Alderbury & Whaddon Local History Research Group
Home		Current Projects There are various other projects underway within the AWLHRG, including field archaeology, a study of various trades, and a study of field names. The Group is also helping a small number of individuals who have an association with Alderbury or Whaddon to prepare their own works, with a view in some cases to eventual publication as a monograph. We welcome new members and may be able to help to make your dream of a writing a book on local history into a reality, including where appropriate, help with publication. NEW Memories of Alderbury and Whaddon during the Second World War Do you remember the blackout, the bombs, the rationing? Were you at school, in the forces, at work or a volunteer firewatcher? If you lived in or near Alderbury or Whaddon between 1939 and 1945, as a resident or as an evacuee, we are keen to hear from you in the hope that we can publish a booklet about life here on the Home Front during the war. To help you remember we have devised a questionnaire which we will send to you with pleasure if you contact us. Local newspapers Local newspapers provide a fascinating glimpse of life in days gone by. A second project currently being undertaken by the group is to document the entries in the local newspapers which relate to the villages. The local reference library in Salisbury has microfilm copies of the local newspaper, now the Salisbury Journal, which go back for over two hundred years. If you are interested in helping with this project, please contact us. Alderbury’s water supply A monograph on the history of the village water supply is also in preparation. Until the beginning of the 20th century, the village had no reliable water supply, relying on local springs and dip wells. An engineering survey recommended sinking of a well at Ivychurch to feed an enclosed reservoir, but the cost was beyond the finances of the parish council. It was not until 1902 when Lord Radnor provided funds, that a water supply finally came to Alderbury. We are interested in any information relating to the village’s history, and especially old photographs. If you have any information which may help, please contact us! Parish magazine We are undertaking a project to scan the local parish magazine, “The Fountain”, with a view to making some of the archive available online.; This is a slow process, but the work is progressing. “The Fountain” was started in 1964 by the then vicar, Christopher Pooley and has been published continuously ever since. It is now a monthly village magazine, and offers an often over-looked source for local historians. There was, however, an earlier village magazine and a few odd copies have been located from as early as 1901. Some examples can be found here.
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St Mary’s Church			Water pump near the high street
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