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| The River |
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The Stour was probably the reason for the growth of Shapwick, or rather because the Badbury-Dorchester Roman road crossed the river by a ford close by where the church now stands.
To the kids, the river was like a magnet. We swam in it; sat by it; walked along the banks; punted on it. We were able to borrow a punt from Roger Spooner's step dad. One day, showing off, we insisted on taking the big pole, and wished we hadn't, as it was just too heavy to handle. And so, we ended up on the island, and after a break, had the strength to get back to the bank, but just couldn't punt upstream to the mooring. Small pole after that, boys! Crayfish were found in submerged cans and tins near the island. Good to look at and then throw back in... Floods were a normal winter hazard. Most of the village was built just above the floodplain but the church and nearby houses and cottages suffered. The phrase "floods over Pound" referred to a severe flood that had topped a low rise near the old village pound next to Cross. This led to flooding of the properties around the pub and on up High Street. West Street seemed to climb a little and did not flood, whereas Stewart's Lane always did to greater or lesser extent. The cottage opposite Pound sometimes found itself an island, and once I recall the water running through the front door, along the flagstoned hallway, and on out the back door. Amazingly, the rooms were just a step higher than the hall and remained dry! There has never been a bridge over the Stour at Shapwick, and the ford was never used in my day. This meant the meadows on the other side were always seen but never walked. To cross dryfoot, the old, old bridges at Crawford or White Mill, each over a mile away, were used. A visit to these structures, hundreds of years old, is a must to appreciate the building work involved.
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