Salisbury / Salisbury and Stonehenge / Charming country towns and villages / Downton and the Avon Valley
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Downton and the Avon Valley
Beyond Salisbury the Avon Valley broadens out into a flood plain as the river flows south past the settlements of Britford and Charlton All Saints before reaching the village of Downton. The surrounding fields here provide a wealth of wildlife habitats associated with a water-meadow environment.
Downton, six miles south of Salisbury, is an ancient settlement with links to the Romans, Saxons and Normans. The village lines an attractive 13th century Borough of thatched cottages and village greens, rising up to the Church of St Lawrence.
Held on the first bank holiday Saturday of May, the annual Cuckoo Fair, with its hundreds of stalls and street activities, is a popular event and has been a feature of village life since the 16th century.
Downton Moot is an ancient monument with a reputed Saxon meeting place and parliament - now a Grade 1 listed18th century ornamental garden, you can stroll down to the River Avon, around the medieval bailey mound and see the amphitheatre in its glorious lakeside setting.
Along with Redlynch, Woodfalls and Whiteparish, Downton is one of a handful of south Wiltshire villages which lie on the fringes of the New Forest, giving easy access to this glorious ancient woodland and National Park.
Download a map of Downton here.
