Tag: dorset

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The Wishing Well at Upwey: A History

Another lockdown project comes to fruition and has now just been published. This is all about The Wishing Well at Upwey, Weymouth in Dorset. This place is special to many people, tourists and locals alike. When I started this I had no idea how much history there was to uncover, particularly to do with Royalty. Indeed, I started this after I had looked into King George III and Upwey (see another post), when I discovered that the King came to the Wishing Well.

The link to the full article is no longer available as it now forms part of a book, available on Amazon.

Click the image to view the book on Amazon

The location seems to have been favoured by Royalty. Those who visited include the following:

King George III. and his wife Queen Charlotte, who came repeatedly, with the princesses.

Prince Arthur, son of Queen Victoria

The Duchess of York, who would go on to become Queen Mary, consort to King George V.

The Prince of Wales, who would go on to become King Edward VIII.

Outside of Royalty, famous visitors include Thomas Hardy, who came her on at least one occasion when on a cycle tour with his niece. It seems like John Cowper Powys would have also visited, because he includes the place in his novel Weymouth Sands.

Upwey Wishing Well tourist jugs

Upwey, Wishing Well, Dorset, Postcard
Upwey, Wishing Well, Dorset, Postcard
Upwey, Wishing Well, Dorset, Postcard
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Thomas Hardy and Upwey

Another lockdown project completed and published. This one examines in depth the relationship between the great writer Thomas Hardy and Upwey, a village in Dorset between Dorchester and Weymouth, now absorbed into the latter.

Thomas Hardy had close relatives who lived in Upwey, and the main focus of these seems to have been The Royal Standard public house and nearby buildings. Thomas Hardy also used locations in and around the village in his writings, including Under the Greenwood Tree (The Old Ship Inn) and The Trumpet Major. I also discovered that Thomas Hardy visited The Wishing Well at Upwey.

I was unable to come across any earlier examination of Thomas Hardy’s paternal aunts in Upwey, so this may be the first publication of this kind.

The link to the full article is no longer available as it now forms part of a book.

Please click the image to view the book on Amazon

The Old Ship, Upwey, Weymouth, Dorset
The Royal Standard, Upwey, Weymouth, Dorset
Upwey Wishing Well, Upwey, Dorset

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King George III in and around Upwey, Weymouth, Dorset

The article once linked here is no longer available as it now forms part of a book.

Please click the image to view the book on Amazon

The article examines the activities of the Royal Family in the area around Upwey, which is about 4 miles north of Weymouth town centre. This started as a project during the “lockdowns” when I found myself unable to travel to do the research for my next project on Anglo-Saxon history. Instead, I found myself reading more and more books on local history. I noticed a few references to King George visiting Upwey, which whetted my appetite and I wanted to learn more. What I found out quite surprised me in that the King, and even more so his wife Queen Charlotte, visited the area on many occasions.

Looking from south-west to north east over Upwey. The part of Upwey where the church is located is out of shot to the left. In the distance ((with the clump of trees) is Bincombe Down
The Royal Standard, Upwey. King George III would have passed this location more than 90 times. Perhaps this is why this pub has this name, although I have no evidence that there was a pub here at the time of King George’s visits. It is one of my favourite pubs.
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A Christmas Poem

Christmas Coals, by Danielle Wootton.

As days lose their shine, people snuggle tight, sitting around fires absorbing warmth through bright lights,
Pets rolling and sleeping in front of coals dotted with blue sapphire sparks, 
Feet warming, faces glowing in front of a fire with everyone’s secrets. Past Christmas’s appear in one’s mind as mini-stories amongst the fire coals.
Everyone has a story whether joyful or sad, or affected by illness. All of us not left untouched by the power of Christmas past or present. Just stare into the coals for one’s fortune to be told. The coals drop suddenly through the grate, the burner blows and gasps as the wind whips down.
No one stirs while the fire bows and puffs,
The cat yawns, stretches out just a few minutes more before moving,
More coal is poured onto the fire, now it is too much for the black cat with emerald eyes, though he remembers a time when there was no place at the fire for him as he had no home, the  long-haired cat rescued from the garden now loved like a prince remembers his lonely Christmas story living amongst the Badgers and pines,
He looks with love in eyes at his rescuer who is lost in the coals not well lacking energy for spirited festivities,
Nothing is perfect as Christmas always demands, but kindness over-rides real life imperfections damping Christmas.
Warmth and love is in the room not just from the coals.

black cat and Christmas decorations
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King Alfred

The statue of King Alfred in Winchester

UPDATE: THE BOOK, KING ALFRED: A MAN ON THE MOVE is now published and is available through bookshops and Amazon, through the link here

My name is Dr Paul Kelly and I am writing a book on King Alfred the Great. The adventure started when I accompanied my partner to Winchester and found myself at the former site of Hyde Abbey, the last known location of King Alfred’s remains. I was struck by the absence of visitors. I have since been back a few times and it has been the same (except a few local residents, joggers and dog walkers). I am also a repeat visitor to Athelney, on the Somerset Levels, perhaps one of the most significant sites in English history. It is where King Alfred set up camp as a first step in wresting back his kingdom of Wessex from the Vikings. Usually it is just me and some sheep. So I started to develop an idea about a book that would raise the profile of these places and inspire people to visit and appreciate them. It soon started to grow into something bigger as I realised how much there was to learn and pass on. Despite trying to focus down on what really happened, I also came across numerous legends and mysteries surrounding King Alfred’s life and I decided to include these as well. There are quite a few books on King Alfred, but I feel that I have created something original. There will be a few ideas that are not particularly main stream, but I have followed the evidence, such as it is. The book is aimed at a general readership andI hope that it will be read by all those with an interest in King Alfred, the Anglo-Saxons, and English history in general. I have been writing a blog on King Alfred, which has much more information, and there is also a website for the book. There is even a Youtube channel!