Urchfont

Urchfont is a rural village and civil parish in the Vale of Pewsey to the north of Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire, England, about 7 miles (11 km) southeast of the market town of Devizes. The hamlet of Cuckoo's Corner is in the northwest of the village; the parish includes the hamlets of Wedhampton (grid reference SU060577) and Lydeway (SU052578).[2] The population of Urchfont taken at the 2011 Census was 1,075.[3]

Urchfont

St. Michael and All Angels parish church
Urchfont
Location within Wiltshire
Population1,075 (in 2011)[1]
OS grid referenceSU0457
Civil parish
  • Urchfont
Unitary authority
Ceremonial county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townDevizes
Postcode districtSN10
Dialling code01380
PoliceWiltshire
FireDorset and Wiltshire
AmbulanceSouth Western
UK Parliament
WebsiteParish Council

History of the name
The village hall of 1930 carries the name Erchfont

The name of Urchfont is often thought to derive from the phrase "Church Fountain" and is possibly derived from Latin fons meaning 'spring, fountain, well' (cf. fount), or the first element may be a lost personal name such as Eohric. Over 100 variations of the spelling are recorded; e.g. Lerchesfonte (1086), Erchesfonte(e) (1175, 1605), Erkesfonte (1175), Archesfunte (font) (1179, 1376, 1426), Ur(i)chesfunte (1242, 1289), Orchesfunte (1259), Orcheffunte (1428), Archfounte al. Urshent (1564), Urchefount al. Urshent (1611), Urshent al. Erchfont (1695).[4]

Governance

The village is in the 'Urchfont and the Cannings' electoral ward. This ward starts in the south at Easterton, stretches through Urchfont to end in the north at Bishops Cannings. The population of this ward taken at the 2011 census was 4,350.[5]

The civil parish elects a parish council. It is in the area of Wiltshire Council unitary authority, which is responsible for all significant local government functions.

Amenities

The 13th-century Anglican Church of St Michael and All Angels is Grade I listed.[6][7]

There is a primary school, Urchfont C of E Primary School.[8] From 1947 to 2012 Urchfont Manor, a Grade II* listed building,[9] housed an adult education college, Urchfont Manor College. There is a family-run dental practice, Urchfont Dental Care, offering private and NHS services.[10]

There are also many local sports clubs and societies and the village has its own tennis courts, cricket pitch and skittle alley (within The Lamb Inn pub).

Notable people
  • Sergeant Thomas Gray VC was born in Urchfont in 1914. An Air Observer/Navigator in the Royal Air Force, he was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross after he was killed in action in 1940.
  • Singer Elvis Costello has a summer home in the village.
  • The cricket scorer Bill Frindall (nicknamed 'The Bearded Wonder') lived there until his death.
  • Major Charles Ingram who allegedly cheated on the ITV game show "Who Wants To Be A Millionnaire" lives nearby and is occasionally spotted enjoying a local ale in The Lamb Inn.

The Urchfont Scarecrow Festival
Urchfont Scarecrow Festival: Ali Baba

The Urchfont Scarecrow Festival (a registered charity)[11] was the first of its kind in Wiltshire. While other Wiltshire villages, including local rivals Lacock, have now established their own festivals on a similar model, the Urchfont festival predates them, having been established in 1997, and is amongst the best attended. The idea was first brought to the village by a resident who saw a similar festival in Derbyshire. In its entire history the festival has only been cancelled twice: once in 2001 because of the threat from Foot and Mouth disease and again in 2020 due to COVID-19. Apart from those cancellations the 22 festivals to date have taken place on the weekend of the first bank holiday in May every year, and have grown to become a major local event attracting large numbers of local and national visitors while raising money for local charities and good causes.[12]

Over 50 themed scarecrows made by villagers are distributed around the village, and visitors can buy a trail map which provides clues as to the identity of each scarecrow. There is also a children's trail and the village is a buzz with festivities.

Past festivals have included:

  • 1997–2000 – No theme
  • 2001 – Cancelled (Foot & Mouth)
  • 2002 – Characters for the Young at Heart
  • 2003 – Professions
  • 2004 – Book Titles
  • 2005 – Songs & Music
  • 2006 – The Good, The Bad & The Ugly
  • 2007 – Film Titles
  • 2008 – Scarecrow Pursuits
  • 2009 – Musicals – Stage & Screen
  • 2010 – Pairs
  • 2011 – Advertisements
  • 2012 – A, B, C
  • 2013 – Singers
  • 2014 – Myths & Legends
  • 2015 – At the Oscars
  • 2016 – A World of Firsts
  • 2017 – From the Sublime to the Ridiculous
  • 2018 – It's Showtime!
  • 2019 – Back to the 80's
  • 2020 – Cancelled due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak

Further reading
  • Crittall, Elizabeth (ed.); Baggs, A. P.; Crowley, D. A.; Pugh, Ralph B.; Stevenson, Janet H.; Tomlinson, Margaret (1975). Victoria County History: A History of the County of Wiltshire, Volume 10: Swanborough hundred; the borough of Devizes.CS1 maint: extra text: authors list (link)
  • Pevsner, Nikolaus (1975). Cherry, Bridget (ed.). The Buildings of England: Wiltshire. Harmondsworth: Penguin Books. ISBN 0 14 0710-26 4.
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References
  1. "Wiltshire Community History – Census". Wiltshire Council. Retrieved 12 June 2015.
  2. Parish Council
  3. "Parish population 2011". Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 16 March 2015.
  4. Wiltshire Council – Wiltshire Community History
  5. "Urchfont and The Cannings ward 2011". Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 16 March 2015.
  6. Historic England. "Church of St Michael and All Angels, Urchfont (1364609)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 12 June 2015.
  7. "Church of St. Michael and All Angels, Urchfont". Wiltshire Community History. Wiltshire Council. Retrieved 12 June 2015.
  8. "Urchfont C of E Primary School". Retrieved 12 June 2015.
  9. Historic England. "Urchfont Manor (1035857)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 12 June 2015.
  10. "Urchfont Dental Care". Retrieved 22 November 2018.
  11. "Urchfont Scarecrow Festival Charity". Charity Commission. Retrieved 29 April 2017.
  12. "Scarecrow Festival". Urchfont Parish Council. Retrieved 14 April 2017.


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