Codford, Wiltshire: From Population 500 to 20,000

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Codford St Peter and Codford St Mary, in the Wylie Valley, were home to 500 residents before World War One. Soon after war was declared, that small number rocketed to over 20,000 as soldiers from around the world were camped on their doorsteps. Soldiers suffered a terrible winter, bemoaning Codford’s chalky mud; local streams were filled with soldiers bathing in cold water and houses on the high street turned frontages into impromptu stalls, supplying the soldiers’ every need. Romy Wyeth is a local historian and has been telling BBC Wiltshire about the village’s wartime experience. Location: Codford, Wiltshire BA12 0PP Image: Cycling club outside the George Hotel during WW1