Burbage, Wiltshire
Encyclopedia
Burbage is a village and civil parish in the Vale of Pewsey
, Wiltshire
, England
. It is about 6 miles (9.7 km) south of Marlborough and 20 miles (32.2 km) west of Newbury
.
unitary authority
. Both councils are responsible for different aspects of local government.
via the Dun and Kennet
, to the south via the River Bourne
, and to the north and west into the Salisbury Avon
. The village is by-passed by the A346 trunk road from Swindon and Marlborough to Salisbury to the north and the A338 road
to the south, and a more minor route from Pewsey
to Hungerford
and the M4
(designated A338 to the east and B3087 to the west). The village no longer has a station on the nearby Reading to Taunton line
, the nearest stations being at Great Bedwyn
(with commuter services to London) and Pewsey.
Burbage lies in the heart of the North Wessex Downs, a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
was built just north of the village and completed in 1810. The Great Western Railway's
Berks and Hants Extension Railway from to was built close to the canal in the 1860s, eventually becoming part of the to Line of the main line from in 1906. The GWR built near the north end of the village. British Rail
ways closed it in 1966. There was also a goods-only station called about three-quarters of a mile west of Savernake station.
The Midland and South Western Junction Railway
opened from to in 1882, the latter station being situated in nearby West Grafton. The northern section of the M&SWJR line from Swindon
to had opened in 1881, and this was joined to the southern section from 1883 by using the Great Western Railway's branch between Savernake and . In 1898 the M&SWJR got its own route between Marlborough and Grafton and a new station opened at . The M&SWJR had therefore become a route between and and the Midlands. British Railways closed it in 1961.
The population of Burbage peaked at around 1600 with the building of the railway in 1860, declining to a low point of 1000 a century later. It has since increased steadily, regaining its 1860s level in the 21st century. At the 2001 census, the parish had a population of 1,660.
Vale of Pewsey
The Vale of Pewsey or Pewsey Vale is an area of Wiltshire, England to the east of Devizes and south of Marlborough, centred on the town of Pewsey.-Geography:...
, Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It is about 6 miles (9.7 km) south of Marlborough and 20 miles (32.2 km) west of Newbury
Newbury, Berkshire
Newbury is a civil parish and the principal town in the west of the county of Berkshire in England. It is situated on the River Kennet and the Kennet and Avon Canal, and has a town centre containing many 17th century buildings. Newbury is best known for its racecourse and the adjoining former USAF...
.
Local government
Burbage is a civil parish with an elected parish council. It is in the area of Wiltshire CouncilWiltshire Council
Wiltshire Council is the unitary authority for most of the county of Wiltshire, in the West of England, the successor authority to Wiltshire County Council and to four districts—Kennet, North Wiltshire, Salisbury, and West Wiltshire—all of which had been created in 1973 and were...
unitary authority
Unitary authority
A unitary authority is a type of local authority that has a single tier and is responsible for all local government functions within its area or performs additional functions which elsewhere in the relevant country are usually performed by national government or a higher level of sub-national...
. Both councils are responsible for different aspects of local government.
Geography
Burbage stands on a watershed at the eastern end of the Vale of Pewsey, with streams to the east draining to the ThamesRiver Thames
The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...
via the Dun and Kennet
River Kennet
The Kennet is a river in the south of England, and a tributary of the River Thames. The lower reaches of the river are navigable to river craft and are known as the Kennet Navigation, which, together with the Avon Navigation, the Kennet and Avon Canal and the Thames, links the cities of Bristol...
, to the south via the River Bourne
River Bourne, Wiltshire
The River Bourne is a river in the English county of Wiltshire, and a tributary of the River Avon.The Bourne's source is at the eastern end of the Vale of Pewsey, near the village of Burbage. The river cuts through the chalk escarpment at Collingbourne Kingston, to flow south across Salisbury Plain...
, and to the north and west into the Salisbury Avon
River Avon, Hampshire
The River Avon is a river in the south of England. The river rises in the county of Wiltshire and flows through the city of Salisbury and the county of Hampshire before reaching the English Channel through Christchurch Harbour in the county of Dorset....
