⭐⭐⭐
Codford, Wiltshire
Codford sits on the southern boundary of Salisbury Plain and during both the First and Second World Wars large training and transfer camps were established for the tens of thousands of troops waiting to ship out to France. One such officer was the noted Rex Whistler, who decorated the officers mess here. Codford also received injured soldiers who were not fit to return to active duty. At the tail end and aftermath of the First World War 97 soldiers from New Zealand and Australia died in Codford either from Spanish Flu or their injuries, and are buried in the ANZAC cemetery at St Mary's Church. It was only during the Second World War that mains water came to Codford, for the soldiers, before that each home had a well, the mains water was made available to residents after the war, there is still no mains gas or drainage in the village.
The Woolstore Theatre in the High Street houses an amateur theatre company. The High Street building, part of a 19th-century wool store, was converted into a theatre in 1928. After agriculture the wool trade had been dominant in Wiltshire until cheap imports, including other materials, decimated the trade. The Woolstore became a Social Club and Cinema for the American GIs during the Second World War. At the time of writing (January 2021) there is no pub in Codford, the George became Codford Tearooms.
The Woolstore Theatre in the High Street houses an amateur theatre company. The High Street building, part of a 19th-century wool store, was converted into a theatre in 1928. After agriculture the wool trade had been dominant in Wiltshire until cheap imports, including other materials, decimated the trade. The Woolstore became a Social Club and Cinema for the American GIs during the Second World War. At the time of writing (January 2021) there is no pub in Codford, the George became Codford Tearooms.