Ludgershall, Wiltshire

Ludgershall is a borough 16 miles north east of Salisbury, Wiltshire, at . Postcodes SP11 9xx. The population was 535 in 1831, 1,906 in 1951 and 3775 in 2001.

Ludgershall has many tourist attractions, they include the wall, the old castle and the very famous "back path"

The village features the remains of a 12th Century castle. Extensive earthworks still remain and some of the towers and wall remain standing. Ludgershall was an important place in medieval England and as such was invited to send members to Parliament; it retained this privilege until the Reform Act of 1832. The small size of Ludgershall led to it being cited as an example of a 'Rotten Borough'.

The village of Ludgershall has developed considerably over the years and is now an important village supporting a number of flourishing businesses and a considerable amount of housing.

A common misconception is that the village is situated in the county of Hampshire rather than Wiltshire. This problem is compounded by the postal code of SP11 and telephone dialling code of 01264 which both signify it to be in Andover, Hampshire. This confusion is perpetuated by companies using automatic addressing systems based upon the post code.

The castle may be a principal feature but the history of the village and its inevitably close links with the local military and Salisbury Plain make it a fascinating village with an interesting and important history.

Ludgershall is a growing community that is likely to expand further over the next several years with the current proposals for a new business park on the outskirts of the village and the redevelopment of former MoD properties in the area. The community is well provided for in terms of entertainment and shops with two pubs and social clubs, a number of small independent traders, a national Supermarket chain and Londis.

External links

*Ludgershall Castle
*Ludgershall Concise History