Bremhill Parish through the Ages, the Heritage of a Wiltshire Community, by Louise Ryland-Epton

Bremhill is a large parish of scattered settlements in north Wiltshire lying between Chippenham and Calne. As a result of an innovative project involving a group of local residents working alongside professional historians researching the area for the Victoria County History, this collaborative community history of the parish was produced in 2021. It formed part of a programme of events celebrating Bremhill's heritage, and was written in parallel with an academic history for inclusion in a forthcoming Victoria History volume. It subsequently won a national award as the best local history publication of the year, and is now reissued by Hobnob Press on behalf of Bremhill Parish History Group in paperback for the first time. The book gives a vivid flavour of life in north Wiltshire from the earliest times to the present day. The stories of the places and people who have lived in this beautiful rural area are fascinating,and the excellent photographs and illustrations enhance and enliven the text. This innovative project has resulted in an accomplished and engaging history of a typical - and at the same time unique - Wiltshire parish. A recent reviewer commented: 'Parish histories are generally considered to be only of interest to local people. This one is different. It is fluently written and is well worth reading even if you have never heard of Bremhill. The book is to be particularly recommended as a model to other groups contemplating their own parish history project.' December 2023, xii, 222pp, paperback, colour illustrations, £17.95, ISBN 978-1-914407-58-1