Downton, Wiltshire

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

Coordinates: 50°59′35″N 1°44′35″W / 50.993°N 1.743°W / 50.993; -1.743

Downton
Flag
Downton  Downton shown within Wiltshire
Population	2,869 (2001 census)[1]
OS grid reference	SU180215
Parish	Downton
Unitary authority	Wiltshire
Ceremonial county	Wiltshire
Region	South West
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	Salisbury
Postcode district	SP5
Dialling code	01725
Police	Wiltshire
Fire	Wiltshire
Ambulance	Great Western
EU Parliament	South West England
UK Parliament	Salisbury
Website	Downton, Wiltshire
List of places: UK • England • Wiltshire

Downton is a village and civil parish on the River Avon in Wiltshire, England. It is about 6 miles (9.7 km) south of Salisbury and close to the New Forest. It includes the small ancient settlements of Hamptworth and Witherington.

History

Downton can trace its ancient origin back to the Iron Age, Roman and Saxon time. In 1953 the site of a Roman villa was discovered at Downton.^[2] Excavations, in advance of housing development, revealed a villa with tessellated floors, at least two featuring mosaics, a hypocaust and bath house.^[2] The villa is no longer visible, but the finds, including one of the mosaics, are in Salisbury Museum.^[2] There are also remains of a Norman motte and bailey castle. It now is the location of the Moot Garden, an 18th-century ornamental garden overlooking the river. It contains an ancient monument known as the Moot, which commemorates the meeting place of Wiltshire Saxons. It is one of the oldest of English moots or local parliaments, a legacy left over from the time of the Bishop of Winchester's owning lands of Downton.

Sarum Morris perform at the 2006 Cuckoo Fair in Downton

Manor House in Downton is probably the longest-inhabited house in the South of England, used as a religious house from its construction around 850CE until the Reformation.

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, it was believed the stone was used in the construction called New Court House.

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

In 1836, a time of continued agricultural hardship, 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.

For about a decade from around 1961 Downton had an important part to play in British motorsport via the Downton Engineering Works.^[3]

In 1999 a community project, The Downton Millennial Book Fund, published an illustrated history of the village.^[4]

Geography

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

Religion

Downton has four churches: the Church of England parish church of St. Laurence, an ancient Grade I listed building; Roman Catholic Church of the Good Shepherd, Downton Baptist Church and Downton Methodist Church.

Economy

The village is served by several shops including a supermarket, 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 businesses.

Development around the village has created an expansion of the industrial estate with a business centre. The Downton Business Centre is home to a variety of businesses including Hop Back Brewery, Revive Vending and Help for Heroes Trading.

The old tannery, which closed in 1998, has been converted into luxury apartments (a mixture of retirement homes and flats).

Downton Cuckoo Fair

In 1980 Peter and Shirley Waddington along with Steve Addison, resurrected the medieval Fair known as the Downton Cuckoo Fair. For many years Peter was its Chairman and President until his death in 2005. Shirley took on this role until her death in 2007. The ethos of the fair was to allow local people and organisations the opportunity to raise funds without corporate sponsorship. Peter and Shirley moved to Downton in 1970 and lived in Leicester House, an 11th century stable boys cottage to the White Horse Public House. Peter was chairman of the local Scout troop, Governor to the Secondary School, supporter of Downton Band and Church warden at St Laurence Church as well as being a Salisbury Magistrate and local business man. Peter’s work was rewarded with an M.B.E in 1996. Shirley was also involved in many local organisations but spent most of her time at Salisbury Cathedral where she was their longest serving voluntary Guide until her death in 2007.

Hop Back Brewery

Hop Back, one of England's award-winning small breweries, makers of "Summer Lightning", "Crop Circle", "GFB" and other beers,^[5] was founded by John and Julie Gilbert. Beer was first brewed in 1986 at the Wyndham Arms in Salisbury, and moved to larger premises in Downton six years later. As of 2010, Hop Back own eleven public houses around the south of England.^[6]

Help for Heroes

Help for Heroes, a charity that raises money to supplement existing government provision for injured members of the British armed forces, is based in Downton.

Education

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

References

1. ^ "Area selected: Salisbury (Non-Metropolitan District)". Neighbourhood Statistics: Full Dataset View. Office for National Statistics. http://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/viewFullDataset.do?instanceSelection=03070&productId=779&$ph=60_61&datasetInstanceId=3070&startColumn=1&numberOfColumns=4&containerAreaId=790551. Retrieved 15 June 2010. 
2. ^ ^{a b c} Monument No. 217913 Pastscape
3. ^ "Downton Engineering Works". mk1-performance-conversions.co.uk. http://mk1-performance-conversions.co.uk/downton.htm. Retrieved 2011-08-11. 
4. ^ Waymouth, David (1999). Downton 7000Years of an English Village. Downton: Downton Millennial Book Fund. pp. 186. ISBN 095361090X. 
5. ^ "Hop Back Summer Lightning « Beer Culture with Des de Moor". desdemoor.co.uk. http://desdemoor.co.uk/hop-back-summer-lightning/. Retrieved 2010-06-05. 
6. ^ "Hop Back Brewery: history". www.hopback.co.uk. http://www.hopback.co.uk/about-us/history.html. Retrieved 2010-11-12. 

External links

Downton Village Website