Box Village Photos Photos Augustus F Perren February 2025
The photo above is an overview of Box village. The Methodist Church has a white and new looking Methodist Hall next to it, built in 1905. Notice the black building standing on its own behind the Methodist Church. This is the Bingham Hall donated to the village in 1905. Hardy House was still in use as a grocer’s shop owned by John Hardy with people queuing up going into the building. There is a shed between the house and Box School, later used as Mr Killick’s shoe shop. Opposite is Clock House, later demolished and replaced by the old Co-operative building (now Londis). Ponting’s grocery shop can be seen on the corner of Chapel Lane. Missing are the houses built at the top of the Lane.
The Bassetts was a residential development built on the site of the old Pictor Stoneyard Wharf in the inter-war period. This picture was probably taken when Augustus was in his late sixties and shows the development in the course of construction and the image was later made into a postcard, retained by the Perren family after Augustus' death in 1923. The estate was built in stages. Five bungalows were built by T&E Best after they received planning permission in 1929. They kept one of the properties for the directors.[1] In this picture, the railway line runs through the middle of the photo behind the properties, marked by a line of poles carrying wires.
In the photograph above you can see the Box Poorhouse in the centre of the picture, to the right is Box Church and Box House on the right of the photo. The picture appears to have been taken from the north of the village, possibly from Middlehill.
In the foreground the division of land appears to suggest that the area had been divided into allotments. The Smallholdings and Allotment Act of 1907-08 encouraged parish councils to provide facilities but it was the First World War which necessitated allotments to avoid famine in the country. This was enacted through the 1916 Cultivation of Land Orders Act. The conversion of unused land beside railway lines became commonplace and land beside Box Tunnel was still cultivated as allotments let to railway workers after the Second World War.
In the foreground the division of land appears to suggest that the area had been divided into allotments. The Smallholdings and Allotment Act of 1907-08 encouraged parish councils to provide facilities but it was the First World War which necessitated allotments to avoid famine in the country. This was enacted through the 1916 Cultivation of Land Orders Act. The conversion of unused land beside railway lines became commonplace and land beside Box Tunnel was still cultivated as allotments let to railway workers after the Second World War.
This is a typical view of Victorian Box around the First World War when the site of Fairmead View was accessed through a gate on the right and not accessible to vehicles at that time. Probably the photo predates the construction of Fairmead View in 1907.
The picture appears to suggest that photography was still in its infancy as two villagers were sufficiently intrigued to pose for the picture. The photo can be dated between 1897 and 1905 when the current Methodist Church had been built but not the Methodist Hall. Instead there were a couple of old cottages on the Hall site. The smoke arising on the left comes from the chimney of Box Brewery. The shed behind Box School was the old cricket club pavilion.
The picture appears to suggest that photography was still in its infancy as two villagers were sufficiently intrigued to pose for the picture. The photo can be dated between 1897 and 1905 when the current Methodist Church had been built but not the Methodist Hall. Instead there were a couple of old cottages on the Hall site. The smoke arising on the left comes from the chimney of Box Brewery. The shed behind Box School was the old cricket club pavilion.
References
[1] North Wilts Herald, 20 April 1928 and The Wiltshire Times, 10 August 1929
[1] North Wilts Herald, 20 April 1928 and The Wiltshire Times, 10 August 1929