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Bettisfield, Maelor South, Wales |
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BETTISFIELD VILLAGE WEB |
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Bygone bettisfield |
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Bettisfield is mentioned in The Doomsday Book (see below). It is thought that the name may have come from Beddesfeld—a place of baptism, as monks from a nearby Abbey are reputed to have used The Gospel Pool (arrowed on map below) for baptisms. Many of the articles about Bettisfield first appeared in the Bettisfield Newsletter and are reproduced by kind permission of The Editor. |
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Robert Fitzhugh holds BETTISFIELD of Earl Hugh. Earl Edwin held it. There are 7 hides paying geld. There is land for 8 ploughs. In Demesne is 1 plough, and 3 villeins with 1 plough. There is half an acre of meadow and woodland 3 leagues long and 2 wide. In this land 3 knights have 3 ploughs in demesne, and 9 villeins and 5 bordars and 2 slaves and 3 other men. Among them they have 3 ploughs. A priest has 1 plough. The whole was worth 1 811 7s 4d TRE, it was waste, now it is worth 31. Besides woodland this manor is 2 leagues long and as much wide. Of this manor the bishop of Chester claims 2 hides which St Chad held in the time of King Cnut, but he complains that he has lost them from that time until now. The same Robert holds BURWARDESTONE. Earl Edwin held it. There are 5 hides paying geld. There is land for 14 ploughs |
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Copy of a page from The Doomsday Book describing Bettisfield. From The National Archive |
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Gospel Pool |
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Bettisfield in Days Gone By: The Nag’s Head Reg Meredith
Private maltings It is believed that the ‘Nags Head’ was originally built in 1729 as a private house and maltsters and can fairly safely be presumed to have been licensed as a public house during the construction of the canal some fifty years later. Some early census records of the mid 19th century show the ‘Nag’ to be in the charge of two ladies who hailed from nearby Loppington. Shortly afterwards the ‘Preston’ family moved in and remained until just prior to World War 1 when Mr. C.H. Langford took over. His family were to remain in residence until final closure in 1971. Originally the ‘Nag’ buildings consisted of a long building attached to the house and stretching to the yard gate, over which was built the grain granary. To the rear, the large attached building was the malt kiln. This comprised a labyrinth of tunnels and a furnace room. As children this proved to be a great place for hide and seek. My childhood memories of these tunnels are of the great skill employed by those old time bricklayers, something one rarely sees nowadays. It is not clear when the kiln went out of use. Grain would be suspended in the tunnels and the furnace heat would circulate through the tunnel system by natural circulation. Beer was brewed on the premises for many years presumably with home produced malt. A water supply was piped from the canal via a filtration plant. In those days canal water was not infested with pollutants. The beer, brewed in a large copper boiler at the rear of the house, was deemed to be top quality.
From maltings to Club Room In the mid 19th century no public meeting place was available in Bettisfield and so private houses were used - in fact one popular venue for dances was ‘Yew Tree Cottage’ in the Cadney. The home of one ‘Elias Dodd’ who provided the concertina music. An extremely small cottage in space - a sardine situation must have prevailed at such functions. With this problem in mind, a large section of the malt granary at the Nag was converted into a recreation room, known as the club room - all kinds of village functions were centred here. In the days long before the welfare state the only insurance against ill health was a worker’s Friendly Society. One such - The Royal Order of Oddfellows - was operated in Bettisfield. For a few coppers from his weekly wage security was ensured for a workman’s family should illness befall him. An annual dinner and sports day, again centred at the ‘Nag Club Room,’ was a much ‘looked forward to’ event. The day would commence with a parade through the village lead by Bettisfield silver band followed by club members carrying a large gold embossed banner. Parish council dignitaries, school children and anyone else who cared to follow. The parade would make its way to the church for a short service and then return to a large marquee on the Nag field where a feast awaited club members and school children.
‘How would you like your serviette Sir?’ Many amusing stories were told about club dinners, one such regarded ’The Beckett Brothers’ - two staunch club members. Prayers had been said by the vicar and dinner was being served. A waitress said “Will you have a serviette Fred”? Fred replied “Well if our Jack can eat one - I can.” Dinner finished, sporting events were participated in and in attendance would be the famous fairground operators Simons & Greatorex, with all the fun of the steam fairground. The day would be rounded off with a dance in the club room, music provided by local musicians with piano, concertina and fiddle band. The club room continued in use until into the late 1920’s when the floor was considered unsafe. By the time the village school was also being used and so the club room fell into disuse. The ‘Nag’ continued in operation in the early post W.W. 2 years under the ownership of a Wrexham Brewery Co. Due to major repair needs, 90% of the outbuildings, along with the club room, were demolished - disappearing into history. The ‘Nag’ continued for another 20 odd years but, sadly, finally closed in 1971.
