The Crammer Wall

Noel Woolrych and Tony Sedgwick ... donate a brick for £10

Crammer Wall Restoration Project

We need your help to restore the Crammer wall that supports the churchyard after it was breached following a storm in 2008.

Donate a brick for just £10. Help save an important part of Devizes' heritage.

This is a historic, and probably the most photographed, view in Devizes; the source of the legendary Moonraker’s tale for which the town is well known.

It will not have escaped anyone's notice that it is now a while since the Crammer Wall fell over.

Sadly following a spate of torrential rain and high winds, the retaining wall around the edge of St James’ churchyard was breached and collapsed during the night of 24th February 2008.

Historically, this wall was built to enlarge the churchyard to enable more internments to take place as this was a public cemetery. The churchyard was closed for burials in 1876 by Queen Victoria when the cemetery, operated by the Devizes & Roundway Joint Burial Committee, became available for burials.

The original wall was funded by a charge on the parish rate, a form of taxation that was levied by the Church. So this wall was built and paid for by the population of the town. Although the wall itself is the responsibility of St James’ Church it is seen as being part of the historic scenescape of the town and therefore a public place.

The Crammer Pond itself is owned by Devizes Town Council. The deteriorating state of the walls surrounding the Crammer has been known to the Town Council and the Church. Since then it has deteriorated considerably.

The Town Council has repaired its side of the wall. It is now our turn.

This is an engraving of what St James' Church and the Churchyard and the Crammer looked like some time around 1830.

This is an artist's impression of about the same date

It is agreed by all that the Crammer and its surrounds are an historic and important part of the heritage of Devizes.

There are photographic records dating from the 1890s which show that there was a wall in place although there are more recent photos for the mid 1950s which tend to suggest that it is not the same wall that we see today as the end nearest the road was altered when the road width was changed.
Crammer Pond view c1935

This photo ( I am not sure of the copywrite of this one) was taken between the wars possibly in the 1930s

Crammer Pond view c1950

This photo was taken in the post war period about c1950.
There are other photos that suggest that the wall was repaired in the late 1950s as the pattern of coursework changes.

As with any historic structure restoration is not straightforward; it is historic, religious and difficult to work on and there are many people and organisations to consult.

A number of options were considered as to that to do with the wall itself

1. Leave it as it is do nothing - not acceptable

2. Repair it to back where it was before the gales in the spring - possible

3. Restore it to its original sloping bank (prior to 1845) - difficult as there are interred remains and large trees in the way

4. Repair the wall but create a sloping bank in the middle as a wild life refuge - not really viable

5. Repair the wall back to where it was before the gales in the spring and add a platform of some sort for the wild life - possible.

6. Reduce the height of the wall, reducing the volume of soil and providing some sort of wildlife refuge for the smaller water birds - preferred solution.

We have teamed up with the Trust for Devizes to co-ordinate fund raising. We have consulted with the Town Council, local planning and conservation officers, the Wiltshire Wildlife Trust, County Archaeologists, civil engineers and arborologists.

Part of the Crammer itself will have to be drained to below the water table (the source of the Crammer’s water). The whole wall will have to be dismantled and the soil behind the wall removed and taken to an offsite storage area.

The foundations will need to checked and repaired.

The wall will then have to be rebuilt, but at half the height it is at present. There are a number of reasons for this. Firstly it will be less costly and secondly we want to try to “soften” the view, so that it looks a little more like it did before it was built in 1844, and is at the same height as the Town Council wall.

The soil will then be replaced and landscaped as a sloping bank at about 45⁰ and adding “loafing pads” (little platforms at water level) for the smaller water birds (this protects them from being “dive-bombed” by the gulls).

Planning permission and a Faculty (permission from the Diocese of Salisbury) are being sought.

Several engineers have looked at the problem and estimates are being costed out. However, until the whole wall is taken down we will not know the exact cost which is currently estimated to be somewhere around £60,000.

It has been suggested that as this of significant interest to the local community that outside bodies should be involved and that a Fund Raiser/Project Leader/Project manager should be sought to oversee the project. This involved calling a meeting of interested parties to get the ball rolling. They included the Church, The Diocese, The Town & former District Councils, and the Trust for Devizes, The Wiltshire Heritage Museum, and the Wiltshire Wildlife Trust.

The Archdeacon of Wiltshire John Wraw has offered his involvement and a local fundraising company has been approached to look into possible sources of funding. Also the Trust for Devizes have offered assistance. The local Press, the Gazette & Herald, have also agreed to assist with whatever publicity/campaign we propose.
We have had a number of local building firms and specialist civil enginering contractors approach us to provide quotes for the work.

However, as many of you will know from the Press reports, we need to progress this as a matter of some urgency.

What have we done so far?
Several meetings have been held to look at the best way forward.
What ever we do must stand the test of time as this is an historic view.

Tony Sedgwick from the Trust for Devizes and Noël Woolrych, Churchwarden have agreed to be the fund raising/project co-ordinators.
We have now launched a campaign to fund raise to restore the Crammer wall.

We have already held a fundraising concert, and more are planned.

We have had a number of donations and the Trust for Devizes has already pledged £2,500 towards the restoration project.

Contrary to popular opinion the Church of England is not a “rich” organisation and as a local church we have to raise our own funds locally to support any project work we undertake and this project is no different except that this is a public monument not just a church one.

Yes, we know that our congregation has raised the best part of £400,000 to refurbish the interior of our church and to build a school / church / community centre in Kajo Keji in the Sudan. However, we believe that this is a community project as it is a significant part of the heritage of Devizes.

This is what the wall would look like repaired in its existing format (artist's impression)
Restored Crammer Wall to what it was before

Restored Crammer Wall to what it was before

and this is an artist's impression of what is being proposed.

Proposed rebuilt and lowered wall
The wall slopes down from the Churchyard at about half the height it was before to match the same height as the Town Council wall.

Cross section of the wall

For those of you who like building drawings this is the cross section of the proposed restored wall.

We are now going to get accurate quotes, raise the money and apply for planning permission.
The Town Council have been very helpful.They have now completed the repairs to their length of the wall and we hoping to work in co-operation with them.

Anyone can help.

Practically you can do this by participating in one of our fund raising activities or donate a brick for £10.00.

We need 6,000 bricks to rebuild the wall. Or simply make a donation to the Crammer Wall Fund.

If you are a taxpayer you can Gift Aid your donation and St James’ Church will be able to reclaim from HM Revenue & Customs, tax of 25p for each £1 you give.

Whatever you can do to assist will help preserve our heritage for generations to come.

Download a Gift Aid Form here