# Derry Hill

> Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Derry_Hill
> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Derry_Hill.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Derry_Hill
> Source revision: 1295626502
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

**Derry Hill** is a village in the English county of [Wiltshire](/source/Wiltshire), in the civil parish of [Derry Hill & Studley](/source/Derry_Hill_%26_Studley). It has an elevated position at the northern edge of the [Bowood House](/source/Bowood_House) estate, about 3 miles (5 km) south-east of the centre of the town of [Chippenham](/source/Chippenham).[1]

## Geography

Derry Hill lies to the south of the [A4 road](/source/A4_road_(England)) between Chippenham and [Calne](/source/Calne). The old London to [Bristol](/source/Bristol) road turned left after the Soho Inn, along what is now the village's Church Road, to join the [Devizes](/source/Devizes) road; then the old road descended Old Derry Hill. The modern section of the road, avoiding the steep descent, was built between 1787 and 1810, and is now part of the A4.

Previously, Derry Hill was in the vicinity of the Calne branch of the [Wilts & Berks Canal](/source/Wilts_%26_Berks_Canal) that followed the course of the [River Marden](/source/River_Marden); the [Wilts & Berks Canal Trust](/source/Wilts_%26_Berks_Canal_Trust) aims to restore the canal to run through the village, just north of Church Road.[2]

The [Chippenham and Calne branch](/source/Chippenham_and_Calne_line) of the [Great Western Railway](/source/Great_Western_Railway) passed by the village, from its opening in 1863 until its closure to passengers in 1965.

**Nearby towns:** Chippenham, Calne, Devizes

**Nearby villages:** [Studley](/source/Studley,_Wiltshire), [Lacock](/source/Lacock), [Pewsham](/source/Pewsham), [Sandy Lane](/source/Sandy_Lane,_Wiltshire)

## History

Derry Hill grew out of the ancient settlement of [Studley](/source/Studley,_Wiltshire). In the 18th century, there were several small settlements along the London to Bristol road, near the north-west corner of [Bowood House](/source/Bowood_House) Park; among them, a settlement known as Red Hill, possibly squatters' cottages. The original hamlet of Derry Hill, now known as 'Old Derry Hill', lies at the foot of the hill by the A4/A342 junction. Most houses now standing in the upper village were built in the 19th or 20th century, with some 19th-century ones built on 18th-century house sites.[3]

The monumental entrance arch to the Bowood estate, at the south-west of the village opposite the Lansdowne Arms, was built in 1834–1838 for the [3rd Marquess of Lansdowne](/source/Henry_Petty-Fitzmaurice,_3rd_Marquess_of_Lansdowne). Its asymmetric [Italianate](/source/Italianate_architecture) design, with tall [campanile](/source/Campanile), is by [Charles Barry](/source/Charles_Barry) whose many other works include the rebuilding of the [Palace of Westminster](/source/Palace_of_Westminster). Known as the Golden Gates, it is a [Grade II* listed](/source/Grade_II*_listed) structure, described by [Historic England](/source/Historic_England) as "a major work of the C19 Italianate style".[4]

The village traditionally provided houses for the Bowood estate workers. The estate's Christ Church helped the village develop in the early 19th century. In 1843, a school was built, again with help from the [Bowood](/source/Bowood) estate; previously, classes for the village children were held in various places around the village. Street lighting was installed in 1878.

The main development has taken place since the early-1970s, when a new housing estate, consisting of about 220 houses, was built in the fields immediately to the north of village—between the old road, leading to the Devizes road, and the present [A4 road](/source/A4_road_(England)). Until then, the village was essentially one road; as a result, the population grew sharply, requiring the school's extension. Further stages of development took place around the village in the 1990s.

A small building called the Well House was restored by the [Wiltshire Historic Buildings Trust](/source/Wiltshire_Historic_Buildings_Trust) in 2002–2003.[5]

In late-2006 a housing development of 25 new homes commenced on village land adjacent to the A4 national route, and a small number of large, individual new homes were also built during 2005–2006.

