Swanborough Tump

The meeting place (or moot) of Swanborough Hundred, Wiltshire, was at Swanborough Tump, a hillock in the parish of Manningford Abbots. It was a moot-place mentioned in the will of King Alfred.

My Newman and Hayes ancestors lived at Manningford Abbots.

The tump was the agreed meeting place for Alfred and his brother King Ethelred I in 878 before the battle of Ethandun, when Wessex was being attacked by the Danish invaders. A passage in Alfred’s Will reads:

But it came to pass that we [Alfred and Aethelred] by all the heathen folk [the Danes] despoiled were. Then discoursed we concerning our children that they would need some support to be given by us out of these estates, as to us was given. Then were we in council at Swinbeorg; when we two declared, in the West-Saxon nobles’ presence, that which soever of us two were longest liver, that he should give to the other’s children those lands that we two ourselves had acquired, and those lands that Athuf the king gave to us two while Aethelbolde was living; except those that he to us three brothers bequeathed. And of this, each of us two to the other his security did give, that whether of us two should live longest, he should take both to the land and to the treasures; and to all his possessions, except that part, which either of us to his children should bequeath.

All Saints, Burbage, Wiltshire

Side Chapel of All Saints Church, Burbage, is a civil parish with an elected parish council. It is in the area of Wiltshire Council unitary authority. Both councils are responsible for different aspects of local government.

The church was rebuilt, altered and extended at various times until 1702.

In 1853 the church was comprehensively rebuilt to the extent that only the west tower and its porch pre-dated the rebuild.

The village stands near the Kennet and Avon canal, and near the Reading and Devizes railway, in the neighbourhood of Savernake railway station and 6½ miles SSE of Marlborough.

 

 

Avebury

Much of Avebury village is encircled by the prehistoric monument complex.

The Avebury monument is vast, and consists of several smaller sites of varying dates. The earliest of these, the earthworks, dates to between 3400 and 2625 BC. Later additions include a henge and several stone circles. Starting in around the 14th century locals began dismantling the stone circles for one reason or another, to clear land, to provide material for other building projects, or simply to efface a pagan monument. In 1648 John Aubrey visited the site and found most of the stones still standing or lying nearby. (From Wikipedia)

The Red Lion, Avebury, Wiltshire

The Red Lion was first licensed in 1802 and is famous for its 86ft deep well which dates back to the 1600’s. The Well Room is named after Alexander Keiller who excavated the ancient stone circle surrounding the pub.