Maud Heath’s Causeway
Illustrated by John Harris
In 1474 a wealthy widow named Maud Heath gifted a number of properties in Chippenham into a trust fund so that the income from them could be used to create and maintain a causeway. This was to enable folk from in and around Bremhill to travel to and from Chippenham by foot or packhorse without getting bogged down in the mud or wading through flooded fields. The pathway, some 4.5 miles long starts at the stone marker at the top of Wick Hill, descending to the river meadows at Kellaways before crossing through Langley Burrell and ending at Chippenham Clift. (An inscribed stone marks the end of it on the Road close to the roundabout by St Paul’s Church).
The first known public declaration of Maud Heath’s intentions were made by the trustees in 1698 when they set up a memorial pillar by Kellaways Bridge with an inscription that reads:
‘To the memory Of the worthy MAUD HEATH of Langley Burrell Widow Who in the year of Grace 1474 for the good of Travellers did in Charity bestow land and houses about Eight Pounds a year forever to be laid out on the Highways and Causey leading from Wick Hill to Chippenham Clift. This Piller was Set up by the feoffes in 1698 Injure me not’
Her pathway has been in constant use for more than five centuries during which time numerous trustees have been responsible for the financing and maintenance of it overseeing the erecting of the monuments to celebrate the lady and her gift. Oral tradition paints a picture of Maud as a market trader who bought eggs, butter, cheese and other produce from local farms selling them at markets most likely held near or at the, site of Yelde Hall in the centre of Chippenham, not far from the properties that she and her husband John had owned.
Other, more fanciful accounts give a far different insight- “By common report a market woman, who having felt by sad experience the inconvenience of a swampy walk, especially in the conveyance of such perishable wares as butter and eggs, devoted her life savings to the laudable purpose of providing a good footing for her successors in all time to come.”
On one hand she is depicted as a wealthy trader and on the other a pedlar floundering about in the mud and getting frustrated at constantly breaking her eggs on the way to market, a champion of the people who diligently saved her money to endow a pathway for future generations. Either way it is a fascinating insight into local social history. What is known is that after she had been widowed, she would have been entitled to own freehold property in her own right, as at that time the law prevented married women to do this. Their property automatically became that of the husband until his death and then it was usually passed to a son. As a childless widow, her status would have been greatly enhanced by the situation. Whilst the original trustee document and deed box is now stored at the Wiltshire and Swindon History Centre in Chippenham the absence of a surviving will or parish records means that it is not possible to verify the details of her inheritance or her circumstances when she made the gift of her causeway. However, Maud Heath’s generosity ensures that her name lives on and is to this day an important and fascinating part of Bremhill Parish history and visitor interest.
The Trustees were entrusted to use the income from the properties and land to provide and maintain a causeway running from the top of Wick Hill into Chippenham Clift. It is reputed to be one of the oldest running Trusts in the world and is also one of the longest privately owned paths maintained by any Trust in the country.
The Causeway runs for 4½ miles through the parish of Bremhill from the top of Wick Hill down through East Tytherton, across Kellaways bridge and the River Avon, under the railway line through Langley Burrell and into Chippenham. Along the Causeway there are a number of monuments and historical sites within the parish of Bremhill which are all noteworthy.
Surface construction
Much of the original surface of the Causeway has been overlaid with modern materials but evidence of the original cobbles and stone can be found in the more remote rural areas. The sets were laid at right angles to the pathway to enable pack-horses to gain foothold in wet conditions. Over the years various representations have resulted in the relaying of stones in line or covered in gravel, tarmac or paving slabs according to the location and pedestrian usage.
Caring for Maud Heath’s Bequest
Since the original Deed of Gift the trustees have looked after the Causeway and the properties with which it was originally endowed. During its history they have had to comply with statutory regulations, work as landlords and surveyors, oversee building works as well as raise funds through financial investments in order to maintain the upkeep of this unique and ancient pathway through charitable involvement
Further information…
A comprehensive work entitled ‘Dry Shod to Chippenham’ presenting historical, geographical and social contexts about this remarkable woman and her gift is available from - http://www.chippenham.gov.uk/chippenham-museum ISBN 978-1-906641-49-8
Maud Heath’s Causeway