Wilton, Wiltshire
 |
Church of St Mary and St Nicholas, Wilton |
Wilton is a town in
Wiltshire, (of which it was once the
county town),
England, with a rich heritage dating back to the
Anglo-Saxons. Today it is dwarfed by its larger and more famous neighbour,
Salisbury, but still has a range of notable shops and attractions, including
Wilton House.
The
River Wylye meets the
River Nadder at Wilton.
The history of Wilton dates back to the
Anglo-Saxons in the
8th century, and by the late
9th century (if not before) it was the capital of 'Wiltunscire', a region within the ancient
Kingdom of Wessex. It remained the administrative centre of Wiltshire until the
11th century, however. Wilton was of significant importance to the church, with the founding of
Wilton Abbey in
771. A decisive battle against the Danish armies was fought there by King Alfred in 871.
Despite further attacks, Wilton remained a prosperous town, as recorded in the
Domesday book. The building of
Salisbury Cathedral nearby, however, proved Wilton's downfall, as Salisbury, with a new bridge over the
River Avon, provided a convenient bypass around Wilton on the trade routes.
Wilton Abbey was surrendered to
Henry VIII in
1539 during the
Dissolution of the Monasteries, and in
1541 much of the estate was granted to the
Earl of Pembroke, upon which
Wilton House was built.
By the
17th century, weaving had become a large trade, and the carpet industry began in
1741, when two French weavers were brought in by
Lord Pembroke to teach the locals new techniques. Carpet weaving prospered until
1815, when peace following the
Napoleonic wars introduced European competition. The Wilton Royal Carpet Factory was founded at the turn of the century, with the help of Lord Pembroke, to rescue the previous carpet factory that had fallen into financial difficulty. The carpet factory continued to operate until
1995, when it finally closed after a takeover.
Wilton had two railway stations, opened in
1856 (from
Westbury) and
1859 (from
London), leading to increased prosperity, although both stations are now closed, with the nearest being
Salisbury.
Perhaps the most striking building in the centre of Wilton is the Church of
St Mary and
St Nicholas, a large church built between
1841 and
1844 at the instigation of the Countess of Pembroke and her son,
Baron Herbert of Lea. The church is enormous for its surroundings, representing the wealth of its benefactors, built in
Romanesque style, with considerable
Byzantine influences.
The most notable feature of the church, at least from the exterior, is the 105ft
campanile. Many of the materials used the church's construction was imported from
Europe, including marble columns from
Italy and
12th and
13th century stained glass from
France.
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Wilton community history*
Church of St Mary and St Nicholas information
