History
There has been a village practice in Fovant since 1853, including three generations of the same family, Drs Clay. This is a remarkable record for a country general practice. The last Dr Clay practice for an incredible 53 years, from 1917 until 1970, from the Manor House in Church Lane now owned by Salisbury surgeon, Mr John Cooke.
Dr Gordon Morse took over the practice from Dr Clay's successor, Dr John Cannon, on his own retirement in 1988, and moved the surgery to a house known as 'Beech's Brook', in the High Street, presumably so-called because of the beech hedge surrounding it and the brook across the road. The spelling was changed to the proper spelling of the famous Grand National fence. Dr Andy Hall joined Dr Morse as a partner in August 2007 and the following year, on Dr Morse's retirement, the Fovant single-handed practice merged with the larger Orchard Partnership with its surgeries in Wilton and Codford. At that point the surgery, yet again, changed its name to the Spring Orchard Surgery both to maintain the existing theme within the partnership (Old Orchard, Wilton, Cherry Orchard, Codford) and in recognition of the old Saxon name for Fovant deriving from the ancient English word for Spring.
Fovant is famous for the 'Fovant Badges' - a collection of huge engravings in the chalk downland to the south of the village, in the shapes of Regimental cap badges. Fovant was, at one time, a large military camp from which many soldiers were demilitarised after the Second World War, and these badges were carved by soldiers with time on their hands, and are maintained today by the Badge Society.
Much of the local 'industry' is, of course, farming but, in nearby Chilmark, very high quality building stone has been quarried by hand since the Middle Ages, and continues to this day. Stone from Chilmark was used for the rebuilding of London after the Great Fire of 1667 and the resulting caves were used by the RAF for storing munitions until closure of the base in 1994.
Nowadays, like so many villages of great charm and beauty, prices of houses have risen to the point where few people born in the village stay with us through adult life. Yet despite the influx of people from around the country, we still enjoy a very strong sense of village community and there are many local organisations, clubs and societies that flourish.
Fovant is surrounded by some very beautiful countryside which forms the basis for much of our local pastimes. We have amongst us - artists, walkers, fishermen, equestrians, and those who enjoy hunting and shooting as well as just the (relative) peace and quiet of country life.
The picture of Dr Clay (right) at the desk of his consulting room in Church Lane was taken by one
of our patients, Patrick Faithfull of Baverstock.