General Chat

Well done Lesley, you cracked it. I think Roland has missed your post as well. I tried to google it but couldn't find anything, how did you find that? Interesting answer. :-D

I always assumed the reference was to Purton near Swindon in Wiltshire, but maybe it might refer to one of the Purtons on the River Severn. South Cerney lies on the course of the now derelict Thames and Severn Canal. Could it have it origins in canals or boats and was brought by the barge operators?
Reference to open doors and barns, what we used to call "Dutch barns" didn't have sides, so the wind would whistle through just as it would through an open door.

Ro.W

THE ANCIENT SALTS HOLE. SULPHATED AND BROMO-IODATED SALINE WATER ANALYZED BY D.VOELCKER 1880

It is curious, by the way, that the only structural part of the pump-house to have disappeared should be the doors. It is well-known in Wiltshire that they have no doors in Purton [5]: so much so that, should you forget to close the door behind you, the cry goes up: 'D'you come from Purton?'

But there is actually a good reason why the doors are missing from the pump-house, as the current owner of Spa House, Mr Roberts, told me in October 1997. Apparently 'various people about the place' were (and are) so keen to continue drinking the healing waters that they systematically and repeatedly forced the doors to get to the well [6]. In the end Mr Roberts gave up the struggle and has simply stored the doors in his barn. It seems that locals feel as strongly now about their right to drink the waters of their healing well as they did back in the 1850s when Dr Sadler tried to drain it.

Location: GR 084 906, Sheet 1134. At the crossroads on the B4553 in Purton Stoke take the road running west through the village. At the point where the lane bends sharp left, continue on the right-of-way straight ahead down an unclassified road with a good tarmac surface between wide grass verges. Salts Hole stands on private land in a narrow band of trees to the right of the lane, but a good view can be had from the rustic gate by the grass verge.

http://people.bath.ac.uk/liskmj/living-spring/sourcearchive/ns6/ns6kmj1.htm


Lesley x

I love such questions & replies. They are always so imteresting, especially when many people try to think of a solution.
My mother used to say the same as Roland says, i.e " do you live in a barn"... Mind you, I don't really get the connection with doors being left open & barns.lol

Pity somebody doesn't know the answer Roland, It is an interesting question. The only thing I know about Purton in Gloucester, well the 2 Purtons. They are directly opposite each other across the River Severn. The one on the Cotswold side of the river has large barges driven into the bank, beached there to help stop erosion (I think that is correct). I love walking around that area it has such a timeless feel about it.

Interesting replies. I always assumed that the reference was to Purton in Wiltshire and was rather derogatory implying that the people from there lived in hovels that didn't have doors. But maybe the reference was originally more complimentary, possibly a reference to sheep stealing. South Cerney lies on the Gloucestershire/Wiltshire and there are stories about thieves crossing the county border to avoid the authorities. Maybe Purton was a safe place to store or dispose of the loot.
Ro.W

Well there are two Putons in Gloucestershire and one in Wiltshire. Wonder which one it referred to given that South Cerney is sort of halfway between them.

Here we say 'Do you come from Yapton?'.

That is because Yapton lies behind the village of Middleton which, although it is well up itself now, was once a very rough place indeed and smuggling was rife there.

The people of Yapton, being only too pleased to be of help to those avoiding customs, would leave their doors open to receive a little drop of something or, maybe somebody being pursued by the revenue officers.

When I was growing up in South Cerney in Gloucestershire in the 50's and 60's, whenever somebody entered a room and left the door open, he/she would be asked "do you come from Purton?" in the same way as someone may be asked "do you live in a barn? Obviously this was rather unfair on the people of Purton, but does anyone have any ideas about the origin of this expression? When I asked my father about it years ago, he had no idea, but my grandfather may have used it. It may have been just a very local expression, confined to the people of South Cerney or even just to my family. Any ideas? Of course the people of Purton may have said "do you come from Cerney" in the same way.

Ro.W