Abandoned Communities ..... Snap
The last two people living in Snap were James and Rachel Fisher. They appear first in the census records in 1871, when James was 46 and Rachel 45. They lived with the Fox family in the house on plot 71, the house previously occupied by the Coxheads. They were still there in 1901, when Rachel, now 76, was described as infirm from old age. Around 1909, some time after James had died, Rachel was persuaded to move away. She went to live in Cook’s Yard in Aldbourne, but missed the sound of the birds singing and the foxes barking. Rachel died in 1910.
Visitors to Snap today may arrive by car, on a bicycle, or on foot. Snap is close enough to the Ridgeway Trail to make it worthwhile taking a short detour to see the site.
If you arrive by car you should be able to park at Woodsend. You can then take the public footpath down across the fields to the valley where Snap used to lie, or you can walk along the road to Snap Farm (the farm that used to be Leigh Farm) and approach Snap down the track that used to be the main route into the village. The site of the village is now covered by vegetation and trees, some of which may date from the time when Snap was inhabited. You will come across large shrubs of box that are probably the remnants of hedges around individual properties. If you go in the early spring you will see snowdrops in the former gardens. Most of the stone from the farm house and cottages was removed long ago, but the position of each building can still be identified from its low mound of rubble. You can see the bollard at the bend in the lane and the well on the other side of the track.
Go to Geograph.org.uk for a map of the area, as well as several photographs. If you do not have an opportunity to go to the site of Snap you can get a very good impression of it from two Youtube videos produced by Wiltshire Man. Here and here.
Visitors to Snap today may arrive by car, on a bicycle, or on foot. Snap is close enough to the Ridgeway Trail to make it worthwhile taking a short detour to see the site.
If you arrive by car you should be able to park at Woodsend. You can then take the public footpath down across the fields to the valley where Snap used to lie, or you can walk along the road to Snap Farm (the farm that used to be Leigh Farm) and approach Snap down the track that used to be the main route into the village. The site of the village is now covered by vegetation and trees, some of which may date from the time when Snap was inhabited. You will come across large shrubs of box that are probably the remnants of hedges around individual properties. If you go in the early spring you will see snowdrops in the former gardens. Most of the stone from the farm house and cottages was removed long ago, but the position of each building can still be identified from its low mound of rubble. You can see the bollard at the bend in the lane and the well on the other side of the track.
Go to Geograph.org.uk for a map of the area, as well as several photographs. If you do not have an opportunity to go to the site of Snap you can get a very good impression of it from two Youtube videos produced by Wiltshire Man. Here and here.
Four
James and Rachel Fisher
Snap, seen across the field from close to Leigh Farm (now Snap Farm)
The lane through the village, and Ken Watts looking over plot 82
The remains of the cottages on plot 82
Part of the garden on plot 82