Calne Blue Plaque Trail
The Calne Blue Plaque Trail is a walk around the centre of Calne visiting 10 points of interest. All the points along the walk are marked with a blue plaque.
Click each marker to read detailed descriptions of each point of interest. View The Calne Blue Plaque Trail in full screen and print yourself a copy of the map with the accompanying text for each point.
The walk assumes starting from Calne Heritage Centre but you can begin from any convenient point.
Points On The Trail
London to Bath Coach Road:
Start your walk outside Calne Heritage Centre in New Road. Cross the road to the bridge that goes over the canal near the roundabout and leads to Marden House.
The Wharf:
To move on to your next blue plaque stay on the same side of the road and walk towards the Town Hall. You will see the next plaque facing you on the site of the canal wharf.
Castle House:
From the wharf go around the Town Hall, opened in 1886, and toil up Cox’s Hill towards Castle Street to Castle House where you will find the third blue plaque.
If you deem Cox’s Hill to be too steep there is an alternative route passing in front of the Lansdowne Strand Hotel and turning left up Market Hill which is a gentler incline and along the narrowest part of Castle Street. You will then be facing Castle House.
Buckeridge Steps:
To find the fourth blue plaque turn your back on Castle House and go along the narrowest part of Castle Street which is parallel with the main road. This street used to be called Hog Street because of the number of pigs kept in the back gardens and some of the houses are 17th century with 18th century additions. When you come on to Market Hill you will find a flight of steps leading to the pavement beside the main road. Descend the steps and there you will find the plaque on the wall of the building beside them. If you cannot descend the steps continue down Market Hill and turn back.
The Quaker Meeting House:
Now cross the road from the steps to the High Street pausing to look at the last building at the end of the High Street, opposite Buckeridge’s steps. It is a very fine early 18th century building and was a butcher’s shop in 19th century.
Go up the High Street past the statue of the pigs commemorating the economic importance of the C&T Harris bacon factory to Calne and along Wood Street. Half way along the street, high up on a building, now housing a tattoo parlour, you will find blue plaque number five, marking the site of the former Quaker Meeting House.
Harris' Bacon Factory:
Retrace your steps down the High Street, past the Library, opened by H.M. Queen Elizabeth in 2001 and into Church Street until you see a wooden bridge across the River Marden on your left, where you will find the sixth blue plaque commemorating the Harris Bacon factory.
Proclamation Steps:
Turn back into Church Street and walk towards the Church, turning left into Mill Street until you come to the flight of steps that lead to the east entrance of the church.
On the wall of the house beside the steps is the next blue plaque.
Church House:
Turn back towards Church Street and a few yards along from the steps on the left is a narrow cobbled alley which will take you out into Church Street past Church House, on the wall of which is plaque number 8.
If you find the cobbles difficult to negotiate, walk back into Church Street by the way you first came into Mill Street and turn left until you come to where the alley ends.
Samuel Taylor Coleridge:
As you stand beside Church House look across to the opposite side of the road and you will see another blue plaque on a house, which is dedicated to Samuel Taylor Coleridge.
Weavers House
Now walk beside the wall that bounds the churchyard curving around to the left up Kingsbury Street, glancing across at the Alms Houses as you pass and on to The Green.
Continue along the north east side of the Green (the church side) and you will come to the final blue plaque on Weavers House, now residential flats.
Here endeth the blue plaques, but while you are on the Green you could mention that
nos. 10, 12 and 13 are good examples of how the rich clothiers had their houses refronted to reflect their growing wealth and status.
Robert Adam, the famous architect, stayed at No. 13, the house with the pineapple finials on the roof, while he was working at Bowood.
No.19, Priestley House was indeed inhabited by Joseph Priestley, the scientist but only for a very short while, because he soon moved to the Old Vicarage in Mill Street, where he could often be found wading in the pond at the bottom of the vicarage garden. This is the real location of Doctor’s Pond, rather than the stretch of water further down by the supermarket.
Extra Plaque
Although not strictly a blue plaque, this plaque records an important aspect of Caine's history. Return to St. Mary's Church and take the right hand path towards plaque 7, Proclamation Steps. Turn right along Mill Street, taking notice of the Old Vicarage on the left, and take the left hand footpath just beyond it. A short walk along this footpath will bring you to Doctor's Pond.
