Chilmark, Wiltshire
Encyclopedia
Chilmark is a Wiltshire
village of some 150 houses straddling the B3089 road twelve miles (19 km) west of Salisbury
. The parish church was given by Henry VIII
to the brother in law of his last wife
. The stream through the village, often dry in summer, flows some two miles (3 km) on to the River Nadder
.
and Rockbourne Villa
in 1856 by T.H. Wyatt. The steepled tower, rebuilt in about 1770, retains 13th century lancet windows. The font has an original 13th century bowl on a 19th century base. The church contains several stained -glass windows from the 19th century.
The churchyard contains 12 grade II listed chest tombs from the 17th and 18th centuries.
was quarried here. From the 1930s to the 1980s the caverns were used by the RAF as part of a major store for bombs and ammunition. They are now in active use as a quarry again.
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...
village of some 150 houses straddling the B3089 road twelve miles (19 km) west of Salisbury
Salisbury
Salisbury is a cathedral city in Wiltshire, England and the only city in the county. It is the second largest settlement in the county...
. The parish church was given by Henry VIII
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
to the brother in law of his last wife
Catherine Parr
Catherine Parr ; 1512 – 5 September 1548) was Queen consort of England and Ireland and the last of the six wives of King Henry VIII of England. She married Henry VIII on 12 July 1543. She was the fourth commoner Henry had taken as his consort, and outlived him...
. The stream through the village, often dry in summer, flows some two miles (3 km) on to the River Nadder
River Nadder
The River Nadder is one of the chalk stream rivers of southern England, much sought after by fly fishermen because of its clear waters and abundance of brown trout. It is one of the main tributaries of the River Avon, rising from a number of springs and small streams at Donhead St. Mary in south...
.
History
Roman artefacts have been found in the nearby quarries and Purbeck limestone possibly from Chilmark was used in the construction of Roman mansions at the villages of West GrimsteadWest Grimstead
West Grimstead, is a village in Grimstead civil parish, on the River Dun in Wiltshire, England, about southeast of Salisbury....
and Rockbourne Villa
Rockbourne
Rockbourne is a village and civil parish in the English county of Hampshire, close to Fordingbridge.-Overview:Rockbourne is a village of thatch, brick and timber houses, next to a stream now known as Sweatfords Water. The village consists chiefly of one street almost half a mile long. The church is...
The Parish Church
Dedicated to St. Margaret of Antioch the Anglican parish church dates from the 13th century with additions in the 14th and 18th centuries. It was most recently restoredVictorian restoration
Victorian restoration is the term commonly used to refer to the widespread and extensive refurbishment and rebuilding of Church of England churches and cathedrals that took place in England and Wales during the 19th-century reign of Queen Victoria...
in 1856 by T.H. Wyatt. The steepled tower, rebuilt in about 1770, retains 13th century lancet windows. The font has an original 13th century bowl on a 19th century base. The church contains several stained -glass windows from the 19th century.
The churchyard contains 12 grade II listed chest tombs from the 17th and 18th centuries.
Chilmark Ravine
A mile south of the village the stream passes through the Ravine, with longstanding quarry workings and several buildings dating from the 1930s, when they formed part of an RAF storage area for bombs and ammunition. This facility had a spur from the main London-Exeter railway line.Counter-terrorism training school
Some 55 acres (222,577.3 m²) of land in and near the Ravine is now a training area for counter-terrorism security and explosives.Chilmark quarries
These consist mainly of caverns. The limestone for Salisbury CathedralSalisbury Cathedral
Salisbury Cathedral, formally known as the Cathedral Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary, is an Anglican cathedral in Salisbury, England, considered one of the leading examples of Early English architecture....
was quarried here. From the 1930s to the 1980s the caverns were used by the RAF as part of a major store for bombs and ammunition. They are now in active use as a quarry again.