Salisbury Civic Society

In accordance with its aims, the Society is committed to arranging activities for its members. There is normally one meeting a month, which may fall into one or more categories. Please refer to the current programme, and a listing of past lectures and visits to see the activities of the Society organised for members over the last five years.

Social Party; for New Year at which the Society presents its Awards
Outing; and country pub supper
Lectures; Speakers with a range of specialisms give members the opportunity to gain an insight into facets of our man made environment. Four or five lectures are organised each year. When possible, there is a linkage between lectures and visits
Visits; Places of interest may be either historic or new developments, local to Salisbury or further afield. Mainly scheduled for the summer months, the visits vary from all day to half day or evenings. Our visits are extremely popular with members, and are frequently oversubscribed
Planning Forum; An annual event, when members have the opportunity to discuss an issue of current interest.
Business AGM; Held in June.

Programme for 2008

Sarum College

Heritage Open Days at Sarum College
DATES: 11 and 12 September (Thursday and Friday)

Sarum College occupies a grade 1 listed building that includes the original 1677 house attributed to Wren. Established as a theological college in 1860, the architect William Butterfield was commissioned to build accommodation in 1877 and a chapel and library in 1881.
Substantial additions were added between the 1930s and the 1970s.

Sarum College was founded as an ecumenical institution in 1995. Since then, considerable restoration and alteration has been carried out by the College architect Keith Harnden. In 2006, the new link building joining the 1677 and 1877 buildings and incorporating lift access won the 2006 Salisbury Civic Society's Conservation award.

On both days, Sonia Woolley will offer guided tours featuring the anecdotal and factual history of the buildings and students from the 19th century to the present day.

The Sarum College Library will showcase some of its antiquarian books - a rare chance to see examples of fine binding, engravings and books from a bygone age.
Among the books on display will be the library's oldest book - a Bible of 1545, in tiny Latin print. This will be joined by a small edition of Erasmus's Institutio Principis Christiani (Education of a Christian Prince), written for the young prince Charles of Spain, later Charles V, in which he states the role of the prince as a servant of his people:
"He acquires most who requires nothing, but commands respect."

The display will include an edition of The Confessions of St Augustine from 1638 and a selection of books on Salisbury Cathedral and Wiltshire.

Visitors also will be invited to take part in a library quiz.

Guided tours are scheduled as follows:
Thursday 11 September: 10am, 12pm and 4pm Friday 12 September: 10am 12pm, 2pm and 4pm

Past Lectures and Visits

1996-2007

2007
Feb: Planning Forum to discuss the Salisbury Vision
Feb/Mar: Five Spring Lectures: Aspects of Heritage
......Cathedral Vault Paintings
......Chantry Chapels in Salisbury
......Harold Peto and his Gardens
......Wandering Architects
......The Sarum Use
Apr: We mustn’t frighten the readers: Salisbury in the age of Cholera
Jun: Palaces, Patronage & Pills
Sep: Women’s Suffrage in South Wilts
Nov: Where was Old Sarum?
Nov: Open Meeting: World Heritage Sites

2006
Jan: Launch of Society's Streetscape Survey
Feb: The Longford Estates
Mar/Apr: Five Spring Lectures : Aspects of Heritage
.....Too Many Churches in Salisbury?
.....The Cathedral Choir Stalls
.....Conservation of the West Front
.....Licensed to Sell
.....The Cathedral Stained Glass
Jun: Music & Entertainment throughout the Ages
Sep: The Issues of providing a Rural Bus Service
Oct: Sewerage
Nov: Open Meeting: Saving the Planet without Costing the Earth

2005
Feb: Beyond the Playhouse Footlights
Mar: Planning Forum - Vision for Salisbury
Apr: The Fovant Badges
Jun: AGM & Talk: Plague, Pestilence & Poverty
Oct: The Economic Benefits of Restoring Historic Buildings
Nov: Open Meeting: Water, Water, Everywhere?

