Blog (History) - Visit Wiltshire

The hilltop town of Malmesbury sits within the Wiltshire Cotswolds. I made an afternoon visit to explore some of the town’s treasures.

It started, for me, on a misty July morning back in 2012, when all the aircraft were moved from Boscombe Down, six miles down the road to a new home at Old Sarum under police escort. This was nothing to do with national security, just the business of avoiding the rush hour.

We’ve been experiencing some glorious April weather this month which lent itself perfectly for a day visiting Avebury, in the heart of Wiltshire.

On a beautifully sunny February day, I made my way to the charming town of Corsham nestled between Chippenham and Bath, just off the A4.

I was given the opportunity to join The Churches Conservation Trust (CCT) on a tour of the beautiful Wylye Valley – the area between Warminster and Salisbury which is noted for its pretty villages and quite frankly stunning countryside.

On Marlborough’s historic High Streets sits, the impressive Merchant’s House. I paid a visit on a warm, July day to see what delights would be unfolded behind the impressive façade…

Entry to the Merchant’s House is by guided tour at selected times. I was in a small group of four people plus our guide, Ilse.

Avebury forms part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site with Stonehenge. What people often don’t know about Avebury is that the stone circle is open and you can walk right up to the stones, picnic amongst them and access them at any time. Avebury is also different to Stonehenge in that there is a village within the stones.

Set within Salisbury Museum, the Wessex Gallery is a brand-new exhibition space showcasing some of the archaeological finds from the south Wiltshire area including Stonehenge.

The gallery only opened on the 12 July and it’s pleasing to hear that so many people have visited it already. I was amazed by how different the space looked from the museum I visited many a time as a small child.

Just three miles west of Salisbury lies the historic town of Wilton. It’s home to Wilton House, a grand stately home which dates back to Tudor times.

Today I headed to the grounds and exhibition spaces as I’ve visited the house many times before having worked previously for the Wilton estate.

On a warm, sunny July day I ventured up to the new visitor centre at Stonehenge to see the recently opened Neolithic Houses.

The car park was busy and the visitor centre was buzzing with lots of people eagerly awaiting their visit to the site. As I ambled my way towards the Neolithic houses I passed beautiful poppies adorning the pathways and the adjacent fields.