See end of list for prices and
ordering. Please note - Monographs Nos
1 - 5, 8,9,and 11 are currently out of
print but a facsimile may be
available, please inquire.
No 1: THE SALISBURY
RAILWAY & MARKET HOUSE COMPANY William
Backinsell
The Bath Stone
facade in the north west corner of the
Salisbury Market Place was once the
terminal and only building of what had
been described as the shortest
standard gauge railway in the country.
The venture started in 1856 with the
formation of the Salisbury Railway &
Market House Company and continued to
operate until 1964. Apart from the
facade all that remains are some
scraps of the railway and a scattered
assortment of documents. This
monograph records the history and
salient features of the undertaking,
and suggest sources of information to
those inclined to probe deeper.
No 2: THE MEDIEVAL CLOCK IN
SALISBURY CATHEDRAL William
Backinsell
Not only is the
14th century clock in Salisbury
Cathedral of exceptional horological
importance, it is a fine example of
Industrial Archaeological interest.
Quoted in almost every treatise on
ancient clocks it is claimed to be the
oldest working clock in existence.
Whilst much has been written
concerning its history, the technical
significance has received
comparatively little consideration.
The object of the project is to record
the details, and at the same time
highlight those features considered to
be of outstanding importance.
Complementary to this monograph is an
arrangement drawing which, it is
hoped, will be of value to the
Cathedral Authorities, as well as of
interest. to those requiring more
detailed information.
No 3: THE
MEDIEVAL CLOCK IN AMESBURY ABBEY
William Backinsell
The
Amesbury Abbey clock is one of the
earliest examples of English turret
clock, and is believed to have been
built in the 15th century for the
Benedictine Abbey church. In its
original form, with verge and foliot
escapement, it would have been similar
to the 14th century clock in Salisbury
Cathedral described in SWIAS Monograph
No. 2. Although both are based on the
four-post external countwheel
arrangement, there are important
points of difference both in design
and construction. The description
which follows refers to the present
condition of the clock with pendulum
and anchor escapement.
No 4:
THE AMESBURY TURNPIKE TRUST by John
Chandler
The Amesbury Turnpike
Trust, which existed from 1761 to 1871
was responsible for developing the
most important East-West route in
South Wiltshire -the modem A303 -as
well as the road from Amesbury to
Heytesbury - the A344/B390 -and local
roads around Wylye, Amesbury and
Thruxton. Apart from the usual sources
for turnpike trusts, this study draws
on an interesting late 18th century
correspondence between the trust's
clerk and the principal creditor,
which helps to illustrate its day-to-
day operation. It is hoped that this
monograph will interest the
inhabitants of Amesbury and
neighbourhood, the student of road
transport, and anyone who has counted
the milestones during a journey along
the great road to the South-west.
No 5: AVIATION IN WILTSHIRE An
historical survey by Norman
Parker
The early history of
aviation in Wiltshire reaches back
almost as far as the dawn of
aeronautics in Great Britain. This
monograph traces, in outline, the
development of flying in the county
from its inception only six years
after the Wright brothers first
flight, to the end of the Second World
War. During these four decades nearly
forty airfields had been in use, for
varying periods of time; their
locations are shown on the map within.
Later monographs in this series will
discuss the more interesting of them
in detail and cover specific aviation
topics such as might be embraced by
the term 'Wiltshire Aero-
archaeology'.
No 6; IRON
PRINTING PRESSES by Walter
Partridge
Iron hand presses
replaced wooden presses in the early
19th century and, surviving the impact
of steam and electricity, still
continue in use for fine printing and
village notices. Lord Stanhope
invented the first iron press in 1800.
The last four were made in 1940. The
author amassed and used a collection
at his home in Wiltshire.
8 pp A4,
9 engravings 2 line drawings.
No 7: MEDIEVAL WINDLASSES by
William G C Backinsell
The
towers of Salisbury and Peterborough
Cathedrals and of Tewkesbury Abbey
contain the remains of three very
early lifting machines. They were
apparently made for the construction
of the towers in which they now stand
and are probably the oldest of their
kind in England. The machines are
described and considered in the
context of early lifting equipment and
techniques.
8 pp A4, 7 line
drawings.
No 10: MEDIEVAL
ENGINEERING IN SALISBURY CATHEDRAL by
William G C Backinsell
Salisbury Cathedral is a tribute to
the courage and skill of its designer
and builders and is the only remaining
complete example of its architectural
style. Yet it was built at a time when
Medieval engineers were developing
daringly new structural techniques and
illustrates both their successes and
shortcomings in surmounting the
problems they faced. The author
reviews the state of the art at the
time and describes some of the most
important technical features.
12
pp A4, 18 line drawings.
No 11:
MALTINGS IN SALISBURY by Douglas
Jackson
Williams Brothers
Maltings covered an area of three and
a half acres but are remembered only
vaguely by Salisbury's older
inhabitants. The buildings which
stood on the site for a century and
the process of malting which took
place there under conditions which we
would now consider intolerable are
described. Though dwarfed in size by
this firm, there were at least
eighteen other sites in the city where
malting was carried on during the past
two centuries and these are also
described.
