Project ’22 – The Sale of the Sarsden Estate 1922/2023

Project ’22 – The Sale of the Sarsden Estate 1922

The Churchill and Sarsden Heritage Centre have a big anniversary to celebrate in 2022

This exhibition celebrated the centenary of the sale of the Sarsden Estate which owned practically the whole of the village of Churchill together with neighbouring land and property. Its sale in 1922 had a profound effect not only on Churchill, but also on nearby Sarsden, Chadlington and Lyneham, so a group of volunteers, led by Linda Devlin, researched the social and economic reasons for this important sale, and its impact on the owners and occupiers of the various properties.

Unlike the sad fate of some country estates that were broken up and sold off after WW1, the story of the Sarsden Estate is largely a positive one.

The results of this research revealed some lovely stories of the people who owned these properties and formed the basis of our 2023 exhibition, which featured photos, old postcards, deeds, and interviews. These findings are an important contribution to the history of our local area.

From Our Guest Book

  • "Very good new interactive displays, very comprehensive."

  • "A fascinating display in a very beautiful setting."

  • "Beautiful restoration, very nicely done! Unexpected hive of information."

  • "Great building, well restored. Charming!"

  • "A fine chance discovery"

  • "A fascinating visit. William Smith was a wonderful man! "

  • "Lovely spot, so grateful this part of the old church was saved."

  • "Congratulations to all on this initiative.  So well-organised and user-friendly."

  • "A little gem I didn't know existed."

  • "Excellent to have this centre as a focus for Churchill's history - especially in relation to William Smith."

  • "Why haven't we been here earlier? We shall certainly return!"

  • "Fantastic, absolutely first class. Most interesting and informative."

  • "Such a wonderful enterprise. The locality should be proud of it."

  • "What a lovely treat to stumble upon. Thank you for preserving a part of our Heritage"

  • "Beautiful setting, very peaceful & informative"