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Villages in Wiltshire | Idyllic places to live

Published Sep 16th 2024

6 mins read

Daniel Rowland

Considering villages in Wiltshire as a place to look for a home?

Wiltshire, in the southwest of England, is home to many scenic and historic villages, each offering a blend of rural charm, cultural heritage, and community life.

Here, we offer a small insight into some of Wiltshire’s finest villages:

Downton

The vibrant village of Downton, situated close to the southern edge of the county, spans the river Avon and is close to the New Forest National Park.

The heart of this large village, centred around High Street and The Borough, is protected by a designated conservation area. This characterful area is predominantly 18^th and 19^th century red brick houses, some painted soft pastel colours or bearing thatched roofs.

Downton benefits from a doctor’s surgery, dental practice, both a primary and secondary school, and a leisure centre with gym and tennis courts. There is a convenience store, three pubs, and the well-regarded Borough Café.

The nearest urban area is Salisbury, a medieval cathedral city, with many cultural attractions and transport links to London.

Broad Chalke

Broad Chalke, six miles west of Salisbury, sits in the Chalke Valley either side of the River Ebble. A distinctive feature of the village is its watercress beds.

For a small village, Broad Chalke, has a lot to offer. The village has a strong sense of community, and is the home of the Chalke Valley Stores, which provides shopping, a post office, a café, and serves as a community hub. There is also a pub, sports centre, village hall, doctors’ surgery, and primary school.

Broad Chalke is full of character and has a diverse mix of properties from modest cottages to grand houses. Styles include brick and flint in distinctive horizontal bands, rubble stone, and variety of roofs constructed of slate, clay tiles, or thatch.

Almost all Broad Chalke is in a conservation area, and the village sits within the Cranborne Chase and West Wiltshire Downs AONB.

East Knoyle

East Knoyle, in the southwest of the county, is a thriving village, perhaps best known as the birthplace of Sir Christopher Wren.

Within the Cranborne Chase Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, its rural setting and far-reaching vistas make it sought after by those considering a move to villages in Wiltshire who are seeking a quieter lifestyle.

East Knoyle has a network of narrow lanes, and many properties are set into the hillside providing glorious views. Houses are an aesthetically pleasing mixture of styles and materials, such as stone, brick, and rendered finishes.

There are several listed houses in East Knoyle, and much of the village is protected by its conservation area status, which is important information for buyers to consider when looking for a home here.

There is a village hall and a community-run shop with a post office and The Fox and Hounds pub is in the adjacent hamlet of The Green, offering residents much of the day-to-day necessities on the doorstep.

The nearby towns of Shaftesbury and Warminster offer further options for shopping, leisure, and public transport links.

Tisbury

Tisbury is a characterful large and active village in the scenic Nadder Valley and is a key centre for surrounding communities.

The village provides a range of independent shops including a deli, wine shop, and interiors, as well as convenience stores, cafes and pubs. Other amenities include a primary school, health services, and the Nadder Centre, a community hub incorporating the leisure centre, library, children’s centre, and office space for hire.

On the eastern edge of the village is Messums, a large contemporary art and event space in a converted thirteenth century tithe barn.

Tisbury is well-connected via its railway station, offering direct services to London Waterloo. Its location within the Cranborne Chase Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty provides access to outdoor activities and beautiful countryside.

Great Bedwyn

Great Bedwyn is a sought-after village in Wiltshire positioned within the North Wessex Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

It lies on the River Dun, south of Savernake Forest and both the Reading to Taunton railway line and Kennet and Avon Canal pass through the village.

The village’s amenities include a general store, post office, doctor’s surgery, primary school, and the popular Three Tuns public house.

There are varying ages of housing available: older properties tend to be red brick with buff or grey brick dressings and bonds creating attractive checked or diamond-shaped patterns and they may have thatched or clay tile roofs. There are more modern houses, also built of red brick in keeping with the character of the village.

Great Bedwyn is eight miles from junction 14 of the M4 motorway and its railway station provides direct services to London Paddington, making the village a popular choice for commuters.

Aldbourne

Aldbourne is a fairly large attractive and historic village in east Wiltshire within easy reach of Marlborough, Hungerford and the M4 motorway.

One of the most sought-after villages in Wiltshire to call home, Aldbourne has a vibrant community, offering numerous clubs and activities for residents. It offers several amenities including a primary school, village hall, post office with a café and deli, and two traditional pub restaurants.

The beautiful and imposing St Michael’s Church, dating back to the 11th century, overlooks the village green. The Square, at the heart of the village, has had a large pond at its centre for at least 200 years.

Aldbourne has a considerable number of period properties and listed buildings from the 17^th to 19^th centuries. Much of the village is a designated conservation area and it is in the North Wessex Downs AONB.

Property styles range from cottages to larger houses built from brick or stone, some rendered or painted, with clay tile or thatched roofs.

Castle Combe

Often cited as one of England’s prettiest villages, Castle Combe is steeped in historic charm, with period properties built of Cotswold Stone between the medieval and Stuart eras.

Castle Combe might be one of the best known villages in Wiltshire, if not one of the most recognised villages in the UK.

The village and surrounding area boast hotels, pub restaurants, and tea rooms, locals are well catered to.

The majority of the village’s houses are listed and unusually there are few obvious signs of modern technology: no streetlights or telegraph poles. This has made Castle Combe a popular filming location for productions such as War Horse, Stardust, and Poirot, and a favourite with tourists.

The village, which includes Upper Castle Combe, is within the Cotswold Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and is also a designated Conservation Area.

Transport links include easy access to the M4 motorway, and the nearest railway station is in Chippenham, five miles southeast.

Box

Box is a large village, close to the county borders of Somerset and Gloucestershire, just five miles from Bath. It’s known for its thriving community, welcoming atmosphere, and beautiful setting in an undulating landscape, making it one of the most desirable villages in Wiltshire to buy a home.

Amenities in the village include several local pubs and cafes, which serve good traditional fare. There is a convenience store, post office, primary school, doctors’ surgery, and pharmacy. Box Recreation Ground provides excellent leisure facilities, including tennis courts, football pitches, and a children’s play area. For broader shopping Bath and Chippenham are easily accessible.

The village is well-connected for commuters, with rail links from Bath Spa and Chippenham to London Paddington and easy access to the M4 motorway.

Lacock

Lacock is a beautiful historic village in Wiltshire, famous for its medieval architecture and rich heritage. Almost entirely managed by the National Trust, it is home to the 13th-century Lacock Abbey, and the village is a popular filming location, having featured in Pride and Prejudice and Harry Potter. This means it is a huge draw for tourism.

Lacock has an extraordinary number of listed buildings and a 14th-century tithe barn. Properties are predominantly stone or half-timbered red-brick infill or ‘black and white’ house.

Whilst Lacock is one of the most historically preserved villages in Wiltshire, it still boasts good local amenities which include several pubs, cafes, and independent shops.

Chippenham, a few miles north, offers further services and transport links to London.

Sherston

Sherston is a picturesque Cotswold village on the Wiltshire/Gloucestershire border.

The village is known for its strong community spirit and amenities include a general store with post office, primary school, doctor’s surgery, and the highly regarded Rattlebone Inn, a popular pub restaurant.

The centre of the village is made up of mostly Georgian brick or rendered properties with several of them listed. More modern properties lie toward the outskirts of the village.

Sherston’s location makes it ideal for commuters, with the M4 motorway easily accessible and regular train services from nearby Chippenham and Kemble providing a direct link to London Paddington.