2004
Feb: Wyatt, Pugin, and the Gothic Revival
Mar: Planning Forum - "A Vision for the Future" – Magna Carta Centre, Salisbury Cathedral
Apr: Thatch and Thatching
Jun: AGM & Talk: Ghosts in Salisbury
Oct: The Work of the Historic Houses Association
Nov: Open meeting - "Streets for All"

2003
Feb: Landscape Design
June: Mompesson House
October: Waste and Waste Management
November: Oxford Traffic Forum

2002
Feb: Palladian Architecture Around Salisbury
May: Salisbury Markets
June: Policing Wiltshire
October: Trees in Salisbury

2001
Feb: Salisbury /Saintes Twinning Association
March: A Stone Mason's 23 years of repairing Historic Buildings
May: Flood Protection Schemes
June: Redundant Churches in the Salisbury Area and Beyond
October: Managing Salisbury. City Centre Management Board

2000
Feb: Editing the Salisbury Journal
May: Stonehenge World Heritage Site management Plans
June: Barrows Pits and Ancestors - Martin Green
A History of Almshouses

1999
March: Members' Planning Forum: Salisbury City Centre - the Future
April: Talking with Music. Music in Salisbury
May: History and Topography of the Water meadows at Harnham
June: AGM + History and Restoration of the Kennet and Avon Canal

1998
Jan: Use of Lime in Historic Buildings
Feb: The Future of National Trust
March: The Hazards of managing Household Waste
May: AGM + The Theatre in Salisbury
Oct: Financial Management of the Cathedral
Nov: The Civil War in Wiltshire

1997
Jan: Wren hall - past and present
Feb: Rural Development Commission
March: Restoration of Wilton House
April: Farming Around Salisbury for the last Forty Years
December: Salisbury Industrial Heritage

1996
Jan: Running the Salisbury Festival
Feb: Textile Conservation - Sharon Manitta
March: Excavations of medieval Salisbury
April: History of the Post Office
Oct: Updating Pevsner in New Forest, Romsey and Avon valley
Nov: Old and New Buildings in Salisbury

2007
May: Weald & Downland Museum
Jun: Ginger Piggery at Boyton Farm,
Jul: Chairman’s Mystery Visit to Norrington Manor & St Mary Church Alvediston
Aug: Wilton House - parts of Gardens not normally open to the public
Oct: Royal Holloway, University of London (cancelled)

Apr: Kennet & Avon Canal
May: Longford Castle
Jun: Poole as Guests of Poole Men's Society
Jul: Vice-Chairman's Mystery Visit to Langford Church & Manor
Sep: Behind the Scenes at the Museum

2005
Apr: Downton Moot
Apr: Behind the Scenes Salisbury Playhouse
May: Kennet & Avon Canal
Jun: Southampton
Jul: Secretary's visit to Roche Court
Sep: Solstice Park

2004
Apr: Portsmouth
May: Christchurch (postponed)
Jun: Farley Village
Jul: President's visit to the Chalke Valley
Sep: Rockbourne Roman Villa

2003
March: Waitrose Supermarket
April: Dorchester – guests of Dorchester Civic Society
June: Breamore Village
July: Tollard Royal
Sept: Old Manor Hospital
October: Wessex Archaeology
Chapel Night Club / former Elim Church

2002
May: Ebbleswade Courtyard and Harpsichord Workshop
June: Salisbury Racecourse
July: 11 Redundant Churches in the Wylye Valley.
Sept: Medieval and 17th Century Frome

2001
May: Winchester
June: Salisbury Close
July: Whitchurch Silk Mill and Wooldings Vineyard

2000
May: Poundbury Village, Dorchester
June: Houses of the Cathedral Close - four
July: Martin Green's Museum - archaeological and geological
Sept: Romsey - guests of Romsey and District Civic Society

1999
March: BBC Radio Solent in Southampton
June: Defence Evaluation and Research Agency - Boscombe Down
July: Kennet and Avon Canal
Oct: Salisbury College

1998
April: Trafalgar Park on St George's Day
May: Downton Tannery and the Moot
June: Porton Down - archaeological sites
July: Bryanston School and Blandford with Blandford Civic Society

1997
May: Ordnance Survey Headquarters
June: Cathedral's West Front and Workshops
July: Walk in Broad Chalke
Oct: Marks and Spencer - behind the scenes

1996
May: Sherbourne Abbey, Almshouse and Castle
July: Wilton Carpet Factory and Lord Congleton's garden
July: Nature Walk in New forest
August: Longford Castle
Sept: Houses in St Ann Street - four private houses opened

September 2007
Salisbury`s Industrial Heritage

September 2006
Any Body There? - Historical Cemeteries, Churches and ChurchyardS

September 2005
Almshouses and Places of Care were open for vistis and there were also walks.

September 2004
For 3 days the Society hosted visits to school buildings in the Close. They were Leaden Hall, the Cathdral School, Wren Hall, Bishop Wordsworth School & Sarum College.

September 2003
The society organised a tour around six hostelries in the city, where visitors were able to visit the parts of these hostelries not normally available to public view.

Programme of Events

Members' Meetings

Programme for 2008

Sarum College

Past Lectures and Visits

1996-2007