Perhaps you could then come to the Heritage Centre to look at the photos of some of the things you have been discussing or perhaps visit one of the many fine cafes around town.
Click each marker to read detailed descriptions of each point of interest. View The Calne Blue Plaque Trail in full screen and print yourself a copy of the map with the accompanying text for each point.
Guided tours of the Blue Plaque Trail can be arranged for the cost of a donation to the Heritage Centre. Please contact Sue Boddington on +44 (0)1380 828851 or email.
The walk assumes starting from Calne Heritage Centre but you can begin from any convenient point.
Points On The Trail
London to Bath Coach Road:Start your walk outside Calne Heritage Centre in New Road. Cross the road to the bridge that goes over the canal near the roundabout and leads to Marden House.
There on a pillar of the bridge you will find your first blue plaque, commemorating the opening of New Road and the installing of the Bath Road pump.
The Wharf:To move on to your next blue plaque stay on the same side of the road and walk towards the Town Hall. You will see the next plaque facing you on the site of the canal wharf.
Castle House:
From the wharf go around the Town Hall, opened in 1886, and toil up Cox’s Hill towards Castle Street to Castle House where you will find the third blue plaque.
If you deem Cox’s Hill to be too steep there is an alternative route passing in front of the Lansdowne Strand Hotel and turning left up Market Hill which is a gentler incline and along the narrowest part of Castle Street. You will then be facing Castle House.
Buckeridge Steps:To find the fourth blue plaque turn your back on Castle House and go along the narrowest part of Castle Street which is parallel with the main road. This street used to be called Hog Street because of the number of pigs kept in the back gardens and some of the houses are 17th century with 18th century additions. When you come on to Market Hill you will find a flight of steps leading to the pavement beside the main road. Descend the steps and there you will find the plaque on the wall of the building beside them. If you cannot descend the steps continue down Market Hill and turn back.
The Quaker Meeting House:Now cross the road from the steps to the High Street pausing to look at the last building at the end of the High Street, opposite Buckeridge’s steps. It is a very fine early 18th century building and was a butcher’s shop in 19th century.
Go up the High Street past the statue of the pigs commemorating the economic importance of the C&T Harris bacon factory to Calne and along Wood Street. Half way along the street, high up on a building, now housing a tattoo parlour, you will find blue plaque number five, marking the site of the former Quaker Meeting House.
Harris' Bacon Factory:Retrace your steps down the High Street, past the Library, opened by H.M. Queen Elizabeth in 2001 and into Church Street until you see a wooden bridge across the River Marden on your left, where you will find the sixth blue plaque commemorating the Harris Bacon factory.
Proclamation Steps:Turn back into Church Street and walk towards the Church, turning left into Mill Street until you come to the flight of steps that lead to the east entrance of the church.
On the wall of the house beside the steps is the next blue plaque.
Church House:Turn back towards Church Street and a few yards along from the steps on the left is a narrow cobbled alley which will take you out into Church Street past Church House, on the wall of which is plaque number 8.
If you find the cobbles difficult to negotiate, walk back into Church Street by the way you first came into Mill Street and turn left until you come to where the alley ends.
Samuel Taylor Coleridge:As you stand beside Church House look across to the opposite side of the road and you will see another blue plaque on a house, which is dedicated to Samuel Taylor Coleridge.
Weavers HouseNow walk beside the wall that bounds the churchyard curving around to the left up Kingsbury Street, glancing across at the Alms Houses as you pass and on to The Green.
Continue along the north east side of the Green (the church side) and you will come to the final blue plaque on Weavers House, now residential flats.
Here endeth the blue plaques, but while you are on the Green you could mention that
nos. 10, 12 and 13 are good examples of how the rich clothiers had their houses refronted to reflect their growing wealth and status.
Robert Adam, the famous architect, stayed at No. 13, the house with the pineapple finials on the roof, while he was working at Bowood.
No.19, Priestley House was indeed inhabited by Joseph Priestley, the scientist but only for a very short while, because he soon moved to the Old Vicarage in Mill Street, where he could often be found wading in the pond at the bottom of the vicarage garden. This is the real location of Doctor’s Pond, rather than the stretch of water further down by the supermarket.
Extra Plaque
Perhaps you could then come to the Heritage Centre to look at the photos of some of the things you have been discussing or perhaps visit one of the many fine cafes around town.