News & Notices

As many of you will be aware the tree clearance is well under way on the barrow and there are 3 galleries of pictures now posted on the website:

·        Last years clearance:    https://www.osahg.org.uk/clearance-photos.html

·        The current felling:    https://www.osahg.org.uk/tree-removal.html

·        A flavour of the resistivity work (come along to the meeting on September 18^th for a fuller picture of how the project is progressing:   https://www.osahg.org.uk/geophys-photos.html

NB. The meeting on September 18th has been cancelled because the survey work is not yet completed.

This resistivity survey is ongoing, with more data yet to collect (and process) but trends and information about the barrow interior are beginning to come to light, so do come along    on the 18^th.

 Although the barrow looks denuded at present, this coming autumn it is intended that the surface is prepared and seeded with grass (expert guidance is being sought on this), so next year the aspect will be closer to its earlier form.

 Historic England have been very supportive in this project, not only providing advice but also grant funding for the tree clearance and subsequent three year’s maintenance to the PCC.

 We would like to thank the PCC (in particular Sue Parry) and the community for its positive support.

Bruce Fox

Chairman, Ogbourne St Andrew History Group

www.osahg.org.uk

A new club has started up in the Marlborough area.

Historic England has advised that the Ogbourne St Andrew War Memorial has been added to the List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest. The memorial is now listed at Grade II. Made of granite with a Latin cross, the memorial is an eloquent witness to the tragic impact of world events on the local community.

The aftermath of the First World War saw the biggest single wave of public commemoration ever with tens of thousands of memorials erected across England. This was the result of both the huge impact on communities of the loss of three quarters of a million British lives, and also the official policy of not repatriating the dead which meant that the memorials provided the main focus of the grief felt at this great loss.  One such memorial was raised in Ogbourne St Andrew in 1922 as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by the 13 members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War. Following the Second World War a plaque was added to the memorial recording the names of the two local servicemen who died in that conflict.

A charity exists within the parish, which is aimed at helping parishioners. It was originally set up to provide fuel for those in need in the village, but has been used for a variety of purposes in recent years. These have included contributions towards travel costs of a student studying in Swindon, providing books for student study and providing bibles for each leaver from Ogbourne Primary School. The total sum available for an award this year is about £100.

If you wish to apply for a grant, please contact Revd Roger Powell at any time on 01793 740369 or e-mail revd.rpowell@btopenworld.com.

If you would be interested in joining the Parish Charity committee,  we would be delighted to hear from you. We would especially welcome a new member who could provide a youthful input. Again, please contact Revd Roger Powell (contact details above).