AN historical society dedicated to South Marston author Alfred Williams has scooped a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

The Alfred Williams Heritage Society (AWHS) has been awarded £5,000 as part of the HLF’s All Our Stories programme, which has been developed to coincide with a BBC Two series called The Great British Story: A People’s History.

The Swindon-based group bid for the money to help it research the Swindon and Highworth Union Workhouse which stood in Highworth Road, as well as St Margaret’s Hospital, which took over the old workhouse site and was demolished about 10 years ago.

Adver columnist Graham Carter, who is vice-chairman of the AWHS, said: “Our starting point for the project is Alfred Williams’s detailed description of the workhouse from 1912, which was published in his book, A Wiltshire Village.

“In it he names more than half a dozen real people and gives a brief outline of their stories, but we wanted to develop them and find out more about those people, and hopefully trace their descendants.

“We also found that although lots of research has been done into the workhouse and what it was like to live there, information needs collating and bringing to life.

“Part of our plan is to produce a 3D computer model and perhaps also a physical model of the building to show how it was organised.”

The computer modelling will be done by the Digital Building Heritage group of De Montford University in Leicester, whose team will produce an atmospheric animated ‘fly-through’ of the workhouse and give a sense of what it was like to be an inmate.

“We’re really excited about working with the university,” said Graham.

“But there is much more to the project. We also need the help of local people.

“We are really keen to tell the whole story about the site, so we are appealing for anybody with memories of St Margaret’s Hospital, including former workers, to contact us.

“We’d also love to hear from anybody whose family history researches have thrown up ancestors who spent time in the workhouse.

“Alfred gave us a vivid insight into what life in the workhouse was like, exactly 100 years ago, but we really want to compare it to health and social care today and see how far we have come.”

Some of the grant will be used to publish a book at the end of the project, and the group will also present illustrated talks.

“This money gives us the chance to tell the story in quite a dynamic way, but the cornerstone of the whole All Our Stories project is getting communities to investigate their own heritage and tell their stories,” Graham said.

To help, contact Caroline Ockwell, secretary of the AWHS, on 01793 820951 or visit alfredwilliams.org.uk.