Teffont Magna

{{Short description|Village in Wiltshire, England}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2018}} {{Use British English|date=June 2025}} {{Infobox UK place | country = England | official_name = Teffont Magna | static_image_name = Stone and Thatched Cottage - geograph.org.uk - 300168.jpg | static_image_caption = Signpost and cottage, Teffont Magna | population = | unitary_england = [[Wiltshire Council|Wiltshire]] | lieutenancy_england = [[Wiltshire]] | region = South West England | constituency_westminster = [[Salisbury (UK Parliament constituency)|Salisbury]] | post_town = Salisbury | postcode_district = SP3 | postcode_area = SP | dial_code = 01722 | coordinates = {{coord|51.090|-2.017|type:city(100)_region:GB-WIL|display=inline,title}} | os_grid_reference = ST989323 | civil_parish = [[Teffont]] }}

'''Teffont Magna''', sometimes called '''Upper Teffont''', is a small village and former [[civil parish]], now in the parish of [[Teffont]], in the [[River Nadder|Nadder]] valley in the south of the county of [[Wiltshire]], England. For most of its history, Teffont Magna was a [[chapelry]] of neighbouring [[Dinton, Wiltshire|Dinton]]. In 1934 it was combined with the parish of [[Teffont Evias]], just to the south, to form a united Teffont parish.

==Location== Teffont Magna lies {{Convert|1+1/2|mi|km|abbr=}} west of Dinton and {{Convert|7|mi|km|0|abbr=}} west of [[Wilton, Wiltshire|Wilton]]. The parish extends north onto the chalk downs that separate the valleys of the Nadder and [[River Wylye|Wylye]].<ref name="vch">{{cite web|title=Victoria County History: Wiltshire: Vol 8 pp74–78 – Teffont Magna|url=https://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/wilts/vol8/pp74-78|last=|first=|year=1965|website=British History Online|publisher=University of London|url-status=|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=8 May 2020}}</ref>

The village is between [[Chilmark, Wiltshire|Chilmark]] and Dinton on the B3089 [[Hindon, Wiltshire|Hindon]] to [[Barford St Martin]] road, in the valley of a stream which rises just to the north and flows south through Teffont Evias to join the Nadder.<ref name="vch" />

==History== The north boundary of the ancient parish, and hence also of the modern parish, is a prehistoric linear earthwork called Grim's Ditch.<ref>{{National Heritage List for England|num=1005606|desc=Ditch, 343yds (310m) ENE of East Farm Cottages to 800yds (730m) NW of St Martin's Chapel|access-date=9 May 2020}}</ref> A rapier-shaped bronze dagger has been found in the parish.<ref>https://www.wiltshiremuseum.org.uk/item-record/507a5deb-19a9-3c81-9f66-c438539f8375</ref> probably dated between 1400 and 1200 BCE.<ref>[[Victoria County History|The Victoria History of the Counties of England.]] A History of Wiltshire. London: Published for the Institute of Historical Research by Oxford University Press, 1953. Pugh, R. B. (Ralph Bernard), 1910-1982, editor; Crittall, Elizabeth, editor; Crowley, D. A., editor; University of London. Institute of Historical Research. Page 482. https://archive.org/details/historyofwiltshi0000unse/page/389/mode/2up</ref> A [[hillfort]] of uncertain age known as Wick Ball Camp stands on a hilltop in the east of the parish, straddling the boundary with Dinton.<ref>{{National Heritage List for England|num=1005673|desc=Wick Ball camp, the Common|access-date=9 May 2020|fewer-links=yes}}</ref> There is a [[Roman Britain|Roman]] site southwest of the village.<ref>{{National Heritage List for England|num=1004715|desc=Roman site in Upper Holt|access-date=9 May 2020|fewer-links=yes}}</ref>

The 15th-century [[cartulary]] of [[Shaftesbury Abbey]] includes two [[charter]]s which refer to land in "Teffont". The first is dated 860, and in it [[Æthelbald of Wessex|Æthelbald]] grants fourteen ''cassati'' ([[Hide (unit)|hides]]) to a [[thegn]] named Osmund. In the second, of 964, [[Edgar the Peaceful|King Edgar]] granted five ''cassati'' to the thegn Sigestan. As Shaftesbury Abbey owned the [[Manorialism|manor]] of Teffont Magna by the time of the [[Norman conquest of England|Norman Conquest]], the charters may refer to parts of it. There is no mention of Teffont Magna in the [[Domesday Book]], where it may be included under Dinton, another of the Abbey's manors. The ancient parish formed part of the [[Warminster]] [[hundred (county subdivision)|hundred]] of Wiltshire.<ref name="vch" />

