English Heritage sites near Barford St. Martin Parish
OLD SARUM
5 miles from Barford St. Martin Parish
Site of the original Salisbury, this mighty Iron Age hill fort was where the first cathedral once stood and the Romans, Normans and Saxons have all left their mark during 5000 years of history.
STONEHENGE
7 miles from Barford St. Martin Parish
Walk in the footsteps of your Neolithic ancestors at Stonehenge – one of the wonders of the world and the best-known prehistoric monument in Europe.
OLD WARDOUR CASTLE
8 miles from Barford St. Martin Parish
Set in landscaped grounds beside a lake in peaceful Wiltshire countryside, these 14th century ruins provide a relaxed, romantic day out for couples, families and budding historians alike.
WOODHENGE
9 miles from Barford St. Martin Parish
Dating from about 2500 BC, markers now replace rings of timber posts, which once possibly supported a ring-shaped building. Discovered in 1925 when rings of dark spots were noticed in a crop of wheat.
NETHERAVON DOVECOTE
12 miles from Barford St. Martin Parish
Charming and elegant 18th century brick dovecote, still with most of its 700 or more nesting boxes intact. Set in peaceful surroundings. External viewing only.
KNOWLTON CHURCH AND EARTHWORKS
14 miles from Barford St. Martin Parish
The siting of this ruined medieval church at the centre of a Neolithic ritual henge earthwork symbolises the transition from pagan to Christian worship and creates an atmospheric scene.
Churches in Barford St. Martin Parish
Barford: St Martin with Burcombe
West Street
Barford
Salisbury
+44 (1722) 71788
Barford St Martin
Barford St.Martin is a small, picturesque village in South Wiltshire located 2 miles/3 km from Wilton, the ancient capital of Wessex and some 13 miles/20 km from Shaftesbury. It is located on the junction of the A30 and the B3089. It is within the Cranborne Chase and West Wiltshire Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and the River Nadder runs through the village. Its history can be traced back to the 11th Century and there was reference to Barford in the Domesday Book compiled in 1085/1086.
Barford's 500 inhabitants include nearly 100 from the mobile homes at Heath Farm. Those not retired find work in Wilton and Salisbury; but few now remain agriculturally based. Barford St. Martin's coaching house - the Barford Inn - provides a welcome heart to the village and acts as its main employer, together with the Tinkerbell shop and filling station and the Black and White shop at East End Farm. The village still possesses a Tudor river mill and rectory, a post office, a Victorian Methodist chapel and a police house; all of which have been converted to domestic use. The village school with its "Feed my lambs" logo was built in 1854 but closed at the end of 2006, although it continues to be used for a preschool playgroup. Much of the surrounding farm land is owned by the Wilton Estate.
HISTORY
Barford St. Martin's recorded history pre-dates the Norman Conquest. Extending along the River Nadder, the village nestles under the lea of Grovely Wood. Bordered by Burcombe to the east and Baverstock to the west, the parish's northern limits follow Grim's Ditch and the Roman road to Old Sarum and Winchester; its southern frontier runs along the drove road from Shaftesbury to Harewarren. The Bronze Age settlement at Hamshill Ditches on the southern slope of Barford Down falls within the parish boundary.
St Martin's 13th century church, at the centre of the village, is older than Salisbury Cathedral, with an even earlier stone preaching cross that was used by itinerant priests before the church was built. This Early English and Perpendicular church has a tower with six bells, of which the four heavier bells date from the middle of the 18th century and the two lighter ones are from the turn of the 20th century.
Pubs in Barford St. Martin Parish
Barford Inn
Barford St Martin, SP3 4AB
(01722) 742242
thebarfordinn.co.uk/