Wiltshire, Hinton Parva, Castle Combe, The Saxon abbey became a famous centre of scholarship and learning. and Breakfasts. • 2013 – 2nd (one point behind Dinton) in the Laurence Kitching “Winner of Winners” Award Historical Wiltshire TOWNS AND VILLAGES – a brief history Alderbury The village on the eastern side of the ‘long ford’ has a saxon name and is on the site of an occupied Roman settlement.... 0. Pewsey, In Great Bedwyn a team of volunteers was responsible for the village catching the eyes of the BKV judges. Devizes. Avebury, Castle Combe is one of the prettiest villages in England in every possible sense. Castle Combe, Wiltshire. • 2002 – Did not enter. A mile away is Silbury Hill, the largest manmade mound in Europe. • 2006 – Did not enter Sleeps 4, A delightful, singl –storey, semi-detached barn conversion, one of two holiday cottages on site, on a working beef cattle farm, set in a semi-rural, Northern Wiltshire location, just two … and Breakfasts, A lovely historic market town straddling the River Avon. This is a list of cities, towns and villages in the ceremonial county of Wiltshire, England. Perhaps the prettiest village in England, Castle Combe in the Wiltshire Cotswolds is a picturesque little community nestled on the edge of the Bybrook River. The pub dates back to the early 1600’s and there are still many historic features playing a part in creating the prefect British pub atmosphere. Sir Nigel said the village's success was due largely to one parish councillor, Barbara Philpott. As one of the most fertile regions in England there’s abundant farmland in Wiltshire, interspersed with well-looked after towns, and villages prized for their cute thatched cottages. Now the area is celebrating having two of the best kept villages in the county. The only one not to win in the finals was Winterbourne Bassett in the small villages category. The early medieval historian, Wiliam of Malmesbury, was born here in 1090 and was educated at the abbey school. • 2003 – no info available A big shout out to Mike from CPRE Wiltshire for his help in providing this information. Malmesbury Abbey was dissolved in the Reformation, but part of the magnificent abbey church survives as the local parish church. • 2007 – 2nd in Kennet England, Malmesbury is the oldest borough in England, a status granted by Alfred the Great in AD 880. This page lists Ashton Keynes - Pewsey. Mr Goss, who modestly omitted to say that he picked up litter himself, said: "A lot of people just get on with keeping the place tidy without any song and dance. You will find no satellite dishes here, nor any other signs of encroaching 'civilisation'. • 2014 – 5th in Kennet Swindon. Imber, Calne. She said: "There is no better place to live. Long before Alfred, there was a 7th-century castle and monastery here on a hill overlooking the River Avon. Historic towns and villages in Wiltshire, part of the Wiltshire Travel guide at Britain Express, highlighting attractions, history, and visitor information. ©Copyright 2001-2020. Others like Diana Marchant-Smith provide and tend floral displays. England, Hinton Parva, Wiltshire is a lovely little village just east of Swindon. The military kept the village after WWII ended, and it is open to visitors for six weeks each year. A Gannett Company. It is blessed with several picturesque thatched cottages and a Saxon church. A small museum just outside the Abbey gates tells the story of Talbot's discoveries. As a subscriber, you are shown 80% less display advertising when reading our articles. Nigel Kerton. Each year villages across the county vie against each other for the title in the Calor sponsored competition. Sleeps 4, The Red Lion Inn is situated just off the Thames path as it passes through historic Cricklade. The Red Lion combines contemporary features in its …. This site is part of Newsquest's audited local newspaper network. Avebury is sublime. Marlborough, If I won the lottery I would stay in Mildenhall.". Trowbridge. There are two medieval churches, one at each end of High Street, and the Merchant's House, a beautifully-restored 17th-century townhouse built after the Great Fire of 1653. Ramsbury first won Best Large Village in Wiltshire way back in 1961, then AGAIN in 1971, 1972, 1982 and 1986 (so we must have won Best Large Village in Kennet in those years as well) but I have no further details of these earlier years. ", Get involved with the news in your community, This website and associated newspapers adhere to the Independent Press Standards Organisation's Editors' Code of Practice. Nearest: Hotels - Self Catering - Bed The eight most populous settlements of Wiltshire. • 2005 – Did not enter Mildenhall scooped the award for the best medium sized village while Great Bedwyn was judged best in the large village section. Data returned from the Piano 'meterActive/meterExpired' callback event. Award Winning Best Village in Wiltshire We all think Ramsbury is a rather special place but we’ve had a dig around in the local archives and found the proof! Heritage Highlight: 1653 Merchant's House on High Street In each of the three villages from the Marlborough area the parish councils said the reason they had won their initial round was the dedication of villagers who help keep their communities spick and span. Historical highlights include the 12th-century church of Holy Cross, and beside it, the 12th-century remains of Hall Close, a ringwork enclosure. MILDENHALL and Great Bedwyn have new plaques to show they are the best-kept villages in their category in Wiltshire.