Trumptonshire facts for kids
Trumptonshire is a make-believe county created by Gordon Murray. It's the setting for three popular TV shows: Camberwick Green (from 1966), Trumpton (from 1967), and Chigley (from 1969). These shows are often called the "Trumptonshire Trilogy."
The characters in Trumptonshire are special 8-inch (20 cm) tall stop-motion puppets. This means they are moved tiny bits at a time and photographed, making them look like they are moving on their own! Trumpton is the main market town, famous for its grand town hall and clock tower. Camberwick Green and Chigley are two peaceful villages nearby.
Exploring Trumptonshire's Towns and Villages
In the world of Trumptonshire, there are several interesting places. We learn from the shows that Wellchester is the biggest city in the county. In the Chigley episode "The Balloon," you can see amazing views of the Trumptonshire countryside. There's even a large medieval castle, though its name is never mentioned.
Gordon Murray didn't make an official map of Trumptonshire. The only map seen in the shows is at the Trumpton fire station. Some people think it actually looks like an area in Italy! Still, we know about these places from the stories:
- Camberwick Common: This area is next to Camberwick Green. We don't visit it in the shows, but it's where the soldier boys from Pippin Fort often train. There are also clay pits nearby.
- Camberwick Green: This is a quiet village with a Post Office and several small shops. It's like many English villages were in the 1960s. The area around it includes places like Colley's Mill, Bell's Farm, Tripp's Dairy, and Pippin Fort. This village is very important in the first Trumptonshire show and appears in all three series.
- Chigley: Another peaceful village, Chigley is a short distance from Camberwick Green. It has some bigger businesses, like Cresswell's Chigley Biscuit factory and Treddle's Wharf. There's also a Chigley Pottery, where things are made by hand. A canal, called the Trumpton Canal, and an unnamed river flow through the village. Chigley is the main setting for the third Trumptonshire show.
- Trimbridge: This village is further along the river from Chigley. The bridge at Trimbridge is the first place you can cross the river after Chigley. There's a direct road from Chigley to Trimbridge that runs along the river.
- Trumpton: This is the local market town. It has its own town council and a mayor. Trumpton provides many services for the whole area, most famously its Fire Brigade. You'll find various shops, a big public park, and many streets with houses. Some people, like the Mintons, live in cottages on the edge of town. Trumpton also has a hospital, a swimming pool, a public library, a waterworks, and a gasworks. It's the main setting for the second Trumptonshire show.
- Wellchester: This is the county's large town or city. It's quite a distance from Trumpton and has big department stores. For example, Mrs. Honeyman goes to Wellchester because she hears a department store has a sale on hats!
- Winkstead Hall estate: This is the home of Lord Belborough and his staff. It's located on the edge of Chigley and is shown in every Chigley episode.
- Wintlebury: This is another town in Trumptonshire. The only train service shown in the series is Lord Belborough's special old-fashioned railway. However, the nearest main train station is in Wintlebury, where you can catch direct trains to London. To get to Wintlebury from Chigley, you drive through Trumpton.
Where is Trumptonshire in Real Life?
It's not completely clear where the fictional places in Trumptonshire are based in the real world. However, Gordon Murray said that the three main places – Camberwick Green, Trumpton, and Chigley – are based on real locations that form a triangle, about one and a half miles from each other.
Many people believe the real places are Wivelsfield Green (for Camberwick Green), Plumpton (for Trumpton), and Chailey (for Chigley). These are all neighboring communities in East Sussex, England, and they are indeed arranged roughly like a triangle. If this is true, then the city of Wellchester might be Chichester. These locations have been suggested as the inspiration for Trumptonshire in many British news stories.
Trumptonshire on DVD
In 2011, the team at BBC Studios and Post Production worked to make all 39 episodes of the Trumptonshire Trilogy look brand new for DVD. They carefully cleaned, scanned, and digitally fixed the film footage, frame by frame. This means you can watch the classic shows with great picture quality!
