Beanacre

Beanacre is first mentioned in the 13th century.{{Cite book |author-last1=Chettle |author-first1=H. F. |url=https://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/wilts/vol7/pp91-121 |title=A History of the County of Wiltshire, Volume 7 |author-last2=Powell |author-first2=W. R. |author-last3=Spalding |author-first3=P. A. |author-last4=Tillott |author-first4=P. M. |date=1953 |publisher=University of London |editor1-last=Pugh |editor1-first=R. B. |editor1-link=Ralph Pugh |series=Victoria County History |pages=91–121 |chapter=Parishes: Melksham |access-date=8 December 2022 |editor2-last=Crittall |editor2-first=Elizabeth |via=British History Online}} Earlier spellings of Bennecar or Benecar are shown on Andrews' and Dury's maps of 1773 and 1810. It is probably the oldest settlement in the parish of Melksham Without and was owned by Amesbury Abbey. It seems to have grown up clustered around the Old Manor, although none of the other houses now existing precede the 17th century. Since then, the village has expanded northwards.{{cite web|website=Wiltshire Community History|title=Melksham Without|url=https://apps.wiltshire.gov.uk/communityhistory/Community/Index/159|publisher=Wiltshire County Council|access-date=27 December 2015}}

In 1848 the Wilts, Somerset and Weymouth Railway company built their line close to the west side of Beanacre, to link the Swindon-Bath line (near Chippenham) with Westbury via Melksham and Trowbridge; the line was handed over to the Great Western Railway in 1850 and is still in use.{{cite book |title=The Story of the Westbury to Weymouth Line |last=Phillips |first=Derek |year=1994 |publisher=Oxford Publishing Co. |isbn=0-86093-514-0 }}

From 1905 to 1955 there was a small station, Beanacre Halt, on the outskirts of the village on the road towards Whitley. The halt was designed to provide local services using steam railmotors.{{cite book|last1=Oakley|first1=Mike|title=Wiltshire Railway Stations|date=2004|publisher=The Dovecote Press|location=Wimborne|isbn=1904349331|page=13}} It opened for passenger services on 29 October 1905. {{cite web |title=Railways Pages 280-293 A History of the County of Wiltshire: Volume 4. Originally published by Victoria County History, London, 1959. |url=https://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/wilts/vol4/pp280-293 |website=British History Online |access-date=16 July 2020}}

The War Office bought six and a half acres just south of the halt in 1938 and built sidings to handle transfer of munitions to/from underground storage at Eastlays Quarry (between Gastard and Whitley). The sidings were taken out of use in 1948.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=F3KwAAAAIAAJ|title=Secret Underground Cities|publisher=Leo Cooper|year=1998|isbn=978-0-85052-585-4|pages=114–115|author=Nicholas J. McCamley}} Beanacre Halt closed to passenger services from 7 February 1955.{{cite news |author= |date=8 January 1955 |title=Permanent Withdrawal of Passenger Service from Beanacre Halt (Official Notice) |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0001671/19550108/179/0008?noTouch=true |url-access=limited |work=The Wiltshire Times and Trowbridge Advertiser |volume=101 |number=5,176 |page=8}}

Beanacre Old Manor is from the 14th century, with later renovation and additions including a chapel of c. 1500, and is Grade I listed.{{National Heritage List for England|num=1021755|desc=Beanacre Old Manor|access-date=27 December 2015|fewer-links=yes}} Pevsner describes the house as "a most interesting survival".{{cite book |last1=Pevsner |first1=Nikolaus |author-link1=Nikolaus Pevsner |last2=Cherry |first2=Bridget (revision) |year=1975 |orig-year=1963 |title=Wiltshire |series=The Buildings of England |edition=2nd |place=Harmondsworth |publisher=Penguin Books |isbn=0-14-0710-26-4 |page=106}} Not far away is Beanacre Manor, c. 1600 with a 17th-century dairy, and Grade II* listed.{{National Heritage List for England|num=1364152|desc=Beanacre Manor with dairy|access-date=27 December 2015|fewer-links=yes}} The Victoria County History traces the ownership of both these houses.

Beechfield House was built c. 1870 for Richard Keevil, a local gentleman farmer. It is now a hotel.{{National Heritage List for England|num=1194649|desc=Beechfield House|access-date=27 December 2015|fewer-links=yes}}

The Anglican Church of St Barnabas was built in 1886, in 13th-century style, and is a chapel of ease for the parish church of St Michael, Melksham; the 14th-century font came from there.{{National Heritage List for England|num=1285597|desc=Church of St Barnabas, Melksham Without|access-date=27 December 2015|fewer-links=yes}}{{cite web|website=Wiltshire Community History|title=Church of St. Barnabas, Beanacre, Melksham Without|url=https://apps.wiltshire.gov.uk/communityhistory/Church/Details/604|publisher=Wiltshire Council|access-date=27 December 2015}}

A Baptist chapel was built in 1846 and closed in 1967.{{cite web|website=Wiltshire Community History|title=Beanacre Baptist Chapel, Melksham Without|url=https://apps.wiltshire.gov.uk/communityhistory/Church/Details/597|publisher=Wiltshire Council|access-date=27 December 2015}}

James Nash (1834–1913), born into a Beanacre family of farm labourers, emigrated to Queensland, Australia at the age of 23 and made an important discovery of gold.{{Australian Dictionary of Biography|last=Stoodley|first=June|year=1974|id2=nash-james-4286|title=Nash, James (1834–1913)|accessdate=2014-01-31}}

{{Reflist}}

• {{cite web|website=Wiltshire Community History|title=Melksham Without|url=https://apps.wiltshire.gov.uk/communityhistory/Community/Index/159|publisher=Wiltshire Council|access-date=27 December 2015}}
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Category:Melksham Without

Category:Villages in Wiltshire