After initial discussion & research in the classroom the LIVs set off well wrapped up against the cold to discover more about the town of Calne, its past and present. They discovered the route of the old road, the reasons why a new road was required and the impact this has had on the centre. Old coaching signs revealed evidence that the stagecoach had once travelled through the town picking up passengers on the way to and from London and Bristol. From photographs and evidence on the ground the group were amazed at the size of Harris’s bacon/meat factory and the devastating effect the closure of the factory had on the town’s population. They enjoyed standing in the tiny doorways of the Alms Houses imagining the size of the women who once occupied these dwellings. On the green the LIV saw the buildings that had once been an important part of Calne’s early wool trade as well as the old site and house in which St Mary’s school was originally located. They walked along the wharf and beside the old canal (now being restored) imagining the traders with their barges who once carried goods into and out of the centre. The group discovered areas of Calne that they had never explored and became familiar with the rich and diverse history of the town.

It was a valuable and interesting morning’s work. The LIV Form developed new investigative skills and learnt a great deal about the settlement of Calne, consolidating the work completed in the first half of term on settlement.