The Weird and Wonderful History of Coombe Lane

 

Where have we all come from? On the one hand, some people believe that the human race has evolved from a more primitive species; on the other hand, writers like Von Daniken suggest that we are the descendants of wandering space travelers. Whatever belief you hold, there is no doubt that our history holds lessons for the future, and is therefore important to us all.

The aim of this series of historical snapshots is to shine a spotlight onto some of the lesser known events which have occurred during the history of Coombe Lane.

Part 1 - The Dawn of Civilisation (~1000 BC)

It would be fair to say that little is known for sure about the earliest residents of Coombe Lane. A number of archaeological digs carried out in the mid 1930's were however recorded in great detail, and I have used these records to try and piece together a jigsaw puzzle of life in Coombe Lane circa 1000 BC.

Human remains excavated from around this time show the inhabitants to have been short, stocky, extremely well-fed and keepers of many household beasts.

The Mason Certain building artefacts recovered from a burial mound on the Coombe feature are almost identical to others found at the sites of Woodhenge, Stonehenge and Avebury circle. Several eminent local historians have speculated that the architect of all three sites may have been buried in this mound, and was quite possibly a resident of the lane.

Part 2 - The Romans (55 BC ~ 300AD)

Almost from the outset of Roman occupation, Salisbury Plain was acquired by the Roman army as an area for practising tactics. Indeed, the spectacle of massed formations rehearsing the classic 'tortoise' manoeuvre, fiery catapults, siege towers, battering rams and other apparatus being towed past their dwellings by day and night would have been a familiar sight to our ancestors.

The earliest Roman maps clearly depict the 'Via Coombelanivs' as following almost precisely the exact route we now know as Coombe Lane - footnotes also show that this was initially the primary means whereby troops were able to gain access to Salisbury Plain. It is however very interesting to note that circa 52 BC the Romans constructed another parallel track reportedly to avoid the troops' feet getting covered in dog droppings (not nice when you only wear open-toe sandals). To this day historians cannot agree as to whether the droppings were placed deliberately in the path of the soldiers, as a mark of protest, or whether this was just a natural phenomenon. It is perhaps however no coincidence that around the same time the first of many chronicles detailing insurrection by the residents of the area can be read.

Nonetheless Via Coombelanivs was an important logistic centre for the Romans for several decades, primarily due to the residents' dexterity in the repair of war chariots - a number of whom also becoming involved in the haulage of supplies between the plain and the SPQR storehouse in Netheravon. A particularly famous wall mosaic, which was uncovered during recent renovation of the Swan Inn, shows a panoramic view of the Via Coombelanivs littered with many broken chariots undergoing various repairs.

(Next) Part 3 - The Viking Invaders

If you have any reminiscences of life in Coombe Lane during the Dark Ages (or more recently) then Email them to General (Retd) Ivor Green-Waxedjacket CJD BSE (Official Coombe Lane Historian) at igwj@sbluk.co.uk.

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Author's Notes:

Wandering Space Travelers In Coombe Lane, perhaps more than anywhere else, there is evidence to support both arguments.

Insurrection Several preserved Roman manuscripts mention a certain Cenn Drvidvs (otherwise known affectionately to the troops as ‘Scovsvs Illegitimvs’), who became something of an elder statesmen among the residents of the lane. In his youth Drvidvs was a soldier of fortune who travelled from the banks of the Mersey, served for some time with Boadiccea, and finally joined the Roman Army where he rose to the rank of Centurion. With his natural cunning and inside knowledge of the Roman modus operandi, he became a thorn in the side of the authorities.

Chariots The skills of chariot repair persist to this day, especially towards the eastern end of the lane where many hulks can be found (still awaiting repair).

Woodhenge, Stonehenge & Avebury Although the purpose of these three constructions has been debated for centuries, historians are on the other hand more or less agreed that they were all built within the space of 10 years or so. Woodhenge being a full-scale mock-up (of whatever it was they wanted to build) and is a fine example of early experimentation with the technicalities of ‘setting-out’ using wooden posts. This was followed by Stonehenge, which was abandoned prior to completion due to difficulties involved in transporting stones from Wales. The culmination, Avebury circle, solved the latter of these technical problems by using local Sarsen stones (benefiting from previous experience, the builders also made sure that this time the circle was large enough to house a decent sized pub and souvenir shop).

SPQR Later re-named the ‘Spar’ by the local inhabitants (as they couldn't pronounce ‘Spqr’).