An Historical Introduction to Minchinhampton

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Population was attracted into the area in the early years of the last century, and it has beensuggested that the increase in building around the area was due to the open space and nearby golfcourse, whilst “the beauty of the scenery and the healthiness of the situation making it a favouriteplace of residence”1. These reasons still hold good today! Both on the northern and southernfringes of the town there are examples of “Arts and Crafts” houses. On the north side of the GreatPark are the gabled Frome Top, Highfield, Greystones “probably by Jewson ... a more refinedversion of Highfield” and Upmead, “in much more spacious grounds, 1925 by Falconer, Baker andCampbell for Miss Hartley, the jam heiress.”[2] Hunters Lodge is probably by Ernest Barnsley,dated c1922. Two other large houses by Thomas Falconer stand on the south side of the park,Bowman’s Green and Windrush. The former is on a butterfly-shaped plan, and there are smallerhouses of 1933 on the Butt Street side. The work people of the town still inhabited the smallercottages, some of which, like those in West End, had changed little since the C17 th . This roadcarried the main traffic into the town and it was busy with horse traffic, although without a firmroad surface or pavements which did not appear until much later. One householder was fined forhaving two heaps of manure in front of his cottage!The two global conflicts of the C20 th had a profound impact upon the area. In World War I manyyoung men, as happened all over the Empire, answered the call to arms, some never to return. Intheir memory a subscription list was set up, and as well as contributions from the gentry, majorhouseholders and working classes there was a donation from the Australian Flying Corps who werebased at Minchinhampton Aerodrome at the end of the war. The initial plan was to purchase theLower Island buildings that stood at the top of the High Street, to use as almshouses or a club forreturning soldiers but they were very dilapidated, and a decision was taken to remove them anderect a memorial cross in their place. Sidney Barnsley, one of the celebrated craftsmen known asthe Sapperton Group, was chosen to design the memorial. He is responsible for other crosses inGloucestershire and his brother, Ernest, was the architect of Westfield at Park Corner.In 1938, less than twenty years after the dedication of the War Memorial, R.A.F. Aston Down wasopened, the name having been changed at the request of the residents of Minchinhampton whofeared, not enemy attack, but a fall in the value of their houses! This was to become a major centrefor the maintenance of both fighter and bomber aircraft, and for the training of the pilots andaircrew.At the outbreak of war, evacuees came to the area, first from Birmingham and later from Essex, andyounger visitors were incorporated into the rolls of Minchinhampton and Amberley Schools. Twoboarding schools from the London area found new premises here, which they occupied for severalyears. Local hotels also played a part, not only providing accommodation for people moving fromthe Home Counties, but their grounds were also used for fund-raising events for the war effort.Lady de Clifford, Norman Hartnell, Lady Baden-Powell and the novelist P.C. Wren all spent sometime at Moor Court Hotel in Amberley.
The civilian population felt directly involved in the conflict, and Minchinhampton was ready forany attacks, with several local Home Guard Companies. Aston Down was thought to be the maintarget for the enemy, but “If these preliminary attacks were successful the enemy might signal forairborne reinforcements. Troop carrying planes require more space for landing and wouldprobably choose the common between Amberley and Minchinhampton. Here again the generalmovement would be eastwards, and Minchinhampton or its approaches would almost certainlybecome involved in fighting, as the town lies in the direct path of the hostile operationenvisaged.”16. Thankfully, the threat never came, and as the tide of war turned, the Great Parkbecame home for a few months to American soldiers who were preparing for Operation Overlord.They were an engineering company, and in a dry summer the marks of their roads and huts can stillbe traced. This was the era of a colour bar in the U.S. Forces; the black Americans had a camp nearBox. For many children this was the opportunity to sample chocolate and sweets, or nylons for theyoung women, who fondly remember the G.I.s at the dances held in the Market House. A year laterthe return of peace was celebrated with great gusto in Minchinhampton. A band of people with abarrel organ and monkey made an impromptu collection of £50 for children's tea and sports. FridayStreet was decorated with beech boughs, renamed "Hero Street" and the oldest resident crowned"Queen of the Street”. Chairs were put out, wine was drunk from the barrel and a piano wasproduced for dancing. A church service was held, and a bonfire lit in the Market Square. TheGloucestershire Regiment was serving in the Far East, so the town celebrated the victory overJapan, with residents donning fancy dress and entertaining the children. In the evening a torchlightprocession made its way to the Park where a bonfire was lit.Until the 1950s life remained hard for much of the English population, and with building materialsin short supply, and efforts concentrated in rebuilding the cities, little changed in the rural parts ofGloucestershire. Farmland could still be found close to the centre of town, and many of thecottages were in need of urgent updating. Mains electricity had come to the town in the late 1930s,but the old gas streetlights were not converted until 1953. However, new housing began to beprovided, starting with the development of council housing on the fields at the Glebe. Severalphases were constructed, including George Pearce House, consisting of sheltered accommodationfor the elderly. A small road off West End leads to Park Farm Court, another group of elderlyperson’s dwellings converted from old farm buildings and still called “The Piggeries” by olderresidents! Private houses were created out of the barns and sheds of the farm. The greatest periodof expansion was the mid 1960s, when the fields either side of Dr. Brown’s Road were developedwith houses and bungalows, and a similar estate built at what became known as Besbury Park.Over four hundred dwellings were added to the town in a period of just three years.
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An Historical Introduction to Minchinhampton

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