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- Copenacre Site (Formerly Royal Naval Stores Depot Copenacre).
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- DE&S ISS Integrated Project Teams.
- Rudloe Manor Site (Formerly RAF Rudloe Manor).
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- Accomodation and site facilities.
Joint Service Unit Corsham provides administrative support & facilities management in all three locations. In 2006 a Private Finance Initiative contract was let to Inteq for the renewal and expansion of the Basil Hill and Rudloe Site facilities began, valued at around £800M..[8]
- Corsham Families Centre, Army Welfare Service.
Former facilities include:
- RAF Rudloe Manor, established during WWII as a non-flying station for administrative and command & control purposes:
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- HQ Number 10 Fighter Group.
- RAF Regional Command.
- Headquarters RAF Police & Security Services.
- No1 Signals Unit.
- Controller Defence Communications Network.
- Number 1001 Signals Unit, detachment.
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A number of defence contractors are either co-located or in the vicinity of the MOD sites, such as Leafield Engineering[1] and Serco Defence, Science and Technology.
The UK military communications satellite constellation called Skynet, a PFI arrangement, is controlled by contractor, Paradigm Services, from the location of the former 1001 SU Det on Skynet Drive. The ground segments in support of the constellation are located at Bordon, Hampshire and Colerne Airfield, Colerne, Wiltshire (formerly RAF Oakhanger and RAF Colerne.)
[edit] Quarries
Underground extraction of Bath Stone continues in Corsham on a smaller scale. For example, Hanson plc operates Hartham Park Quarry in the Hudswell district (southwest of Pickwick.)
Other quarries have been re-used. Current examples include primarily defence establishments (see above), but also a wine cellar at Eastlays (near Gastard)[9] and storage for magnetic media (for Off-site Data Protection) at Monk's Park (near Neston.)[10]
[edit] Film and television
Another use for the quarries is the film industry. Underground scenes from the first episode of Blake's Seven were filmed at Eastlays, and disused tunnels form part of the studio complex of Corsham Media Park, a specialist business park that opened in 2001 adjacent to RAF Rudloe Manor.[citation needed][11]
Early 21st century growth of period drama location filming followed the examples of neighbouring Lacock and Atworth parishes. Neston Park hosted major outdoor film sets for the 2008 BBC television adaption of Lark Rise to Candleford, and the BBC also filmed scenes for a 2008 version of Tess of the D'Urbervilles in Church Street and Corsham Court grounds.[12][13]
[edit] Notable residents
- Jennifer Biddall (b. 1980) – actress known for her role as Jessica Harris in Hollyoaks, grew up in Corsham
- Camilla Parker Bowles (b. 1947) and her first husband Andrew Parker Bowles – she later married Charles, Prince of Wales
- Harold Brakspear (1870–1934) – restoration architect and archæologist, lived at Pickwick Manor and Parkside in High Street[2][14]
- Revd Richard Enraght (1837-1898), religious controversialist, Curate of St Bartholomew's Church, Corsham, 1861-1864
- Edward Hasted (1732–1812) – historian, master of Corsham Almshouse[2]
- Nick Mason (b. 1944) – musician in the rock band Pink Floyd
- Baron Methuen – family seat is Corsham Court[2]
- Rini Templeton (1935–1986) – artist, studied at Bath Academy in Corsham c. 1956
- Michael Tippett (1905–1998) – composer, lived at Parkside in High Street[2]
- Elizabeth Hurley (1965-) – actress, briefly attended Gastard Primary school (since closed) c.1975[dubious – discuss]
- Tristan Paton (b. 1985) - Prominant Neston resident often seen about town visiting friends.
A 1773 map shows Neston's earlier name of Corsham Side
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The southern portion of the High Street is pedestrianized
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[edit] See also
Neighbouring civil parishes (anticlockwise from the north):
- Biddestone – small village north of Hartham
- Colerne – medium-sized village northwest of Corsham and Pickwick
- Box – village west of Corsham; parish includes part of Rudloe
- Atworth – Neston Park Estate extends south beyond Atworth village
- Lacock – historic village and abbey, largely owned by the National Trust, east of Gastard
- Chippenham and Chippenham Without parishes – market town northeast of Easton
[edit] References
- , Council Tax 2005/06PDF (436 KiB), Corsham Town Council. Retrieved on October 5, 2006.
- , a b c d e f Corsham at Wiltshire Community History from Wiltshire County Council. Retrieved on October 4, 2006.
- , Corsham Net - Welcome
- , Katie Adams. "New sergeant at Corsham", Wiltshire Times, 2008-04-12. Retrieved on 2008-04-16.
- , election-maps.co.uk, Corsham Civil Parish boundary on Ordnance Survey 1:50 000 colour raster layer. Retrieved on October 10, 2006.
- , The History of Fuller, Smith & Turner P.L.C. from the brewery's website. Retrieved on October 4, 2006.
- , a b Connect Corsham, Corsham Town Council newsletter, Issue 8, Autumn 2006.
- , Wiltshire Times, 25 October 2006. "£800m to be spent on military base", Craig Evry. Retrieved on October 27, 2006.
- , Corsham Cellars at Octavian Vaults corporate web site. Retrieved on March 16, 2008
- , Storage and Retrieval at Wansdyke Security Limited website. Retrieved on March 16, 2008
- , "£50 Million Media Park opens", 4rfv.co.uk, 2001-09-11. Retrieved on 2008-04-16.
- , "Town switches centuries", Gazette and Herald, 2008-04-10. Retrieved on 2008-04-16.
- , Scott McPherson. "Lark Rise returning", Gazette and Herald, 2008-03-11. Retrieved on 2008-04-16.
- , Brakspear, Sir; Harold (b. Corsham, Wilts. 10 March 1870 - d. 20 November 1934). Who's Who 2006 and Who Was Who 1897-2005 (2005). Retrieved 10 October 2006. Available from xreferplus.
[edit] Further reading
[edit] External links
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Coordinates: 51°26'N 2°11'W? / ?51.43, -2.19
(Source: Wikipedia) |
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