Aldbourne Heritage Centre

Prehistoric Aldbourne

Stone Age Mesolithic microliths have been found at Woodsend, Stock Lane & North Farm We know that neolithic man was in the area. Flint tools have been found in the Southward Lane area.   Bronze Age Most if not all of the barrows in the area are Bronze Age, many of them being just outside...

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Roman

See Barnes Yard Excavation Report Summary Talk for more detail on the Roman activity in that area. Over the boundary of Barnes Yard, in the rear of the Masons Arms area, a quantity of Roman pottery has been found. Much of the pottery found has not been turned by the plough suggesting that Romans were...

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Anglo-Saxon

History It was in this period that Aldbourne was first recorded. In 880 King Alfred leaves "a ham at Ældingburnham" to his nephew Ælthelm . In 970 the village is recorded as Aldincburnan. The Domesday book shows that the villages was held by the King with enough land for 45 plough teams. Various forms of...

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Early Medieval – 1066-1365

DateEvent 1066 Gytha, the mother of King Harold held the estate of Aldbourne   1086 William I siezes the Manor of Aldbourne from Gytha. Aldbourne granted to a count of Perche. Aldbourne was assessed at 40 hides. There were : 10 ploughteams, with 25 serfs and 14 'coliberts', were assigned to the demesne Woodland measuring...

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Medieval – 1365-1600

  DateEvent 1372 The warrener was ordered to send six dozen rabbits to the palace of the Savoy and fifteen dozen to Hertford Castle during Christmas.   1377 Aldbourne had 253 poll tax payers, Snap 19, and Upham 40   1378 The abbess of Lacock had the right to four dozen rabbits from Aldbourne warren...

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Early Modern – 1600 – 1837

1617 An inn was recorded in or near Grasshills. Aldbourne was settled for 99 years on trustees for Charles, prince of Wales (Charles I) Right to hunt deer over the 1,400 a. of the chase was, as part of Aldbourne manor, settled for a term of 99 years on trustees for the prince of Wales...

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Modern – 1838 onwards

It’s impossible to consider the recent history of Aldbourne without the 101st Airborne. We have a separate page about the 101st. 1839 A National school with two schoolrooms was built 1840 Cottages in West Street were converted into a Primitive Methodist chapel Wesleyan chapel , West St 1841 Cottages in Back Lane were converted into...

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