Old Parsonage Farm & The Warre Sisters

The Warre Sisters—Eleanor, Agnes, and Pauline—were a remarkable trio who left a lasting legacy in Harnham through their artistic, charitable, and community-focused endeavours.

Eleanor Warre was a talented designer and painter of Church Art, including stained glass windows, whose designs are still found in Churches in Salisbury today. Her artistic journey began at the Melksham School of Art, where she excelled in her studies. Later, as the family settled in Salisbury, Eleanor's skills flourished. She designed a carpet for the sanctuary of St Andrew's Church, made by the Wilton Carpet Factory, and created stained-glass windows for St George's Church in Harnham.

After their father's death in 1917, the sisters purchased Old Parsonage Farm in Harnham, where they established a studio and integrated into the local community. They contributed to the parish by designing stained-glass windows for St George's Church and St John's Church, and by creating an oak reredos and a glass mosaic mural. Their involvement extended to running the farm, training the choir, and actively participating in parish affairs. Agnes was the most active - providing land for the Scout Hut next to the Parish Hall and sat on management board for the creation of the Memorial Hall - then known as the Parish Hall. 

Following Pauline's death in 1948, the sisters' estate included a generous bequest of £40,000 to St George's Church. They also donated farmland to the parish and city, including the recreation ground beside the River Nadder and Parsonage Green. Their name endures in the Warre Acre Allotments below Harnham Hill.

Eleanor and her sisters are buried at St George's Churchyard in Harnham, where their contributions to the community and the arts are commemorated. Without their very generous contributions to Harnham it is very likely the shape and feel of the community would be very different.