. The village is by-passed by the A346 trunk road from Swindon and Marlborough to Salisbury to the north and the A338 road
A338 road
The A338 is a major trunk road in southern England, that runs from the junction with the A35 at Bournemouth in Dorset to the junction with the A420 at Besselsleigh in Oxfordshire, roughly long.-Route:...
to the south, and a more minor route from Pewsey
Pewsey
Pewsey is a large village, often considered a small town, at the centre of the Vale of Pewsey in Wiltshire about west of London. It is well connected to London, the West Country and Wales being close to the M4 motorway and the A303. Also, the village is served by Pewsey railway station on the...
to Hungerford
Hungerford
Hungerford is a market town and civil parish in Berkshire, England, 9 miles west of Newbury. It covers an area of and, according to the 2001 census, has a population of 5,559 .- Geography :...
and the M4
M4 motorway
The M4 motorway links London with South Wales. It is part of the unsigned European route E30. Other major places directly accessible from M4 junctions are Reading, Swindon, Bristol, Newport, Cardiff and Swansea...
(designated A338 to the east and B3087 to the west). The village no longer has a station on the nearby Reading to Taunton line
Reading to Taunton line
The Reading to Taunton line also known as the Berks and Hants is a major branch of the Great Western Main Line that diverges at Reading, running to Cogload Junction near Taunton, where it joins the Bristol to Exeter line....
, the nearest stations being at Great Bedwyn
Great Bedwyn
Great Bedwyn is a village and civil parish in the east of the English county of Wiltshire.-Location:Great Bedwyn is on the River Dun about south-west of Hungerford and south-east of Marlborough, Wiltshire. The Kennet and Avon Canal and the West of England Main Line railway follow the Dun and pass...
(with commuter services to London) and Pewsey.
Burbage lies in the heart of the North Wessex Downs, a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
History
The Kennet and Avon CanalKennet and Avon Canal
The Kennet and Avon Canal is a waterway in southern England with an overall length of , made up of two lengths of navigable river linked by a canal. The name is commonly used to refer to the entire length of the navigation rather than solely to the central canal section...
was built just north of the village and completed in 1810. The Great Western Railway's
Great Western Railway
The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
Berks and Hants Extension Railway from to was built close to the canal in the 1860s, eventually becoming part of the to Line of the main line from in 1906. The GWR built near the north end of the village. British Rail
British Rail
British Railways , which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was the operator of most of the rail transport in Great Britain between 1948 and 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the "Big Four" British railway companies and lasted until the gradual privatisation of British Rail, in stages...
ways closed it in 1966. There was also a goods-only station called about three-quarters of a mile west of Savernake station.
The Midland and South Western Junction Railway
Midland and South Western Junction Railway
The Midland and South Western Junction Railway was, until the 1923 Grouping, an independent railway built to form a north-south link between the Midland and London and South Western Railways allowing the Midland and other companies' trains to reach the port of Southampton.-Formation:The M&SWJR...
opened from to in 1882, the latter station being situated in nearby West Grafton. The northern section of the M&SWJR line from Swindon
Swindon Town railway station
Swindon Town railway station was on the Midland and South Western Junction Railway at Swindon in Wiltshire. The station was sited in the Old Town area about one-and-a-half miles from the Great Western Railway's Swindon Junction.- History :...
to had opened in 1881, and this was joined to the southern section from 1883 by using the Great Western Railway's branch between Savernake and . In 1898 the M&SWJR got its own route between Marlborough and Grafton and a new station opened at . The M&SWJR had therefore become a route between and and the Midlands. British Railways closed it in 1961.
The population of Burbage peaked at around 1600 with the building of the railway in 1860, declining to a low point of 1000 a century later. It has since increased steadily, regaining its 1860s level in the 21st century. At the 2001 census, the parish had a population of 1,660.
External links
- Wiltshire Council Website page on Burbage, retrieved 23:00 Oct 10, 2004 (UTC)
- Burbage Village portal Enabling web visitors to access all the relevant websites for Burbage, Wiltshire, including:
- Burbage Village Local information website with Diary, Newsletters, Directory, Forum and Events pages
- Burbage Wiltshire Local information website for historical and genealogical reference
- Village Hall A website for the local village hall, with booking and facilities information