Village History
Further Reading
This publication is available from Mr D Hamblett
71 Riding Barn Hill
Wick
BRISTOL
BS30 5QZ
Tel: (0117) 9372185
The Manor of Wyke, named after its winding brook, belonged to the Abbey of Glastonbury before the reign of Richard I. In 1192 the manor became the property of the Bishopric of Bath and Wells, thus it continued until Henry VIII acquired it in 1546. He granted it to John Wintour.
John Wintour's son, Sir Edward, became Lord of the Manor in 1608. Assuming that Wick Court was built about the year 1615, The builder would have been Sir Edward Wintour. His son Sir John Wintour sold the manor, and by 1665 it was the property of Thomas Haynes. His son followed him and for several generations the Haynes family remained in the village, until the death of Richard Haynes in 1816. The property was then sold and exchanged several times in the 19th century.
In 1900 Wick Court was purchased by Mr F C Constable and in 1919 by Messrs. Partridge & Love.
The exterior of Wick Court is of interest because of its survival in an almost unaltered state. With the exception of the added late 17th century 'sun room' carried on pillars over the old front door. The windows have been enlarged sometime since the building of the house. There is no conclusive as to the date and builder of the house.
Following the end of World War 1, physically little has changed apart from incursions involving terrain removal such as the limestone quarries and the Ochre Works. In 1924 the first daily radio service 2LO went on air nationally, a few years later electricity came to Wick. Before that there was no street lighting, and under a cloudy sky or in fog nightfall meant darkness meant darkness indeed. Not that country folk were brought to a standstill, but rather developed an ability to get around in the 'pitch dark' which on reflection was almost uncanny, and to town-folk, incomprehensible.
Being distant from the railways (though then in their heyday) the way of life was largely restricted by the lack of transport. Even bicycles were only lately coming into widespread use.
Thus it came about that with the large families commonplace in the late 1800s and cousin marriages encouraged by visitation within the families, certain names become associated with places, and Wick is no exception, but rather a case in point. The frequent mention of Cryers, Packers, Bryants, Bishops and Amoses would not appear with anything like the frequency five or six miles distant.
The Rose & Crown was the birthplace of John Gully in 1783. He became a boxer and eventually the Champion of England. He went to London, acquired fame and fortune and achieved his ambition of becoming a Member of Parliament.
At the close of World War I, the estate comprised a large proportion of the Wick area, bound roughly by the through road from the Old Post Office to Doynton, top of Togg Hill, Landsdown, Oldbury Lane and back to the Post Office. The Manor House was situated in a secluded position among the trees about 1/2 mile along the Bath Road, fairly central in a complex of seven or eight largely arable farms let to independent tenants.
Now Tracy Park is a Golf Club
