Downton

Downton, six miles south of Salisbury, is an ancient settlement with links to the Romans, Saxons, Normans and the Middle Ages. The village is an attractive broad 13th century borough of thatched cottages and village greens on the River Avon, rising up to the ancient Church of St Lawrence and the Saxon Moot.

Visitors enjoy the Cuckoo Fair held on the first bank holiday Saturday of May with its hundreds of stalls and street activities. This event has been a feature of village life since the 16th century.

The Moot is an ancient monument with a reputed Saxon meeting place and parliament which is now a Grade 1 18th century ornamental garden. Visitors can take a delightful walk down to the River Avon, around the medieval bailey mound and see the lake and glorious setting of the amphitheatre.

The Brian Whitehead Sports Centre offers unparalleled tennis on its two indoor and three outdoor courts. A football and social club, a county-standard bowling green and the Downton Leisure Sports Hall, with its superb fitness suite and many indoor sports activities, caters for every age.

Downton Millennium Green – a breathing space for enjoyment by the village and visitors for all time. Made possible with funding from the Millennium Commission through the Countryside Commission and a generous donation from the Parish Council plus locally raised funding. The most striking feature of The Green is the landscape, typical of a river valley running through chalk downlands with the Avon at this point meandering through a broad floodplain. A flat landscape broken only by hedgerows, clumps of trees and an occasional building. The Green and the surrounding area provide a wealth of wildlife habitats associated with a water meadow environment. A place to visit, enjoy and relax in on any day in any season.

Road Directions

South of Salisbury on B3080 off A338