Netheravon Road and Netheravon Close, Salisbury

Netheravon Close and Netheravon Road are both in the northern part of Salisbury. They are at the southern end of the ridge that runs from Salisbury itself to Old Sarum.

Netheravon Etymology

The derivation of the word ‘Netheravon’ in itself is fairly clear. ‘Nether’ is derived from the Old English ‘neotherra‘, meaning ‘lower’, as in ‘Netherlands’, or ‘nether regions’. ‘Avon’ is a reference to the River Avon, ‘Avon’ being a Celtic word for ‘river’. ¹

Netheravon Road does not lead to Netheravon

The slight puzzle with the name of Netheravon Road, is that you would expect it to lead in the direction of Netheravon village, but it doesn’t. As you should be able to see if you zoom around on the embedded map, Netheravon Road runs roughly East to West. Netheravon village is roughly north of Salisbury, and of Netheravon Road.

Most roads which are named after relatively local places tend to lead in their general direction. The Wilton Road runs towards Wilton, the Old Shaftesbury Drove runs towards Shaftesbury, and the Odstock Road goes to Odstock.

Whichever end of the Netheravon Road you stand, the quickest way to walk to Netheravon probably wouldn’t be to walk along Netheravon Road.

So why is it called Netheravon Road?

It could be a reference to the fact that the road is in the direction of the lower Avon – ‘lower’ here would be in comparison to anywhere up river, such as, Amesbury, or indeed the village of Netheravon.

This doesn’t quite ring true though. Netheravon Road looks to me as if it was created in the 1950s. A reference to the ‘lower Avon’ would seem a bit obscure. On the other hand, it seems confusing to name a road after a place that it does not lead to.

I don’t know why the Netheravon Road is so named. Perhaps it’s a surname? If you know the answer please leave a comment.

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Netheravon village

Netheravon village itself is, as mentioned, to the North of Salisbury. It is about 5 miles further North than Stonehenge. It stands in distinction to Upavon, which is, obviously enough, further up river.

It is probably best known today for the parachuting at RAF Netheravon ², for the Dovecote, which is now owned by English Heritage ³, and the fact Sydney Smith was the vicar of Netheravon in the 18th century.

Sydney Smith

Sydney Smith was vicar of Netheravon from 1794 to 1797. He was known as an essayist and wit. He is very quotable.

Here are some of his thoughts.

Sydney Smith on getting things done

Heaven never helps the men who will not act.

It is the greatest of all mistakes to do nothing because you can only do little – do what you can.

There is one piece of advice, in a life of study, which I think no one will object to; and that is, every now and then to be completely idle – to do nothing at all.

Whatever you are by nature, keep to it; never desert your line of talent. Be what nature intended you for and you will succeed.

A great deal of talent is lost to the world for want of a little courage. Every day sends to their graves obscure men whose timidity prevented them from making a first effort.

Sydney Smith on reading and writing

Live always in the best company when you read.

In composing, as a general rule, run your pen through every other word you have written; you have no idea what vigor it will give your style.

Sydney Smith on knowledge

Errors to be dangerous must have a great deal of truth mingled with them. It is only from this alliance that they can ever obtain an extensive circulation.

Never try to reason the prejudice out of a man. It was not reasoned into him, and cannot be reasoned out.

What you don’t know would make a great book.

Have the courage to be ignorant of a great number of things, in order to avoid the calamity of being ignorant of everything.

Sydney Smith on behaviour

Manners are like the shadows of virtues, they are the momentary display of those qualities which our fellow creatures love and respect.

Never give way to melancholy; resist it steadily, for the habit will encroach.

Never talk for half a minute without pausing and giving others a chance to join in.

You must not think me necessarily foolish because I am facetious, nor will I consider you necessarily wise because you are grave.

He had occasional flashes of silence, that made his conversation perfectly delightful.

Find fault when you must find fault in private, and if possible sometime after the offense, rather than at the time.

Sydney Smith’s salad poem

Sydney Smith also composed this poem for a recipe for salad, which was widely reproduced:

Two boiled potatoes strained through a kitchen sieve,
Softness and smoothness to the salad give;
Of mordant mustard take a single spoon,
Distrust the condiment that bites too soon!
Yet deem it not, thou man of taste, a fault
To add a double quantity of salt.
Four times the spoon with oil of Lucca crown,
And twice with vinegar procured from town;
True taste requires it and your poet begs
The pounded yellow of two well-boiled eggs.
Let onion’s atoms lurk within the bowl
And, scarce suspected, animate the whole,
And lastly in the flavoured compound toss
A magic spoonful of anchovy sauce.
Oh, great and glorious! Oh, herbaceous meat!
‘Twould tempt the dying Anchorite to eat,
Back to the world he’d turn his weary soul
And plunge his fingers in the salad bowl.

Visiting Salisbury?

For accommodation, see the Hotels in Salisbury page.

Footnotes

1. A. D. MILLS. “Netheravon.” A Dictionary of British Place-Names. Oxford University Press. 2003. Encyclopedia.com. 8 Jun. 2009 . [↩]
2. Reference to come [↩]
3. Reference to come [↩]