After the [[Dissolution of the Monasteries|Dissolution]], Teffont Magna was acquired with Dinton by [[William Herbert, 1st Earl of Pembroke (1501–1570)|William Herbert]], who later became [[Earl of Pembroke]]. It remained with his successors as Earls of Pembroke until 1919, when it was sold to [[Charles Bathurst, 1st Viscount Bledisloe|Lord Bledisloe]]. In 1950 his younger son, Charles Hiley Bathurst, sold the estate to [[John Jacob Astor, 1st Baron Astor of Hever|John Jacob Astor]], who a year later broke the estate up by selling it in several lots.<ref name="vch" />

Fitz House, the largest in the village, was built in the mid-17th century in dressed limestone and with [[Mullion|mullioned windows]]; a left wing was added in 1700 and converted from a wool store to living accommodation in the 1920s.<ref>{{National Heritage List for England|num=1146263|desc=Fitz House|access-date=9 May 2020|fewer-links=yes}}</ref> Close to the house is a 15th-century thatched barn.<ref>{{National Heritage List for England|num=1146264|desc=Barn at Fitz House|access-date=9 May 2020|fewer-links=yes}}</ref>

According to Wilson's ''[[Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales]]'' (1870–1872):

{{quote|TEFFONT-MAGNA, a parish in [[Tisbury, Wiltshire|Tisbury]] district, Wilts; 1¾ mile NW of [[Dinton, Wiltshire|Dinton]] r. station. Post town, Teffont, under [[Salisbury]]. Acres, 1,440. Rated property, £1,723. Pop., 292. Houses, 63. The property is divided among a few. The living is a [[perpetual curate|p. curacy]], annexed to Dinton. The church is tolerable.<ref>[http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/place/place_page.jsp?p_id=12119 Teffont Magna] at visionofbritain.org.uk</ref>}}

A small school was built in the village around the 1870s, and in 1893 the average attendance was 52.<ref name="vch" /> After it was closed in 1936, children attended schools in Dinton or [[Wilton, Wiltshire|Wilton]]; the building remains in use as the village hall.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Village Hall|url=https://www.teffont.com/index.php/village-hall|website=www.teffont.com|access-date=2020-05-10}}</ref>

The civil parishes of Teffont Magna and [[Teffont Evias]] were combined on 1 April 1934 to form [[Teffont]] parish.<ref name="vch" /><ref>{{cite web|url=https://visionofbritain.org.uk/unit/10412821|title=Relationships and changes Teffont Magna CP/Ch through time|publisher=A Vision of Britain through Time|accessdate=6 December 2023}}</ref> The population of Teffont Magna in 1931 had been 172.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Teffont Magna Ch/CP|url=https://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/unit/10412821|last=|first=|date=|website=A Vision of Britain through Time|publisher=University of Portsmouth|url-status=|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2020-05-10}}</ref>

A detailed history of the parish was published in 1965 by the [[Wiltshire Victoria County History]] (Volume VIII).<ref name="vch" />

An [[etching]] of Teffont Magna by [[John Piper (artist)|John Piper]] was released in an edition of seventy prints in 1988.<ref>''Architects' Journal'', vol. 193 (Architectural Press, 1991), p. 68</ref>

==Church== [[File:Church of St Edward - geograph.org.uk - 300146.jpg|thumb|left|St Edward's Church]] The 13th century [[Church of England]] church was for much of its existence a [[chapel of ease]] of Dinton, and thus escaped [[Victorian restoration]] and is substantially original.

