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Chepfer · Posted: Fri Jun 20, 2008 11:58 am Post subject: Blackland

Hi Geddi,

Heres one for you and me to solve. Part family was brought up in Blackland(s) in fact i spent most of my teenage years there, growing up with my (now) wife.

To you and me it has always been "blackland" and going back in the distant past, it has always been referred as this.

Next time you go out that way, try and spot the mistake !!!!!.

Infact, as i know you don't drive that often , i'll tell you......... There are some lovely new signs that have been put up by wiltshire county council ......... and what do they say ......... "Blacklands" !!!!.

I am glad you brought this up and my suspiscions have now been confirmed ..... someone can't spell.

I'll be making a nice phone call to them to advise them of there (expensive £1000's ) mistake.

On the same point though and to me even more interesting, is the fact that it has changed name !!.
I am heavily into family history and local history and often you fin that villages and even town and cities change name for no apparent reason . This just goes to show how easy it can happen and shows how history and and life can change before your very eyes !.

Geddi · Posted: Fri Jun 20, 2008 12:10 pm Post subject:

Chepfer: You're right. History is being written as we live and breath. I wish you good luck with getting the sign changed.

Note that it is NWDC who deal with this not WCC. I am on the phone to them now, but I've been put through to a dead line once already just now. Now they are pretending they are inundated...

the number I used was 01249 706111, but there may be a direct line? I will post it and a name if I can get one.
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Democracy is dead.

Chepfer · Posted: Fri Jun 20, 2008 12:15 pm Post subject:

Brilliant thanks. lets see what happens....

Geddi · Posted: Fri Jun 20, 2008 12:23 pm Post subject:

Don't bother calling them now until 2pm or later. I was cut off once then I was on the line after getting answered for more than 10 mins! Grrr...
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Democracy is dead.

Geddi · Posted: Fri Jun 20, 2008 6:11 pm Post subject:

I didn't get through all day! I may try again next week. Will do if I am reminded.
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Democracy is dead.

GTB · Posted: Fri Jun 20, 2008 10:43 pm Post subject:

So what is the origins of the name Blackland and at what time in history was it so called?

Also, why is the hill going upto Cherhill known as Labour-in-vain Hill? I would imagine it has something to do with the drovers of times past, possibly when pigs were driven from Bristol to London.

This could turn out to be a very interesting thread.
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Geddi · Posted: Fri Jun 20, 2008 11:25 pm Post subject:

The aptly named: "Labour in vain hill" becomes evident if you cycle to Yatesbury that way. You get to the top of that one and level out (almost) in Cherhill.... then!!! You have to start the struggle uphill all over again to get up an even steeper hill. I've done it, many times when I lived in Yatesbury, and since then as my younger kids attended Avebury school while it was open.

Nigel = black and the land was owned by someone called Nigel at one point. It was Nigel's Land, and therefore was known as Blackland, for some reason.. no idea why .. perhaps cos it was his name? more than this I can not tell. Perhaps someone could do a spot of research and add their findings to the heritage museum in Calne. I have added to some of the heritage of Calne personally and some of what I have done is now on OS maps. You can even see it on one of the appendices attached to the travellers' site reports up by porte marsh.
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Local lass · Calnetalk Oracle Joined: 05 Jun 2007 Posts: 2906 Status:

Geddi · Posted: Sat Jun 21, 2008 1:39 pm Post subject:

Local lass: I never did get quite as far as Calne by free wheeling down from the top at the Yatesbury junction, not even by peddling like mad until the pedals went faster than my feet could and I was forced to stop peddling. I always had to start peddling again when I got to the short but steep bit just after the Talbot pub.

I lived in Yatesbury just over 10 years ago. We probably know one another - sort of.
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Democracy is dead.

Chepfer · Posted: Sun Jun 22, 2008 9:10 pm Post subject:

Blackland is an incredibly old place name. It held it's own manor, which was sited on (funnily enough) Manor farm, which if you look at or walk pask, has a moat.

The old manor house, was stripped early this century and the oak pannelling was bought by the then lord lansdown and installed into his library at bowood house.

Blackland was named blackland street in roman times also and it is known that there are several villa sites in the vicinity.

I have information somewhere and will dig it out ........