STOURTON and GASPER HISTORY

Stourton Fete Walking & Smoking Race (1910's ?)

Stourton Cricket Club, c.1910. Joseph Parsons, Captain, middle row centre in hat with band.

Tent used as a the pavillion at Stourton Cricket Ground, certainly up to World War 2, possibly after.

Kilmington & Stourton Cricket Club, 1936.

South and West Wilts Hunt Farmers v. Wilton Hunt Farmers, September 5th, 1938

‘Back in the ‘60s, when we started up the Kilmington & Stourton Cricket Club again, we asked the National Trust if we could play in The Park on the old wicket. They originally said no, so we found out that it was actually left for the use of the Villages by the Hoare Family. So they accepted that and we automatically thought we’d got our own outfield with the wicket but that’s not how the National Trust looked at it – it was only the wicket that was left for the Villages. So we had to play with cattle on the ground – from Home Farm and Coldcot…’

‘In the outfield especially you had to pick your spot where to stand or whether you could dive or whether you didn’t bother. When the ball’s run through a cowpat, nice and fresh, you did tend to just leave it alone occasionally…’ Richard Lapham

‘Every 8 years, or something like that, you would probably actually stop the Cricket Club for 2 or 3 years because you couldn’t get enough players. And that has always been the problem out here in the countryside because you have no great catchment area really…’

‘Since I was 17, I’ve always done the groundsman’s work – in those days you were the groundsman, the captain and you get the teas…’ Richard Lapham

Kilmington 1958

‘This year the Stourton Cricket XI played three matches in August on the South lawn beating the Automobile Association, Bournemouth and also Rockbeare, Devon by 2 and 4 wickets. The third match - married v singles was won by the "singles" eleven. There was also a boys match, Mrs. Hoare's XI x Buxton Xl, the home team winning.

The Spread Eagle is a lively centre for the darts league players who play one home and one away match. Among the many players for the Spread Eagle team were Alan Wood, Len Davis, John Colman, John Jenkins and David Maidment.’ Elizabeth Bullivant, 1965 from "Sporting Life"

KILMINGTON & STOURTON EAGLES F.C.

Few people know of our successful local football club, which only weeks ago won the Blackmore Vale Division One Title — under their Manager Lance Ledbury.

K&S Eagles was formed in 1998. The team originated from the former Maiden Bradley side that disbanded when the foot-and-mouth crisis forced them away from their home pitch. Mere Recreation Ground then offered them a home pitch, where they stayed until 2006. The team now plays at Wincanton Sports Ground.

It had always been The Eagles' aim to locate a home within either Kilmington or Stourton but the recreation ground in Kilmington is too small and the ideal location of Stourhead Park was denied them by the National Trust which felt that goal posts in front of the House would be unsightly. The name K&S Eagles comes from the late landlord of the Spread Eagle Inn, Roger Seward, offering them sponsorship. He didn't want to see a successful team fold and felt "it's a good thing for the village".