PERMISSION has been granted to install blue plaques on some of Westbury’s oldest and most important buildings.
The historical blue plaque trail, a scheme popularised in London, will be installed to commemorate some of Westbury’s key historical buildings. Planning permission was granted by Wiltshire Council for all seven plaques, which are expected to be up by the end of the year.
They will be installed on seven Grade II listed buildings in the town:
• Timekeeper’s Cottage, Bitham Mill.
• The Laverton, Bratton Road.
• 35-37 Church Street.
• Angel Mill, Edward Street.
• The Old Town Hall, Market Place.
• A wall in Prospect Square.
• The Lopes Arms Hotel, Maristow Street.
Each plaque will have the name of its location and a snippet of information outlining the building’s contribution to the town.
The proposed text for Bitham Mill reads, “The earliest documented premises for the woollen cloth industry in Westbury. Fulling mills from 1573. Factory, built 1803, was extended and converted to steam in 1829.”
Councillor Sue Ezra is a member of the tourism working group responsible for the plaques.
She explained, “The group selected the most historic – but not necessarily oldest – buildings in the town to have plaques.
“We hope the trail, which is intended to start and end near the High Street, will enhance the town and raise its profile. We will start with the seven, then plan to add more in the future.
“It hasn’t been a quick process and was started around four years ago, but we hope to get the plaques finished and put up soon.”
