RootsChat.Com
England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => England => Wiltshire => Topic started by: Connie Sparrow on Friday 01 May 15 13:00 BST (UK)
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Can someone please point me in the direction of info on how this place got its name? Presumably there was once a theatre there before it became residential
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Someone on here may be able to help?
http://www.ramsbury.org/community/oralhistory/
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I'd be very interested too. It appears that the original London to Bath road ran through Ramsbury. It was even a bishopric and the Bishop of Ramsbury title still exists under the Bishop of Salisbury.
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Someone on here may be able to help?
http://www.ramsbury.org/community/oralhistory/
Thank you :)
I'll get in touch.
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http://aldbourne.net/phpbb2/viewthread/2641/#19540
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Well, that must be it. Strange though, Aldbourne and Ramsbury are not the same place. Searches brings up Old Theatre Ramsbury properties for sale.
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It's probably not! I got carried away. I did wonder whether there might have been a theatre of sorts when the American army was in Ramsbury in WW11.
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?
http://www.rootschat.com/links/01f8e/
At Ramsbury, 26th November 1590
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Also an airfield just north of Ramsbury with American C47 transports and gliders for D-Day invasion. The basic question here is valid.
This whole thing becomes very interesting. Today Ramsbury is a little town off the beaten track and no apparent reason for it's existence. However, if it was on the London to Bath road in the past, then something quite different. Looking at the current AA road map, it makes sense. Hungerford, a much larger town is orientated north to south not east - west as the Bath road.
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?
http://www.rootschat.com/links/01f8e/
At Ramsbury, 26th November 1590
Well, there we are, not only a bishop but a centre of culture, thank you.
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A little history but no mention of a theatre.
http://www.wiltshire.gov.uk/ramsbury_village_design_statement.pdf
Nor is there any mention in the British History Online
http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/wilts/vol12/pp12-46
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I couldn't find anything either, apart from current property adverts for houses in 'old theatre place'.
I'm going to try and get a reprint of first series OS map for area from David and Charles of Newton Abbot.
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the 1886 1:2500 scale Ordnance Survey map doesn't show a theatre where Old Theatre Place is.
Interestingly the building 'Peter Page' appears to be an old Coaching Inn with the Old Theatre Place being the entrance to the stables, yard etc.
The size and shape of all the plots along what's now the High Street, The Square and Scholard's Lane generally all appear to be medieval in form, i.e. long and thin going down to or near to the River Kennet.
Intriguing problem.
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Ramsbury has a community website which lists Aldbourne Theatrical with contacts and phone numbers. I'll try ringing them Tuesday morning. From previous posts and links there has been a theatrical tradition in the area for a long time. Named Aldbourne but performed in Ramsbury perhaps or even Hungerford. Searched last but nothing.
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the 1886 1:2500 scale Ordnance Survey map doesn't show a theatre where Old Theatre Place is.
Interestingly the building 'Peter Page' appears to be an old Coaching Inn with the Old Theatre Place being the entrance to the stables, yard etc.
The size and shape of all the plots along what's now the High Street, The Square and Scholard's Lane generally all appear to be medieval in form, i.e. long and thin going down to or near to the River Kennet.
Intriguing problem.
I've a vague recollection of reading something donkey's years ago about inn yards and/or adjacent fields being used for performances of one sort or another. If that's so, could that have been how Old Theatre Place got its name?
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That's a very good idea Connie.
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Hope this link works:
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.442565,-1.604959,3a,75y,202.45h,93.59t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sGVwSIKGnnh3m6VK4i_wXGA!2e0!6m1!1e1
so others can see the site
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Made contact with Ravensbury Players from Ramsbury/Aldbourne/Axford this afternoon. Spoke to a nice lady and whilst she doesn't have an immediate reply, she will ask around and get back to me.
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I have not heard back from the lady I contacted. I take that to mean no one in the area knows the origin of Old Theatre. Connie Sparrow's explanation is the most likely.