By Gloria Lucas
Bob Lucas, with the new wall Our Playing Field belongs to the whole village and is maintained by Little Bedwyn Playing Field Trust. The playing field has become the essential meeting place for many village functions and outdoor activities.
The wall to the field is believed to be about 200 years old and we knew it was in need of repair, but had not realised just how serious it was until a large section of the wall collapsed in January 2012.
The wall to the field is believed to be about 200 years old and we knew it was in need of repair, but had not realised just how serious it was until a large section of the wall collapsed in January 2012.
The rebuilt wall The wall was not listed but it was a ‘significant unlisted’ structure and being in a conservation area meant that the Trust was required to restore the wall using traditional methods and using as many of the original bricks as possible.
Village working parties with the help of the probation Service Payback Team started cleaning and storing the bricks preparing for the rebuild by a professional builder.
Fund raising
Our fund raising started at the village Jubilee lunch in 2012. We have received grants and donations ranging from £1 to £4000, these include a matched funding grant of £4000 from Pewsey Community Area Board; a £3000 funding boost from the Hills Group Limited, this money has been made available through the landfill Communities Fund which is administered for Hills by Community First, the Rural Community Council for Wiltshire. We have had contributions from Wiltshire Council, who also gave us some useful advice and donations from the Samuel William Farmer Trust and local residents and organisations. The name of every contributor has been buried in a capsule in the foundation of the wall.
Our fund raising started at the village Jubilee lunch in 2012. We have received grants and donations ranging from £1 to £4000, these include a matched funding grant of £4000 from Pewsey Community Area Board; a £3000 funding boost from the Hills Group Limited, this money has been made available through the landfill Communities Fund which is administered for Hills by Community First, the Rural Community Council for Wiltshire. We have had contributions from Wiltshire Council, who also gave us some useful advice and donations from the Samuel William Farmer Trust and local residents and organisations. The name of every contributor has been buried in a capsule in the foundation of the wall.
The wall during the rebuild. The rebuilding started on May 13th and was finished on June 19th. Our builders have done an excellent job and the rebuilt wall has been widely admired, it is a very pleasing feature in the centre of the village
The full article by Gloria Lucas can be downloaded here;
| wall_restoration.pdf |
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