VILLAGE BUILDING — CREATING YOUR STORY’S SETTING
Worldbuilding v Village building
Worldbuilding is the process of constructing a world, originally an imaginary one, sometimes associated with a fictional universe. Developing an imaginary setting with coherent qualities such as a history, geography, and ecology is a key task for many science fiction or fantasy writers. Worldbuilding often involves the creation of geography, a backstory…— Wikipedia
Village building is the process used by a Baby Boomer to create a fictitious village as a backdrop to her upcoming novel, The Secret Lives of the Doyenne of Didsbrook.
I grew up in a remote village, well, it was in those days, which nestled on the Wiltshire/Gloucestershire borders. Everyone knew their neighbours, who were always there to offer support whatever the problem and who provided an excellent covert neighbourhood watch from behind twitching curtains or a lazy haystack. So I have always wanted to write a novel set in a quirky village miles away from anywhere, and now I have.
You will find no clues here about what The Secret Lives of the Doyenne of Didsbrook is about, but because I got swept away with the scene setting when writing the book, most of it has been cut. So, rather than relegate it to the trash, I decided to share some of it as a precursor to my forthcoming novel.
WELCOME TO DIDSBROOK — one of the finest examples of well-preserved architectural heritage in the United Kingdom.
The village of Didsbrook is a jewel in the UK’s historical crown. It is best known as being the last remaining bastion of serenity in England’s green and pleasant land, as it is far removed from the turmoil of twenty-first-century life. Tucked away in an area of exquisite natural beauty, it nestles on the borders of the West Downs National Park, draped over a hilltop overlooking the surrounding unblemished countryside.
In 1982, remains of Homo heidelbergensis were found in Wayland Wood, adjacent to Didsbrook, a former hunting ground. It is now one of the best examples of medieval woodland still in existence. Homo heidelbergensis lived there around 500,000 years ago, skilfully butchering large animals and leaving many horse, deer and rhinoceros bones behind.
Excavations have revealed that Didsbrook was once a hillfort. Its elevated position meant early settlers were well-prepared to rebuff unprovoked attacks by marauding tribes as they could easily be seen approaching from miles around.
In AD 43, Roman armies claimed the land there and named it Didsbrookium, developing it into a market town. Then, in AD 410, the Romans decided to leave Britannia because of sustained attacks from disgruntled ancient Britons and Germanic tribes, which proved too much, even for the mighty Romans. Today, The Didsbrook Preservation Trust fully explores its Roman history so visitors can see exhibitions depicting everyday life in and around Roman Didsbrook at the perfectly preserved Roman villa and bath house on Stockyard Lane.
The Didsbrook Rise is a shallow stony brook that meanders through the heart of this stunning microcosm. ‘The Rise’ has been the source of life for thousands of years, drifting throughout the ages, unhurried by time and meteorological change. It is crisscrossed by narrow packhorse bridges which curve over its crystal clear water — home to trout and crayfish. Above the surface, mallards and Muscovy ducks coexist with mute swans, nesting in the reed beds and successfully raising their chicks each year. It leaves the village to feed the trout lake at Didsbrook Manor before it picks up speed by the old mill in Wayland Wood, the confluence point, where it joins the mighty River Stoner.
Walking along the path next to ‘the Rise’, it is impossible not to feel its intensity. Some say it is a magical feeling they have never experienced anywhere else and believe it is something to do with the ancient ley line that runs alongside it, which causes their heart to race, their fingertips to tingle, and their imagination to surge. Some say visions pop into their heads and take them back in time.
Laughing women wearing frilly mop caps and carrying shoulder yokes on their way to milk cows or collect water from the Didsbrook Rise. Men dressed in wool tunics and breeches, smoking clay pipes or chewing on pieces of straw. Some poor sod splattered in rotten tomatoes locked in the pillory in the marketplace, suffering public humiliation for perjury or subordination.
No new houses have been built in the village since the end of the 19th century, so everything is quaint. Outsiders could be forgiven for thinking that nothing much happens there as it is no more than an overgrown village, but they would be wrong. Didsbrook bustles like a market town and, surprisingly, has a cottage hospital and train station.
