One of Dilton Marsh’s claims to fame is that it is the home of a station immortalised in verse, in Dilton Marsh Halt by the late Poet Laureate Sir John Betjeman.

The Great Western Railway opened Dilton Marsh Halt in June 1937. As there were no staff to sell tickets a sign directed passengers to the seventh house up the hill, where Mrs H Roberts sold them on a commission basis until 1947.

In 1969 the station was renamed plain Dilton Marsh, and its platforms were reduced to the length of one coach. A bid to close it met by strong local opposition and the Betjeman poem featured in the fight to keep the village’s railway connection.

Our archive picture shows the entrance with the sign directing passengers to Mrs Roberts’ home up the hill.

The village is also famous as the birthplace of the late England footballer John Atyeo. Peter John Walter Atyeo was born in Dilton Marsh in February 1932 After a schoolboy career he played for Westbury United FC as a teenager.

He joined Portsmouth FC as an amateur in 1950 before turning professional with Bristol City FC in 1951. He retired in May 1966 after 597 league appearances and 315 league games.

The inside right player also played in the England squad, receiving six caps between 1955 and 1957 and scoring five goals.

When Bristol City replaced the Park End at Ashton Gate in 1994 the new structure was named the Atyeo stand. There is also a street named after him in Dilton Marsh.

He is reckoned to be the most accomplished player in the history of West Country football.

After he retired from the pitch he began a career in teaching, and went on to become a popular head of mathematics at Kingdown School, Warminster. He died in 1993.