Winchester historians release book detailing the Worthys in pictures

The book, entitled The Four Worthys, was written by Barry Shurlock, designed by Tim Underwood and printed by Tony Hill.

It features photographs from the Worthys Local History Group covering Martyr Worthy, Abbots Worthy, Kings Worthy and Headbourne Worthy, with the earliest photos coming from approximately 1850.

L to R, Barry Shurlock, Tony Hill, Tim Underwood (Image: Barry Shurlock)Barry said: “For 40 years the inhabitants of the four Worthys have been collecting pictures, most of these are stored digitally, aren’t easily available, and are not online. So we thought it was about time to select some pictures and put them in a book.

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“There are sections on each of the four villages, and then we have sections on individual topics like farming, industry, and the Worthys at war.

“Unlike many villages, the Worthys have a very rich heritage and there are many aspects that you won’t find elsewhere. The Winchester Racecourse was here, there was a military aerodrome in the First World War, and the area was important in the Second World War when amongst the pilots who trained here was Sir Laurence Olivier, who lived in Headbourne Worthy with Vivian Leigh.

“It is a great opportunity for people to catch up with the story of the Worthys with photographs going back to the mid-1900s, when a local rector was both an artist and a pioneer photographer. I believe that unless you know the history of a place it is difficult to understand it, and as a local resident, life is much richer when you know what happened in the past.”

The Four Worthys is currently available to purchase from P&G Wells in Winchester, or by emailing wlhg.chair@gmail.com.