English Heritage sites near Chilmark Parish
OLD WARDOUR CASTLE
4 miles from Chilmark 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.
STONEHENGE
10 miles from Chilmark 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 SARUM
11 miles from Chilmark 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.
BRATTON CAMP AND WHITE HORSE
12 miles from Chilmark Parish
Below an Iron Age hillfort stands the Westbury White Horse. Cut into the hillside in 1778, it replaced an older horse, possibly commemorating King Alfred's nearby victory over the Vikings.
WOODHENGE
13 miles from Chilmark 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.
KNOWLTON CHURCH AND EARTHWORKS
15 miles from Chilmark 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 Chilmark Parish
Chilmark: St Margaret of Antioch
The Street
Chilmark
+44 (1722) 71788
The rural parish of Chilmark, which includes the hamlet of Ridge, has a population of some 500. It lies south of the A303, astride the B3089, 12 miles West of Salisbury. The well-known quarry of Chilmark, which has provided stone for Salisbury and Chichester cathedrals as well as many local buildings, is now closed.
The beautiful church of St Margaret of Antioch, originating from the twelfth century, dominates the skyline. It has a well-supported PCC, and one of the churchwardens is also a Lay Pastoral Assistant. Services are held on four Sunday mornings a month: Mattins, Holy Communion, a Family Service including Holy Communion and a regular lay-led service. The congregation averages about twelve. There is regular bell-ringing and a choir, shared with Hindon. The church building is in goodstructural condition, but the burden of the Parish Share gives the PCC cause for concern.
Chilmark has an active Reading Room, a well-modernised C of E Aided primary school dating from 1860, and a pub, The Black Dog. The popular “Village Voice” newsletter is published ten times a year.
The post office and shop closed some years ago, but Tisbury, with a range of shops and a main-line station, is only two miles away. Chilmark is equidistant from Salisbury, Shaftesbury, and Warminster.
The village and its population can best be described as being diverse, active and supportive of the many activities which go on each year and which are typical of village life throughout Wiltshire but there is little employment opportunity locally. Many people work away from home and almost every family has a car.
The church and the school hold fêtes, a horticultural show is held each year and an annual opera is performed in a local barn. There is a thriving cricket club with its own ground and clubhouse, and functions held in the Reading Room include regular events such as meetings of the Social Stitchers and the Book Group . From time to time there are also quiz and other entertainment evenings.
Pubs in Chilmark Parish
Black Dog
Salisbury Road, Chilmark, SP3 5AH
(01722) 716344
theblackdogchilmark.co.uk