An elderly villager was hailed a heroine when fire destroyed her neighbour’s house.

Ann Martha Packford, a 76-year-old widow, sprang into action, running backwards and forwards with buckets of water to try to stem the flames.

She was also credited with saving the lives of two neighbours, alerting them that their home was in danger and allowing them to escape.

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Sadly, she was unable to save Clare Ridley, who lived in the cottage where the fire started.

The emergency occurred at Uffington, near Wantage, at the height of the Second World War in May 1940.

A report of the blaze, which appeared in the Swindon Evening Advertiser, has been discovered by Memory Lane reader and retired firefighter Bill Law.

The story began with 60-year-old Miss Ridley inviting a friend, Mrs Beckinsale, to her home for tea.

The newspaper reported: “Together, they had been to the village stores to buy some delicacies for the meal.

“Miss Ridley opened her door when flames shot out and enveloped her. Almost at once, her clothes were all ablaze and Miss Ridley died on her doorstep.

“Mrs Beckinsale called in the assistance of a neighbour, Mrs Packford (Ann Martha to all Uffington people) and this 76-year-old widow’s efforts provides a story of remarkable heroism.

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“Immediately Mrs Packford realised what had happened, she ran backwards and forwards with buckets of water until men arrived.

“It is possible, too, that Mrs Packford saved Miss Ridley’s neighbour, Mrs B Iles, and her daughter from injury.

“Mrs Iles’s house adjoins Miss Ridley’s and the former did not know that the building was ablaze until Mrs Packford warned her of the danger.

“Both these old world thatched cottages on the Common, Uffington, and part of the Craven Estate, were completely gutted.”

The newspaper published the story below headlines which read: ‘Cottage fire tragedy at Uffington’ and ‘Aged woman’s heroism fails to save neighbour’.

It pointed out that thanks to the efforts of Faringdon fire brigade and neighbours, most of the furniture in the two cottages was saved.

Mrs Iles’s husband and Alfred Ridley, a brother with whom Miss Ridley lived, were at work at the time and arrived to see their homes in flames.

Miss Ridley’s family had occupied her cottage for more than 100 years.

Uffington is well known for the Uffington White Horse, a prehistoric hill figure, which is 110m long and formed from deep trenches filled with crushed white chalk.

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About the author 

Andy is the Trade and Tourism reporter for the Oxford Mail and you can sign up to his newsletters for free here. 

He joined the team more than 20 years ago and he covers community news across Oxfordshire.

His Trade and Tourism newsletter is released every Saturday morning. 

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