New Zealand in Wiltshire. Well, as know, the prime focus of this blog is Swindon and the borough. But – now and again I see no harm in spreading the blog’s virtual wings once in a while and going beyond the borough. This time, thanks to my occasional guest blogger, Rebecca Davies, we’re visiting New Zealand. But not the one in the Pacific I’m sad to say.
Anyway – here we go with Rebecca’s New Zealand in Wiltshire story.
Introduction
A friend from New Zealand (the ‘proper’ one) came to stay for a day away from London. She’d explored Scotland quite a bit – she has ancestors from Mull. But she wanted to see some part of England that was not London.
(Alice doesn’t like the capital at all but was busy viewing Māori artefacts in the British museum and the V&A).
So I took her to see Wiltshire. But as it happens, we did not see much of Wiltshire at all, as she was busy cruising the charity shop scene. Well, it was Alice’s trip, and I like charity shops too. So …that’s what we did. But we had to stop off at a place just south of Lyneham… see below. This gave Alice quite the laugh. (Oh yes, and me too, not the most photogenic person in the county…)
So – I hear you ask – why has this part of Wiltshire got such an odd name? Well, this is a name for the remote part of the parish, given because it is well known to be a long, way away. Scotland and Ireland are similar names. Note, There is a Scotland in Wiltshire, an Ireland too, at North Bradley, just south of Chippenham. But, after a bit of research, what I found was a little different. Our New Zealand is, most likely, named for a British politician by the name of John Dickson-Poynder. As this Wiltshire Live article explains, he was the governor of New Zealand in 1910-12 – but also whose family seat was the nearby Hilmarton estate.
Now, I’ve have always associated in my mind New Zealand and Goatacre with Lynham, but actually it is part of Hilmarton parish. There is quite a bit of nice architecture in Hilmarton, built by the Poynder family, often including their crest. though we did not explore that village.
Below is Hilmarton School – isn’t that England’s classiest small school?
Here’s Hilmarton Well ….
… being dressed for Hallowe’en.
And now a Grotesque on a church – in contrast to a gargoyle – grotesque’s don’t channel water.
Before I get distracted there are other New Zealands in Wiltshire. New Zealand farm camp, pictured above, is one I know. Tom Plant of the Wiltshire and Swindon History Centre says there are several.
As I suspected, these are both recent place names, neither are on the famous Andrews and Dury map of 1773.
And finally …
… while we’re talking all things NZ, I must mention the Kiwi chalk figure above Bulford Camp. As the Historic England website tells us this is: ‘A chalk hill figure of 1919 depicting a kiwi bird on the downland above Bulford Camp. It was created by New Zealand troops following the end of the First World War.’
‘The chalk figure of a kiwi bird was created in the hillside above Sling Camp, on the edge of Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire, by New Zealand troops awaiting demobilisation following the end of the First World War in 1919. Sling Camp was the principal training depot for New Zealanders in England prior to their deployment to the Front. Although designed to accommodate 4,000 men, by September 1917 the camp was holding 4,500.’
Bibliography
Alice Spittle Maori artist: https://www.alicespittle.co.nz
Andrews and Dury Map of Wiltshire 1773 Digital Archive — Wiltshire Record Society (It’s Volume 8 you’re looking for).
Bulford Kiwi Kiwi Chalk Figure above Bulford Camp, Bulford – 1443438 | Historic England
Wiltshire and Swindon History Centre Home – Wiltshire and Swindon History Centre
