There is more to the parish of Ogbourne St.Andrew than most people realise. From Barbury Castle in the north west it stretches for four miles to the crest of the valley side east of the A346. The present villages, Ogbourne St.Andrew, Ogbourne Maizey and Rockley lie very near the southern edge of our parish. Away to their north and west stretch the almost empty Downs, one of the most sparsely populated parts of Southern England.
A rich tapestry of history is present; from the Neolithic, through the Bronze Age (St Andrew's church is one of only 3 or 4 in the country to be sited so close to an Early Bronze Age barrow), the Roman occupation, the Dark Ages, Saxon times, the Norman Conquest, the Anarchy, Wars of the Roses, Reformation and the Civil War and through to current times.
Figures emerge from the mists: a Saxon woman who bequeathed the church to the Abbey of Bec; a companion of Henry VI; an eminent Protestant preacher close to Oliver Cromwell; distinguished Victorian architects and the man who laid the first transatlantic cable. More recent figures are included, such as Bob Pelham whose puppets were sent around the world.
This website is aimed at capturing local history and memories which complement the resources available at the Wiltshire and Swindon History Centre, which has a wealth of archival material readily accessible. Their Community History page for this parish is a good starting point for: parish and church records, maps, wills, even folk songs! Also a great resource is the Wiltshire Museum in Devizes, which has probably one of the best Bronze Age collections in the UK. It also covers local history to the current age.
Your memories
We are keen to contact anyone with memories or connections to the Parish, old photographs would be especially welcome. Use the "contact us" page.
We are keen to contact anyone with memories or connections to the Parish, old photographs would be especially welcome. Use the "contact us" page.
Random Figure from the past: Bob Pelham