The western end of the village, including estate houses, the pub and the Golden Gates, was made a [Conservation Area](/source/Conservation_area_(United_Kingdom)) in 1986.[6]

## Amenities

The village has a shop, a [Church of England parish church](/source/Church_of_England_parish_church), a primary school, a pre-school, and a [pub](/source/Public_house) known since 1838 as the Lansdowne Arms (its building dating back to 1843).[7]

A new village hall with sports facilities was built in 2000,[8] and named the Lansdowne Hall in memory of the [8th Lord Lansdowne](/source/George_Petty-Fitzmaurice,_8th_Marquess_of_Lansdowne), who had died in 1997. It replaced a smaller building provided in 1873 as a school by the Lansdownes.[9]

## Governance

Derry Hill lies within the parish of Derry Hill & Studley, created by renaming Calne Without parish, effective in May 2025.[10] The parish includes the nearby village of [Studley](/source/Studley,_Wiltshire), and extends south through the [Bowood](/source/Bowood_House) estate to take in the small village of [Sandy Lane](/source/Sandy_Lane,_Wiltshire). At county level the [unitary authority](/source/Unitary_authorities_of_England) is [Wiltshire Council](/source/Wiltshire_Council). The village is in the [Chippenham](/source/Chippenham_(UK_Parliament_constituency)) parliamentary constituency.[11]

## Religious sites

### Church of England

Christ Church was built in the west of the village in 1839–1840 to a design by [T. H. Wyatt](/source/T._H._Wyatt) and [D. Brandon](/source/David_Brandon_(architect)).[12] It is in the Late [Perpendicular Gothic](/source/Perpendicular_Gothic) style, in dressed stone, and decorated inside. There were three banks of pews (556 seats) in a wide nave with a small sanctuary. The west tower with a needle spire was provided by the [3rd Lord Lansdowne](/source/Henry_Petty-Fitzmaurice,_3rd_Marquess_of_Lansdowne) at a cost of £111.[13] Later, c.1862, an organ was provided. Before the choir stalls were built in 1953–1954, the choir had sung from the gallery. Other improvements to the church in the 20th century included re-seating the nave in 1936, and replacing the stone roof tiles with slate, together with other general repairs, in 1961–1962.[citation needed]

The church was used regularly by the Lansdowne family for weddings and funerals when their private chapel was too small. Tombs in the churchyard include those of the [5th Marquess of Lansdowne](/source/Henry_Petty-Fitzmaurice,_5th_Marquess_of_Lansdowne) (d.1927) and his wife [Maud](/source/Maud_Petty-Fitzmaurice,_Marchioness_of_Lansdowne) (d.1932).[12]

Derry Hill was anciently part of the extensive Calne parish.[14] In 1841 a chapelry district was created for the new church, its area taken from the west part of Calne parish and parts of the parishes of [Bremhill](/source/Bremhill) and Chippenham, together with detached parts of [Corsham](/source/Corsham) and [Bishop's Cannings](/source/Bishops_Cannings) parishes and the [extra-parochial areas](/source/Extra-parochial_area) of Bowood and [Pewsham](/source/Pewsham).[15] The population of the new district was estimated to be between 1400 and 1500.[15] At first the district included [Sandy Lane](/source/Sandy_Lane,_Wiltshire) village, but in 1864 that southern part was transferred to [Chittoe](/source/Chittoe) parish.[16][17]

In 1994, the Derry Hill vicarage was united with that of Bremhill and [Foxham](/source/Foxham,_Wiltshire), with one vicar covering both parishes.[14] Today the church is covered by the Marden Valley team ministry, alongside [St Mary's](/source/St_Mary's_Church,_Calne) and Holy Trinity at Calne, and the churches at Bremhill, Foxham and [Blackland](/source/Blackland,_Wiltshire).[18] The parish registers from 1840 (baptisms and burials) and 1842 (marriages), other than those in current use, are held in the Wiltshire and Swindon Record Office.[13]

### Others

A small Baptist chapel was built in ironstone on Studley Lane in the west end of the village in 1814, and continues in use as Little Zoar [Strict Baptist](/source/Strict_Baptist) Chapel.[19][20]

A [Primitive Methodist](/source/Primitive_Methodism) chapel at the side of the former main road, at the bottom of the hill, has an 1857 date-stone. Built in brick with stone quoins and window surrounds, by 2004 it had been converted to a house.[21]

## Primary school

A school aided by the [National Society](/source/National_school_(England_and_Wales)) was built at Rag Lane in 1843, and until 1892 there was a second school at Buck Hill. The Rag Lane school was replaced by a new larger building (with teacher's house) to the west of the church in 1872. The school was taken over by Wiltshire County Council in 1905, and in 1906 the attendance was 152. Children of all ages were educated until 1930, when those over 11 transferred to Calne.[22] Numbers fell, with 61 attending in 1955, then increased following housebuilding; an extension was completed in 1999.[23] Today Derry Hill [C of E](/source/Church_of_England) Primary School has [voluntary aided](/source/Voluntary_aided_school) status.

