A GROUP of borough history enthusiasts took a trip to Pendon Museum in Long Wittenham village this month.
The Wargrave Local History Society were there to see a three dimensional model, and to enjoy tea and cakes at nearby Dorchester Abbey.
“Pendon Museum was an idea of Roye England, a young Australian,” said society secretary Peter Delaney.
“In the late 1930s, he realised that the rural landscape was changing, so he set out to create a three dimensional miniature of the Vale of White Horse.
“Each model building was painstakingly researched and re-created to one 76th of the original size.”
On the upper floor of the museum, the main display shows the Vale of White Horse as it was in the 1920s and 1930s, with the village of Pendon Parva.
“The village is fictional, but every building is a miniature of an original that existed in the Vale – although most have long since gone,” said Mr Delaney.
An important part of the Vale of White Horse was the railway lines that run through and across it.
The GWR line was the main route from South Wales to London, responsible for transportation of coal.
“The Vale scene recreates the steam trains that pulled long rakes of coal wagons,” said Mr Delaney.
“In those days, most of the coal wagons were privately owned, each having the name of the colliery or coal merchant who it belonged to on the side.
“The Pendle museum model also shows passenger trains, from the humble single carriage railcar to the main line express.”
Following on from their successful museum visit, the society members then moved on to Dorchester, where tea and cakes were waiting for them in the Abbey.
Wargrave Local History Society enjoys the study and discussion of, and research into, history in general, and of the local area in particular.
Membership is open to all.
For information, visit: www.wargravehistory.org.uk and www.pendonmuseum.com