16 pp A4, 8 line
drawings
No 12: SALISBURY GAS
WORKS Salisbury Gas Light and Coke
Company by John H Watts
A
history of Salisbury Gasworks with
descriptions of the plant used and the
personalities involved. The gasworks
was the largest public utility in
Salisbury and the longest lived,
functioning until gas became available
by pipeline from Southampton. It
contained the largest building in the
City. The No.2 gasholder had a greater
volume than the Cathedral. The holder
remains but is not now essential. When
extensive repair inevitably becomes
necessary, it will be demolished and
the final easily recognised remnant of
the gasworks will disappear.
28 pp
A4, 16 photos, 3 constructional plans
and 4 maps.
No 13: ONE MAN AND
HIS CONSTRUCTION COMPANY REED AND
MALLIK, 1937 TO 1968 by John
Illston
William Edward Reed
founded his company in 1937. It grew
and prospered without moving from its
modest base in Salisbury, Wiltshire.
Examples of their work include
prefabricated concrete houses and high
rise apartment blocks, village halls,
dams in Wales and Scotland and Bridges
in Australasia. Sources include
company files and the house magazine,
Strongwork News, as well as Bill's
widow, Mrs Brenda Reed and a number
of company employees.
22pp A4, 21
photos and two drawings.
No 14:
SALISBURY PLAIN PYROTECHNICS by Norman
Parker
The Wessex Aircraft
Engineering Company Ltd was formed in
March 1933 to manufacture pyrotechnics
on a site four miles north of
Salisbury. It has developed from a
very shaky start to be an important
part of an internationally known
group. On the way it has combined with
five other companies in the
pyrotechnics industry. It was also
the source of skills used to form
Wallop Industries Ltd in Hampshire.
The development of the company, known
as Pains Wessex Ltd since 1965, is
traced by the author, who worked for
the firm at High Post for many years.
Much of the information and
illustrations have come from company
files.
14pp A4, 13 photos and 10
drawings.
No 15: EXPERIMENTAL
BUILDINGS IN AMESBURY 1919-1937 by
Norman Parker
Amesbury was
selected as the area in which a number
of smallholdings would be established
for men returning to civilian life at
the end of the Great War. Some 2500
acres of land were acquired by the
Ministry of Agriculture and
Fisheries. Managed from Ratfyn Farm,
there were twenty six smallholdings
set out as orchards, poultry farms,
pigsties or for general agriculture.
The residential buildings, constructed
in various experimental methods,
together with
reinforced concrete houses in London
Road and the cinema are described.
16pp A4, 16 photos, 4 line drawings
and one map, photocopy
reproduction.
No 16:
SALISBURY’S WATER SUPPLY 1853 - 2000
by John Illston
We just turn
on the tap and expect clean water to
flow out. This is so only because of
the works that have been constructed
since 1853, including wells and
boreholes, pumping machinery, service
reservoirs and a comprehensive system
of distribution pipes. The
development of the works, with ever
deeper boreholes and higher reservoirs
is charted as well as the
introduction of new power sources such
as steam and electricity, and of water
treatments such as chlorination.
16 pp A4, 16 photos and one map.
No17. The Nestlé Company in
Salisbury by John Pothecary.
details the Nestlé Company and its
factory, built in 1908 on the site of
the old Brick, Lime and Whiting Works
beside Devizes Road. It closed 75
years later and the site has since
been redeveloped for housing.
First known as the Hygienic Milk
Company, local farmers brought their
milk there in churns by horse and
cart. Later Nestlés established its
own fleet of lorries. The factory had
machinery for handling a variety of
products which it did for different
companies. Originally it had its own
electricity generating plant in the
form of a great steam engine. The war
years saw army rations produced here
and goods were exported round the
world. 12pp A4, 17 pictures, 1 map.
Includes 3pp pictures old Nestlé
labels.
No 18 High Post Aerodrome by Norman
Parker. This traces the history of
this grass aerodrome from 1930 through
WW2 to the present, though flying here
ceased in 1947. Norman Parker is an
expert in the subject and the
monograph is well illustrated with
archive pictures of planes and
buildings here, also some of the later
uses of the site. 16 pages, 23
illustrations.
No.19 Salisbury
Electric Light and Supply Company
by Derek Coe, describes the
founding
of this company at the Town Mill in
Salisbury in 1894 through to its close
in 1970. Includes very detailed
descriptions of the operating
techniques, machinery and personnel
involved throughout this period. 32
pages including 6 pages of original
photographs and drawings.
PRICES
Nos 1 to 5, 8, 9 and
11 are currently out of
print but facsimiles are available at
£1.50p each.
Nos 6, 7, 10 and 15:
£1.50p each. Post & packing: 50p for
one copy and 75p for two or more.
Nos 12, 13, 14 &
16: £2.50p each.
Nos 17 and 18: £3.50 each.
No.19: £4.95 each, UK post and packing
75p for up to two copies, £1 for three
or more.
Please inquire for
overseas postage by airmail.
Sorry but we are not yet
able to take orders on-line. They
should be posted to: SWIAS, 2 Byways
Close, Salisbury SP1 2QS, UK
Payments by sterling cheque on a
United Kingdom bank. To save bank
charges you may be able to pay with
foreign banknotes, but these are
posted at sender's risk and no change
is given. Inquire for current rates.
click here to register your interest in participating in the community
