Thorncombe lies in a very beautiful part of West Dorset, bordering Devon and Somerset.
It falls within an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) . The Parish is over
5,200 acres in extent and is principally agricultural land.
Fields tend to be small and hilly with ancient hedgerows, while the access roads
to the village are very narrow lanes, shaded in summer by tall trees including oaks,
beeches and sycamores, and fringed with primroses, bluebells and cow parsley.
Applications for Grants from TVT
Under the terms of its amended constitution, Thorncombe Village Trust (TVT) is now
able to invite applications for grants from individuals or organisations wishing
to undertake a project or activity which reflects one or more of the aims of the
Trust.
Namely to:
i) encourage and promote a greater interest in, and understanding of, the local environment
and its history
ii) protect historic buildings in the Parish and especially to conserve the character
of the village of Thorncombe and of the other settlements in the Parish
iii) oppose unsuitable development in the Parish
iv) safeguard and enhance the countryside in the Parish.
The money granted must be used for the direct benefit of the Parish of Thorncombe
only and for the public good, in such a manner and place that the Trustees can verify
the grant has been appropriately used.
If you wish to make an application for funding, please request an application form
in one of the following ways:
- Email the Secretary of the Trustees on su7882@eclipse.co.uk
- Pick up a form from inside the porch at The School House, Chard Street, Thorncombe
(opposite the church)
- Download an application form and the guidelines from the TVT website Application
form Guidelines for applications
Completed application forms need to be received by the end of September for an October
decision and by end of February for a March decision by the Board of Trustees.
For any further information or if you have any questions, please talk to one of the
trustees: Mark Agnew (30385), Kate Cahn (30054), John Higgs (30994), Richard Holt
(30428), Mary Marsh (30139), Jan Walker (30212), John Whitbread (30525).
Collecting bluebell seeds for Johnson’s Wood
Following advice from two experts from Axe Vale & District Conservation Society,
a small group of us went along to the wood on Saturday, 15th July. The object was
to collect indigenous bluebell seeds and sow them under the trees, thereby establishing
a colony in the woodland.
Armed with plastic tubs, we found the seeds nearby and tapped them into the tubs,
surprised at how many seeds it takes to cover even the base of a tub……then, under
the trees, we scraped away some of the surface leaves and soil, scattered seeds
and covered them. Luckily it rained a few days later. It takes 3 years for a seed
to produce flowers, so it’s clearly a long-term project, and it will be repeated
on a yearly basis.
Anyone walking in woodland around here at this time of year - July/August - could
consider popping a small container in their pocket and collecting some seeds. Please
make sure they are the real indigenous bluebells and not the Spanish variety.
Wilfrid Potter - a correction
It was brought to our notice that we have been spelling Wilfrid’s name incorrectly
all these years. The correct spelling is Wilfrid and we have been referring to him
as Wilfred. Many thanks to his long-time friend Emma Saunders who contacted us
and prompted the search for accuracy. His cousin Marina looked through old papers
and discovered , to her own surprise, that it was indeed Wilfrid. We will try to
correct all the references to him on this site, but please excuse any that are missed
and let us know so we can change them.
Those of us that remember Wilfrid Potter often think of him walking or cycling the
roads around Thorncombe. How appropriate then that a new road being named in his
memory should be called Potter Walk. The new road will be on a development being
built on the site of the school in which he taught for many years, Westwoods Grammar
School, Northleach, in the Cotswolds. Many of his former pupils remembered him with
fondness and affection, and the decision to call the road after Wilfrid was made
unanimously. Wouldn’t he have loved that?
More on Wilfrid here, including a newly posted account from Richard Holt about
Wilfrid’s time in Pakistan. Many thanks Richard.
New photos of Wilfrid as a baby and child have been kindly lent by Mrs Sheila Holloway.
Look at them here