Bettisfield in Days Gone By: The Village Smithy Reg Meredith
Prior to World War 1 the village blacksmith would be kept busy maintaining equipment on the local farms. The motive power of which would be based on the horse, although many farms were by this time beginning to make use of steam power - driving machinery via shafting by steam engines - the maintenance of which offered another job to the village smith.
On the outbreak of World War 1 a great demand arose for horses for the military. This call being answered by the farming world gave the village shoeing smith still more work. After the war, mechanisation had taken great advances, the internal combustion engine was taking over from steam. Agricultural machinery was beginning to get more technical and outside the scope of the average village smith, although he still shoed the horses, re-tyred the cart wheels and repaired the machinery. |
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The Smithy and Post office 1910 Thomas Potts and Family with Arch Meredith |
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Mr. Tom Potts obtained a steam traction engine, threshing machine and straw baler, and began agricultural contracting by the mid 1930’s. Internal combustion powered tractors had more or less ousted the farm horse and Tom Potts had by now purchased three tractors- steam being discarded - along with more machinery and was by now into full time contracting. The smithy being now a side line. With the outbreak of World War 11 a great food production drive began, and all agricultural contractors and farmers were put under great pressure to produce the required amounts of food. Thomas Potts was kept very busy during these years and built his business up to some 12 or 15 tractors with associated machinery. Sadly, a very popular figure, he passed away in the early post war years. The business passed to his son Mr. G. Potts and was finally closed on his retirement. The old smithy remained derelict until the Canal Paddock Development took place when it was demolished to pass into history.
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Bettisfield in days gone by: The Village Hall Reg Meredith Outbreak of WWII halts building I mentioned previously that many years ago public functions would be held in private houses, one popular venue being ‘Yew Tree’ cottage in The Cadney. Upon the ‘Nag’s Head being turned into a public house, it was originally a maltsters, the large granary attached to the premises was converted into a recreation room. Originally converted for the use of the local Oddfellows Society, the club room was to be used by the whole village for many years towards the end of the 1920 s. The club room began to need repairs, which the brewers company owners would not agree to and so by early 1930 it was condemned for public use. The new school, built 1898, was now the other alternative. Although inconvenient, it continued to be used throughout the 1930 s. After many years of fund-raising a committee was formed around 1938 with a view to building a new village hall. Plans were submitted and a builder from Whitchurch commissioned to do the job. The building was an elaborate brick affair with a pillared front entrance. Work commenced in 1939 on a piece of ground adjacent to the school and leased by Sir Edward Hanmer. Work was progressing well until the war outbreak in September 1939, when all building work was curtailed. The walls of the village hall reached a height of about 4 ft. and were to remain so until 1945. With the return to peace time an examination of the site concluded that, due to weather deterioration, the existing building needed demolishing. With the acute shortage of materials and accelerating costs it was decided to shelve the project and continue to gather funds. The New Hall With the approach of 1950 it was becoming more than evident to the village hall committee that, with the rapidly escalating costs, rationing and even non availability of some building materials, that the envisaged pre-war design was not feasible and, so after some deliberation, it was decided that some form of ex military building - of which there were plenty on the market -would be utilised. Mr E.J. Edgerton of Welshampton was called in as advisor and builder and two ex-army huts were duly purchased and work commenced. Much of the work being done by voluntary labour. The original foundation was used wherever possible and the building was of wooden construction, brick clad to a height of one metre and then felt clad with an asbestos roof. Apart from the main hall, a large kitchen/games room, along with ladies & gents toilets, was added at the rear. Obviously this kind of structure would have a limited life span, but was the only alternative at this time. The hall was finished in early 1952 and the inaugural ceremony was carried out by Sir Edward & Lady Hanmer. |
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Opening Ceremony Mr & Mrs A Hughes Rev E Jones Mr F G Hitchen Mr & Mrs F J Watson Mrs F G Hitchen Lady Hanmer Sir Edward Hanmer Mr & Mrs B Hallmark, Misss Jennifer Walsh |
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The Hut is pensioned off After a few years good service, especially to the ‘Women's Institute’ and the ‘ Youth Club’ by the mid 1960’s the inevitable repairs became necessary. Fortunately, just at this time, due to the local education re-organisation, the school was closed and was passed over to the village for use as a village hall. Although not highly suited for this purpose, the building was of good construction. After suitable alterations the new village hall became useable. The old building being dismantled. In recent years the hall committee have worked very hard. Repair work has been carried out, heating system fitted, new fences & landscaped grounds. A sporting facility has been constructed on adjoining ground kindly donated by Mr & Mrs John Parker. Plans are now well advanced for modifications to the kitchen, toilets and extension to the main hall which, when completed, should provide the village hall with a recreational facility for many years to come.
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