In rubble stone with dressed limestone, the building has a simple plan, with a four-bay nave and chancel under one roof; the 14th-century south porch has its original roof timbers.<ref name="chlisting">{{National Heritage List for England|num=1251111|desc=Church of St Edward|access-date=8 May 2020}}</ref> There is no tower, instead a niche in the west gable houses two bells. One of the bells, thought to date from the 13th century, became cracked and was moved into the church in 1930; in 1947 its replacement was installed and the second bell was recast.<ref name="vch" />

Inside are flagstone floors and a wooden chancel screen from the early 16th century. The cylindrical font is from the 12th century, and set into a wall is a fragment of a [[Saxon Britain|Saxon]] cross with fine carving.<ref name="chlisting" /><ref>'' Wiltshire archaeological and natural history magazine'', volume 48 (1939), p. vi</ref> In 1965 no [[Dedication (ritual)|dedication]] was recorded for the church, and in that year it was named St Edward's, for [[Edward the Martyr]], king and saint.<ref>[http://teffont.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=26&Itemid=29 Teffont Magna church] at teffont.com. Retrieved 16 November 2010.</ref> The church was designated as [[Grade II* listed]] in 1966.<ref name="chlisting" />

As a [[chapel of ease]] for St Mary's at [[Dinton, Wiltshire|Dinton]] – {{convert|1.3|km}} miles away as the crow flies – Teffont Magna was always served by the vicar of Dinton or his curate. In 1922 it was detached from Dinton and united with Teffont Evias to form the parish of Teffont Evias with Teffont Magna.<ref>{{London Gazette | issue = 32762 | date = 31 October 1922 | pages = 7662-7663 }}</ref> The benefice was held in plurality with Dinton from 1952.<ref>{{London Gazette | issue = 39606 | date = 25 July 1952 | pages = 4008-4009 | nolink=y }}</ref> In 1979 the benefice became part of a group ministry,<ref>{{London Gazette | issue = 48010 | date = 20 November 1979 | page = 14600 | nolink=y }}</ref> today called the Nadder Valley team and covering fourteen parishes with sixteen churches.<ref>{{cite web|title=Nadder Valley (Team Ministry)|url=https://www.achurchnearyou.com/church/9534/benefice/|date=|website=A Church Near You|access-date=3 May 2020|archive-date=12 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200412172925/https://www.achurchnearyou.com/church/9534/benefice/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The burial ground on the other side of the lane was consecrated in 1925.<ref name="vch" /> The [[parish register]]s are in the [[Wiltshire and Swindon History Centre]] for the following dates: [[Infant baptism|christenings]] 1852–1991 and marriages 1852–1992. Earlier records are with those of [[Dinton, Wiltshire|Dinton]].<ref name="genuki">[http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/WIL/TeffontMagna/index.htm Teffont Magna] at genuki.org.uk. Retrieved 16 November 2010.</ref>

==Governance== Teffont Magna is now part of the parish of [[Teffont]], which has a [[Parish councils in England|parish council]] and is in the area of the [[Wiltshire Council]], a [[Unitary authorities of England|unitary authority]] which is responsible for almost all significant local government functions. For Westminster elections, it falls within the [[Salisbury (UK Parliament constituency)|Salisbury]] constituency.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Election Maps: Great Britain |url=https://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/election-maps/gb/ |website= |publisher=Ordnance Survey |access-date=25 September 2024}}</ref>

==Notable people== On 25 October 1854, in the [[Crimean War]], Charles Wiltshire Short of Teffont Magna took part in the [[Charge of the Light Brigade]].<ref>Roy Dutton, ''Forgotten Heroes: the Charge of the Light Brigade'', [https://books.google.com/books?id=CwDdEHu2hVgC&pg=PA187 p. 187]</ref>

In 1856 [[Harry Fidler]] was born here to a local farmer, but he took to painting and returned to have a studio here at an old Methodist Church.

In the 1930s, the poet [[Siegfried Sassoon]] rented and lived at Fitz House, Teffont Magna. He went to look at it after a friend had written to him of its [[flagstone]]s, [[lavender]], [[mullion|mullioned windows]], [[orchard]] and stream.<ref>Jean Moorcroft Wilson, ''Siegfried Sassoon: the journey from the trenches : a biography (1918–1967)'' (London: Routledge, 2003), [https://books.google.com/books?id=LO9KDzIYSZoC&pg=PA255 p. 255]</ref>

The explorer [[Bill Kennedy Shaw]] lived in the village in the 1930s and 1940s, at his parents' house, King's Orchard.<ref>''Burke's genealogical and heraldic history of the landed gentry'' (1965), p. 102</ref><ref>''Quarterly journal of forestry: Volumes 40–42'' (1946), p. 64: "Kennedy Shaw, W.B., O.B.E., Teffont Magna, Salisbury"</ref>

==References== {{Reflist|30em}} {{Commons category}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Villages in Wiltshire]] [[Category:Former civil parishes in Wiltshire]]