Compton Bassett

Compton Bassett is a village in Wiltshire between Calne and Cherhill with a population of approximately 250. It is a largely rural village with several farms, a church, a pub and a shop.

Midge Mather Incident

In 1998 Compton Bassett church gained notoriety when a local resident (in fact neighbour of the church), 65 year old Midge Mather, broke into the church and cut through the bell ropes because she could not stand the noise of the bells. It took her upwards of two hours after breaking down the doors to cut the ropes and when she got home she rang the Police and told them what she had done. She was given a Conditional Discharge for her actions.

RAF connection

RAF Compton Bassett was first opened as an air base in World War I and like RAF Yatesbury, continued in the interwar years before again taking on a major role in World War II and then closing in the 1960s. The housing around the airbase continued to be used after the main base had shut by RAF staff working at RAF Lyneham and other westcountry RAF bases, and in the 1980s the housing was used for American service personnel stationed at US airbases such as RAF Fairford and RAF Greenham Common. The housing has now been sold to private buyers.

The site of RAF Compton Bassett is now known as Lower Compton, after the petitioning of the residents for a separate name, due to the fact it actually lies two miles from the village of Compton Bassett.

Parish

Compton Bassett parish forms part of The Oldbury Benefice together...
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