Downton Wiltshire

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For the former parliamentary constituency, see Downton (UK Parliament constituency).
Downton
Downton Wiltshire (Wiltshire)
Downton Wiltshire

Downton shown within Wiltshire
Population 2,869
OS grid reference SU180215
District Salisbury district
Shire county Wiltshire
Region South West
Constituent country England
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Post town SALISBURY
Postcode district SP5
Dialling code 01725
Police Wiltshire
Fire Wiltshire
Ambulance Great Western
European Parliament South West England
UK Parliament Salisbury
List of places: UK • England • Wiltshire

Coordinates: 50°59′33″N 1°44′35″W / 50.99258, -1.743049


Downton is a large village in Wiltshire, England situated about 7 miles south of Salisbury along the River Avon and east of the The New Forest. It was once one of Englands smallest towns (For more information please see this Wikipedia link Downton (UK Parliament constituency)). In the 2001 census the population of Downton was 2,869.

Downton can be traced its ancient origin back to the Iron Age, Roman and Saxon time. Remains can be found in the form of a Norman motte and bailey castle. Which now plays host to The Moot Garden a 18th Century ornamental gardens overlooking the river. It contain an ancient monument known as the Moot, which commemorates the meeting place of Wiltshire Saxons, and one of the oldest of English moots or local parliaments a legacy left over for the Bishop of Winchesters time of owning lands Downton.

Sarum Morris perform at the 2006 Cuckoo Fair in Downton
Sarum Morris perform at the 2006 Cuckoo Fair in Downton

King John is said to have had a palace in Downton on one of the islands by the Moot when the palace was taken down and the stone is thought to have been used in the construction called New Court House.

In 1836 the parish sponsored an emigration of over 200 of its poor people to Upper Canada, they sailed in April 1836 on the ship King William.

The River Avon flows through Downton, and is the source of occasional flooding in the village (which has now had major flood defence work down in 2002). The Watermeadows, fields through which irrigation channels were made using weirs and channelling, use the water from this river.

Downton has four churches - "St Laurence’s" a Church of England, "Church of the Good Shepherd" a Roman Catholic, "Downton Baptist Church" and "Downton Methodist Church", several shops, four local pubs; “The Wooden Spoon”, “The King's Arms”, “The White Horse” and “The Bull”, one social club (Brian Whitehead Sports and Social Club), and a number of local business. Home of one of Englands award wining breweries Hop Back Brewery, brewers of Summer Lightning, Crop Circle, GFB and other beers.

The White Horse Inn recently received interest in the national and local press when its licence to serve alcohol ran out due to an oversight. Until the inn was able to renew its licence, during the intervening time, from early January 2007 until February 2, 2007, locals were invited to purchase any alcohol they wished to consume at the Co-op supermarket next door. They were allowed to bring their beer, wine and spirits into the White Horse for consumption with or without food. The inn continued to offer soft drinks for sale, including some specially created non-alcoholic cocktails, whose names depicted the situation!

Downton has two popular and academically successful schools, Downton Primary School, which has 21st century facilities in a building which dates back to 1894, and 'The Trafalgar School at Downton', a mixed gender 'Extended School' for just over 400 pupils aged 11-16.

Downton is the site for the annual Cuckoo Fair, which has been held on the Saturday of the May Day Bank Holiday weekend since the sixteenth century. The fair, also known as the Cuckoo Moot a country fair including crafts, traditional dancing (including Maypole dancing), street entertainment and music.

Development around the village has seen the expansion of the industrial estate with a business centre and the old tannery, which closed in 1998, has since been converted into luxury apartments (a mixture of Retirement homes & flats).

Robert 'Bonnie Bobby Shafto' was a Member of Parliament for Downton in the latter half of the eighteenth century.

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