 May 1972), later known as the Duke of Windsor, was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Empire and Emperor of India from 20 January 19 ...
with a custom-built Buick in 1936, which was transported with him by warship to France on his abdication. Captain Hartman died in September 1942. They were close business friends of Guy Vansittart. His widow continued running the company, and in 1953 moved to London and Stumblehole Farm in Surrey. One of the last house guests at Luckington Manor was Charlie Chaplin * Captain Robert Treeck (1899–?), a Baron and German agent, born in Latvia, who escaped during the
October Revolution The October Revolution,. officially known as the Great October Socialist Revolution. in the Soviet Union, also known as the Bolshevik Revolution, was a revolution in Russia led by the Bolshevik Party of Vladimir Lenin that was a key mome ...
. He was possibly a member of the pre-war dissident group
Schwarze Kapelle The ''Schwarze Kapelle'' (German for ''Black Orchestra'') was a term used by the Gestapo to refer to a group of conspirators in Nazi Germany, including many senior officers in the Wehrmacht, who plotted to overthrow Adolf Hitler. Unlike the ''Rote ...
. Together with his
Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...
an wife, Baroness Violetta Schroeders (1920–?), he leased Luckington Manor in 1936. The Manor is immediately adjacent to Menzies' house, Bridges Court. He joined the Duke of Beaufort's Hunt, to which Menzies already belonged, and paid a handsome £150 into the hunt's funds for the 1937–1938 season. Treeck relinquished the lease at the end of the 1938–39 hunt season, and Captain Hartman (see above) took over the lease. Treeck lived a parallel life, as his main country residence was Guilsborough House in Northamptonshire, also leased, where he entertained lavishly and rode with the
Pytchley Hunt The Pytchley with Woodland Hunt is an organisation formerly based near the Northamptonshire village of Pytchley, but since 1966 has had kennels close to Brixworth. The Pytchley country used to include areas of the Rockingham Forest but was split ...
. In September 1939, Treeck vanished, and Guilsborough and its contents were placed under the control of the Custodian of Enemy Property. * Actor
John Thaw John Edward Thaw, (3 January 1942 – 21 February 2002) was an English actor who appeared in a range of television, stage, and cinema roles. He starred in the television series '' Inspector Morse'' as title character Detective Chief Inspector ...
(1942–2002) and his second wife, actress Sheila Hancock, bought the 17th-century Brook House in Church Road in 1990, "...or Lucky, as we called it, a Wiltshire village. John loved it, he hid away in it, curling up and shutting the world out." They lived there on a semi-permanent basis until Thaw's death. Hancock writes in her book, ''My life with John Thaw'': "Today at the Post Office two photographers started snapping at us. John was feeling peaky and just sighed but I was like a wild animal. Luckington has never seen such an unseemly display."The Two of Us: My Life with John Thaw, Sheila Hancock, Bloomsbury Publishing, 2005 The house was sold in 2002 after Thaw's death. * Basil Harwood (1859–1949), English organist and composer, born in Gloucestershire, was inspired by Luckington when writing the hymn tune of that name, often used for ''Let all the world in every corner sing, my God and King! The heavens are not too high, his praise may thither fly''. The tune features on the album "100 Best Hymns" by the York Minster Choir and is regularly aired on the BBC television programme '' Songs of Praise''.


Books and further reading

*''Wiltshire Villages'' (The Village series), Brian J. Woodruffe, Robert Hale Ltd, 1982, / 0-7091-9745-4 *''Aubrey's Natural History of Wiltshire'',
John Aubrey John Aubrey (12 March 1626 – 7 June 1697) was an English antiquary, natural philosopher and writer. He is perhaps best known as the author of the '' Brief Lives'', his collection of short biographical pieces. He was a pioneer archaeologist ...
, David and Charles Reprints, 1969, *''Wiltshire: Cradle of our Civilisation'',
Arthur Mee Arthur Henry Mee (21 July 187527 May 1943) was an English writer, journalist and educator. He is best known for ''The Harmsworth Self-Educator'', '' The Children's Encyclopædia'', ''The Children's Newspaper'', and ''The King's England''. The ...
, Hodder and Stoughton, 1939 *''The Dovecots and Pigeon Lofts of Wiltshire'', John and Pamela McCann, Hobnob Press, 2011, *''The Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales embracing recent changes in counties dioceses parishes and boroughs general statistics postal arrangements railway systems &c. and forming a complete description of the country'', John M. Wilson, 1870, * Collectanea,
Wiltshire Archaeological and Natural History Society The Wiltshire Archaeological and Natural History Society was founded in 1853, and is one of the largest county-based archaeological societies in the United Kingdom. It runs the Wiltshire Museum in Devizes, Wiltshire which has the best Bronze Ag ...
, Volume XII; Williams, N J (editor), Records Branch, Devizes, 1956 *''The Two of Us: My Life with John Thaw'', Sheila Hancock, Bloomsbury Publishing, 2005, *''Just Me'', Sheila Hancock, Bloomsbury Publishing Plc, 2009 *''C: The Secret Life of Sir Stewart Menzies, Spymaster to Winston Churchill'',
Anthony Cave Brown Anthony Cave Brown (21 March 1929 – 14 July 2006) was a British journalist, espionage non-fiction writer, and historian. Early years Brown. was born in Bath, and moved to London as a boy, stuffing propaganda leaflets into bombs meant for Na ...
, Macmillan, 1987 *''The Unseen War in Europe: Espionage and Conspiracy in the Second World War'', John H. Waller, I B Tauis & Co., London 1996 *''Hitler's Spy Chief'', Richard Bassett, Orion Publishing 2005 *''Maud Coleno's Daughter: The life of Dorothy Hartman, 1898–1957'', John Dann, Matador/Troubador Leics. 2017, *''The True Story of the Murder of Harry Neal'', Bill Reed, Althelstan Museum, Malmesbury, 2018


References


External links

* {{authority control Villages in Wiltshire Civil parishes in Wiltshire Cotswolds