Medieval graffiti’ is etched on many pillars in the nave of St. Peters church, including the words, ebrietas frangit quicquid sapienta tangit — drunkenness breaks whatever wisdom touches.’ However, it is Didsbrook’s Tudor heritage that visitors flock to the village to see, and the jewel in Didsbrook’s Tudor crown is the magnificent Didsbrook Manor. Until 2018, it was one of the oldest lived-in properties in the United Kingdom, now under the conservatorship of The Didsbrook Preservation Trust.
Didsbrook Manor was home to the Strands, the renowned banking family, for over five hundred years. Each generation took great pride in providing the funding to preserve and protect Didsbrook’s ancient history. In more recent years, financial support was provided by Dame Jocelyn Robertshaw, CBE, the most famous of all Didsbrook’s residents and the last remaining member of the Strand banking family.
In the twenty-first century, Didsbrook, indigenous wildlife thrives. It is also home to one of the country's largest herds of dairy cattle, the Frogs Bottom Farm Friesians.
The population of Didsbrook is a diverse mix of artisans, retirees and many creatives. Every morning this small, harmonious community is woken not only by the dawn chorus and the gentle lowing of cattle, but lip trills and the click-clacking of keyboards can also be heard floating on the breeze.
The village offers first-rate attractions for all its ‘artsies.’ Thespians are members of the Didsbrook Amateur Dramatic Society, affectionally known as DADS, which, despite its title, DADS is far from being an amateur company. Members have received training from its founding members, Dame Jocelyn Robertshaw and Sir Arthur Boniface, distinguished Didsbrookian actors who rank amongst thespian royalty.
The magnificent Strand Theatre is one of the few theatres-in-the-round in the country. Formerly a Methodist church, Jocelyn Robertshaw converted the building into a theatre in 1993 as a permanent home for DADS. The Strand Theatre also serves as a memorial to Dame Jocelyn’s sparkling theatrical career.
Among other restorations, Dame Jocelyn is also credited for refurbishing a row of 18th Century terraced houses and transforming them into the Didsbrook Cottage Hospital, providing long-term care and outpatient services for Didsbrookians closer to home.
The membership of DAWG, the Didsbrook Authors and Writers Group, are multi-published, best-selling authors, and, so the artists within the community don’t feel left out, there is also DAB — the Didsbrook Art Bunch.
Visitors are treated to an uplifting experience as they meander through the cobbled lanes lined with black-and-white timber-framed Tudor houses. The original pillory, 14th Century clock tower, and Market Hall are situated in the heart of the village in the market square.
Also in the heart of the village are the Gatehouse Cafe and, the pub, the splendid Cat and Custard Pot. The bars and the garden are popular with locals and visitors alike. With open fires, comfy seating, cosy corners and al fresco dining, there is something for everyone. They offer bed and breakfast and have four double rooms en-suite. Their lunchtime and evening meals are excellent, and you can view their delicious menus and check out room availability @ www.CatandCustardPot.com.
Other shops and local enterprises in the village are The Final Chapter bookshop with its mind-boggling window display of the work of Didsbrook writers and authors. Every Bottle Tells a Story, an award-winning independent wine and spirit specialist owned and run by the Twopenny family.
Hargreaves — Purveyor of Fine Meats and Charcuterie is another family-run concern. The Hargreaves family are also the driving force behind Hetty’s Hotel in Nob End. Hetty and Harry converted four farm labourers’ cottages into fabulous self-catering units, originally built by Sir Archibald Strand during the 1700s. The Bothy and The Barn both sleep four people. The Bakehouse and The Bunting are both for a maximum of two people. Book online at www.hettyshotel.com.
Bab’s Air B and B is in Frogs Bottom Lane. Babs offers one self-catering unit for a maximum of two people. Formerly a man cave at the bottom of her garden, it has been refurbished to the highest standards, including a jacuzzi on the decking overlooking Frogs Bottom Farm’s fields. Babs is one of the UK’s leading authoritarians on badgers, often hob-knobs with rock royalty and fellow badger champion Brian Day.
Didsbrook is well off the beaten track but can be accessed by train or car, but there is only one way in and one way out. Those arriving by car are requested to leave their vehicles at the Wayland Wood Dairy car park, as the town is essentially pedestrian-only.
We guarantee you will enjoy your visit to this enchanting village.
Coming soon, The Secret Lives of the Doyenne of Didsbrook. Didsbrook is an overgrown village steeped in history. Life there had remained undisturbed for centuries until its most famous resident, the former darling of London’s West End turned best-selling novelist, is found dead.