One of the 10 oak trees planted in 2018 to commemorate the First World War armistice died over the Summer. It was replaced today with a 2m tall tree. Here’s a picture of the original planting by the much-missed Steve Rimmer, whose idea it was, and Peter Smith.
We are gradually putting together a record, including photos, of Semington’s WW2 defences. These pictures show before and after images of an infantry pill box which was recently cleared of vegetation by the village heritage working group.
This structure lies very close to the anti-tank ditch which was scheduled to go round the village but was never completed. It would have housed 6 infantry soldiers.
If you’re interested in joining the heritage working group, please drop us a line via the website.
There’s a new YouTube video about Semington’s WW II defences on the Blue Stop Line. You’ll find it here. It is a Walking Wild production from Andrew Vidler who walked round the village recently. It lasts about 13 minutes.
Andrew has another Semington-related video, this time about a walk along the Blue Stop Line between Semington and Devizes. It’s here and is about 14 minutes long.
In 2002 a book called Semington Past and Present was produced by the Semington History Project Group, edited by Gabrielle & Douglas Firmager. Last year the book was digitised by the parish council and it can be downloaded by clicking the link. Paper copies are still available to buy from the parish council.
Semington village sits on the GHQ Line Blue (GHQ=General Headquarters Line). This was a defensive stop line constructed to protect Britain in the event of invasion during the Second World War. It followed the Kennet and Avon canal. Semington’s WWII heritage artefacts include pillboxes, anti tank cylinders and the foundations for a vertical rail anti-tank defence. See the Traces of War website for details. Semington was a key part of this anti-tank line. It was meant to be a tank killing ground if the Germans had invaded. There are many remaining defence structures still in situ in and around the village.
The extension of Pound lane contains a particularly significant WWII artefact. This is an anti-tank vertical rail defence which was erected in the lane to restrict access to the crossing of the Kennet & Avon canal to the north-west of the village settlement. It can be seen on the track just before you turn right along SEMI 7 down to the swing bridge.
You can see pictures of this and find further information in this file which has been submitted to Wiltshire Council about planning application 22/09379. See SEMINGTON VERTICAL RAIL DEFENCES
The boundaries of the Chippenham and Melksham Forests were formally declared in 1228, and remained in place for the next hundred years. The boundaries of the area were the Avon and Marden rivers to the west and north, the Summerham and Semington Brooks to the south, and the highway between Calne and Rowde to the east. The area enclosed was about 33 square miles.
You can find much more detail about this on the British History Online website.
Avon Needs Trees is a registered charity based in Bristol that is buying land in the Bristol-Avon Catchment Area in order to reforest and rewild it. It says that planting trees will sequester carbon from the air, enhance biodiversity and provide natural flood management, as well as water and air quality improvement, and more public amenity space. In August 2020 its first land – 34 acres near Calne – was bought and the search is now on for a second.