Westbury Heritage is on the move – albeit slowly! The local heritage society will be vacating its High Street premises this month for the new venue of the town’s historic library building.
Heritage society chairman Sally Hendry said, “Unfortunately, the coronavirus has thrown so many plans into disarray and the society plans are no exception. So, while we will be moving all our collection, we cannot open to the public until the library opens.
“That said, the society is busy planning for the future – a grand reopening, a series of exhibitions, talks and walks. In the meantime, heritage will be kept in the public eye with a series of features and news items in the White Horse News, on the society website and on Facebook.
“We know it is a strange and uncertain time for everyone, but we really hope people will continue to support the society and visit us in our new venue when we open. Westbury is a fast-changing town and preserving its heritage is even more important than ever.”
Local history
collection
In the meantime, society members have been busy cataloguing and packing up their great collection of local history. Among these are literally hundreds and hundreds of local photographs that chart the changing face of our town. The society thought the WHN readers might like to share in some of the stories behind the images.
For instance, did you know there used to be a toll house on the Warminster side of town? Here is a photograph of the tollhouse keeper probably at the turn of the century.
The toll house was at the junction of Warminster Road and the road to Old Dilton. There would have been a gate across each road and travellers would have to stop to pay a toll before they passed through.
The tollhouse was built in 1786 and there was also a well on the site. It was demolished to make way for road widening in the 1960s. We know a Lucy Woodward was the toll collector in 1870 – she gave evidence in court after a galloping horse knocked down and killed a pedestrian at Chalford.
Ever wondered why Cannon Green off the Market Place got its name? There used to be a Russian cannon in pride of place on the grass in front of the row of houses there. The cannon was brought here in 1858 with great ceremony and celebration. The cannon was brought from the railway station in a procession half a mile long that included a brass band and an accompaniment of a military escort of the Wiltshire Cavalry. The gun itself was drawn by seven horses and the town church bells rang out to celebrate the occasion.
But by the Second World War its glory days were over. With the nationwide call for metals for armament manufacture, the cannon was targeted. The urban council agreed it should go for the worthy cause and in March 1942 two soldiers arrived to dismantle it. Here is the photograph of their efforts…apparently the cannon was a lot harder to dismantle than they first assumed! It was eventually taken away by truck in pieces en route to be melted down. But it still lives on in the name of the terrace of pretty houses.
Westbury’s
Vista Cinema
Many people will remember when Westbury has its very own cinema …the Vista on Warminster Road. It opened in November 1920 and even boasted a café lounge. The Wiltshire Times reported the opening saying “The completed Vista cinema takes its place in the very front rank of provincial picture houses”. One of its first showings was Roustabout starring Charlie Chaplin.
But films were just a part of what the Vista had to offer – it was used for plays, concerts, fundraising events and even the crowning of the town’s carnival queen. The Vista was destroyed by fire in 1988 and demolished. Vista Court housing complex was built on its site. The heritage society still has part of the original tiled entrance, as well as an impressive collection of original programmes.
Mystery photo
And finally … can any of the WHN readers help us out with a bit of history detective work?
The photograph below right is part of our collection but we cannot identify it – maybe from the Westbury Ironworks? It was taken by J J Lush of West End. If you can help, pop a message on our Facebook page at Old Westbury or email us at info@westburyheritagesociety.org.uk
