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Maud Heath was a widow who lived at East Tytherton. In 1474 she made a deed of Gift of land and property in Chippenham, to provide an income to build and maintain a Causeway from Wick Hill, through East Tytherton crossing the Wilts and Berks Canal, though this of course came afterwards, and the River Avon, on through Langley Burrell to Chippenham. Ending near St Paul's Church, where it is known as Chippenham Clift. The Clift proper was probably further in to the town, near the top of Monkton Hill.
Although starting from the top of a hill much of the land along the route was low lying and prone to flooding, her aim was to provide a dry pathway for country people to walk to market. For much of the route the Causeway is no more than a raised path, but at Kellaways it becomes a Causeway proper. This section having been rebult in 1811. It is around five feet above the modern roadway, originally on sixtyfour brick arches, though three or four of these have been replaced by the later, 1853 road bridge, which was itself replaced in 1961. |
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The Chippenham end is marked with a simple plate. There is a sundial at the river crossing at Kellaways on a pillar placed there in 1698, inscribed with the story of Maud Heath's legacy and at the top of the hill at Wick a statue. This was erected in 1838, Maud is depicted in shawl and bonnet, her basket by her side. A little thought suggests that a lady who was wealthy enough to give the aforementioned land and property would probably not have been walking to market with a basket of eggs herself, but her generosity is in no doubt. In 1974 a pageant was held to celebrate the 500th anniversary of the building of the causeway, when another sundial was built, on the green in the centre of East Tytherton. The Causeway is maintained by a Committee of Trustees, who have met every year since the death of Maud Heath. The income comes from investments now worth about £100,000 The original deed is held by Chippenham Town Council. Leaflets about the Causeway are available at the Chippenham Tourist Office and in St. Peter's Church , Langley Burrell. Langley Burrell is also the village of the famous Victorian diarist Francis Kilvert whose works have given rise to the worldwide Kilvert Society. They attend a service each year in the ancient 9th Century St. Peter's Church.   
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