Salisbury Cathedral Close
Preservation Society

There is a river wanders through a town,
And crossing it downstream an ancient bridge
Connects the town and village.  On this road
Trollope once walked, and stood and saw the view.
So Barchester was born, the Warden lived.
From this old bridge you look towards the town,
The marvellous Spire which points our way to God.
You see old houses on an island where
The river parts; here birds are flourishing.

Beyond, an orchard blossoming in spring,
And other fields and trees and houses too,
Eighteenth and nineteenth century, some built on
An earlier thirteenth century college site,
Foundations where the word of God was taught.
This scene was often sketched by Constable
And his most famous painting done nearby.
It’s not much different now than in his day.

In this most pleasant corner of the town
A lot of people live each side the bridge;
And some look north, some south, some east, some west
Enjoying different aspects of the place,
Of river, trees and fields and open space
Where sheep may safely graze and children play.

But not for long.  For THEY have come along,
Barbarians and vandals with no soul.
“Ha!  There’s some land quite useless and unbuilt,
The right place for a brand new access road.
This will solve all our problems, bring the crowds
Who come to gaze and gawp and go their way.
But they’ll pay parking, entrance – all adds up.”

“But what about the people who live here,
And love their little corner, with its peace?”
“Oh, they are unimportant, they don’t count.
They’ll raise a whimper, moan a bit, that’s all.
If they don’t like it, they’ll up sticks and go.”

“But some are old, have lived a long time here.”
“Then thank their stars it only happens now!”
“But others have saved up to buy their house,
This conservation area costs a lot,
And their official searches promised them
That no development would be allowed.
They’re told this while this road is being planned.”
“And they believed it?  More fool them I say.”
“But now the value of their house is halved.”
“Well, isn’t life like that, some win, some lose.
But we must do it in great secrecy.
They mustn’t have an inkling what we’re at.
And if we work this right we’ll get the plans
All fixed up and approved, and there you are!
By then we’ll have the big guns on our side.”
“But should we not just tell these people who
This most affects just what we plan to do?”
“No we don’t want to listen to their whines.
We’ll face them with a fait accompli when
The plans are done and we have bought the land.
Then ‘Triumph!’  There is nothing they can do”.

“But what’s this line here on this plan?  It shows
All Dean and Chapter houses in De Vaux,
Whereas in truth they’re freehold, all but one.”
“Yes, don’t you think that’s good?  The architects
Will think that if they’re ours they’ll do no harm
Destroying the environment and views.
If they are shown as freehold property
The architects might say ‘What do they think?
The people living there?  They should be asked.’
And think of all the trouble that would cause.

The trees must all come down, that’s very clear,
To make way for our new and splendid road.”
“But they’re preserved, you’re not allowed to chop.”
“But don’t you know about the greater good?
And come now, who will miss a little wood?”
“I think those who love trees will weep their loss.”

“Oh, you do make a fuss.  Things grow and pass,
What’s in a tree, what price a piece of grass?
They all must go for profitable things.
Cathedral maintenance and solvency
Is all that matters, you know very well.
And as for residents, they’re secondary,
Even those who pay their tithe and worship here
Can’t be compared with tourists’ pounds and pence.”

“And how can we finance this great new road?”
“We’ll sell the lease of houses which we hold.
We’ll get the richest people in the land,
We’ll be surrounded by the old and grand.
The young and unimportant go elsewhere.
They can’t afford us, so they’re no place here.”

At last he rose and twitched his cassock green.
Tomorrow to fresh fields and sites unseen.