In 2011, a teacher at the school was jailed for possessing and making indecent images of children.[24]

## References

1. ["Derry Hill, Wiltshire"](https://getoutside.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/local/derry-hill-wiltshire). *GetOutside*. Ordnance Survey. Retrieved 28 February 2022.

1. [Wilts & Berks Canal Trust Map: Calne Branch 1](http://www.wbct.org.uk/information/maps/ordnance-survey-maps/map-calne-branch-1) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20110520062202/http://www.wbct.org.uk/information/maps/ordnance-survey-maps/map-calne-branch-1) 20 May 2011 at the Wayback Machine

1. ["Calne Without"](https://apps.wiltshire.gov.uk/communityhistory/Community/Index/45). *Wiltshire Community History*. Wiltshire Council. Retrieved 19 March 2020.

1. Colin Johns, *[Wiltshire Historic Buildings Trust 1967–2007](http://www.whbt.org.uk/Wilts_Hist_Buil_Trust_0807.pdf)* (2007) – full text online, p. 29

1. No. 50500. 25 April 1986. p. 5752.

1. ["The Lansdowne Hall"](https://www.lansdownehall.org/). Retrieved 2022-02-28.

1. ["Community Governance Review 2021/22: Final Recommendations of the Electoral Review Committee"](https://cms.wiltshire.gov.uk/documents/s207331/Item12_CGR_FinalRecommendations_221018.pdf). *Wiltshire Council*. October 2022. Retrieved 12 May 2025.

1. ["Election Maps: Great Britain"](https://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/election-maps/gb/). Ordnance Survey. Retrieved 27 September 2024.

1. ["Christchurch, Derry Hill"](https://apps.wiltshire.gov.uk/communityhistory/Church/Details/722). *Wiltshire Community History*. Wiltshire Council. Retrieved 19 March 2020.

1. Crowley, D. A. (ed.) (2002). ["Calne: Churches"](https://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/wilts/vol17/pp101-109). *A History of the County of Wiltshire, Volume 17*. [Victoria County History](/source/Victoria_County_History). University of London. pp. 101–109. Retrieved 28 February 2022. – via British History Online.

1. No. 20039. 16 November 1841. pp. 2856–2859.

1. ["Church of Saint Nicholas, Sandy Lane, Calne Without"](https://apps.wiltshire.gov.uk/communityhistory/Church/Details/720). *Wiltshire Community History*. Wiltshire Council. Retrieved 28 February 2022.

1. No. 22863. 14 June 1864. pp. 3044–3046.

1. ["The Marden Vale Team Ministry"](https://www.mardenvale.org.uk/). Retrieved 2022-02-28.

1. ["Little Zoar Baptist Chapel, Derry Hill"](https://apps.wiltshire.gov.uk/communityhistory/Church/Details/723). *Wiltshire Community History*. Wiltshire Council. Retrieved 28 February 2022.

1. ["Primitive Methodist Chapel, Derry Hill"](https://apps.wiltshire.gov.uk/communityhistory/Image/Details?id=2380&menuType=Church). *Wiltshire Community History*. Wiltshire Council. Retrieved 28 February 2022.

1. ["Derry Hill C. of E. VA Primary School"](https://apps.wiltshire.gov.uk/communityhistory/School/Details/879). *Wiltshire Community History*. Wiltshire Council. Retrieved 19 March 2020.

1. ["History"](http://derryhillschool.co.uk/?page_id=79). *Derry Hill Primary School*. Retrieved 2020-03-19.

1. ["Child sex image teacher is jailed"](https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-wiltshire-13525458). BBC News. 2011-05-24. Retrieved 2020-03-19.

## External links

- [Derry Hill United Football Club](https://www.dhufc.org/)

---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Derry Hill](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Derry_Hill) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Derry_Hill?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.