Dilton Marsh
Encyclopedia
Dilton Marsh is a village and parish
in the County of Wiltshire
, in the south west of England.
, which lies due east of the village.
To the west is the Somerset
town of Frome
; Warminster
is to the south, and Trowbridge
(the county town) is just to the north (these last two are both in Wiltshire).
The village High Street is 2 km (2187 yd) long. In the centre of the village is Holy Trinity Church. This Anglican church was built in 1844 in a rather unusual neo-Romanesque style by Thomas Henry Wyatt
. The village also has a primary school, a public house (the Prince of Wales), a post office, grocery shop and Chinese takeaway.
, a simple railway platform on the regional line. It is the subject of the John Betjeman
poem Dilton Marsh Halt. Dilton Marsh is a request stop which means you have to tell the conductor to stop there, when you want to get on a train there you hold you hand like you are yelling for a taxi - you will have to pay on board as you there are no facilities to pay at the platform.
(with a triple-decker pulpit
and box pew
s). As fewer workers were needed in the local woollen industry, with the introduction of greater mechanisation, many moved to the common land of the drained marsh on the northern side of the ridge. By the early nineteenth century, Dilton Marsh had outgrown the older settlement.
At the end of the 19th century, it was noticed that the Westbury Sheep Fair
in September caused low attendance at local schools, including that at Dilton Marsh.
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
in the County of 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...
, in the south west of England.
Location
Its closest town is WestburyWestbury, Wiltshire
Westbury is a town and civil parish in the west of the English county of Wiltshire, most famous for the Westbury White Horse.-Name:The most likely origin of the West- in Westbury is simply that the town is near the western edge of the county of Wiltshire, the bounds of which have been much the same...
, which lies due east of the village.
To the west is the Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
town of Frome
Frome
Frome is a town and civil parish in northeast Somerset, England. Located at the eastern end of the Mendip Hills, the town is built on uneven high ground, and centres around the River Frome. The town is approximately south of Bath, east of the county town, Taunton and west of London. In the 2001...
; Warminster
Warminster
Warminster is a town in western Wiltshire, England, by-passed by the A36, and near Frome and Westbury. It has a population of about 17,000. The River Were runs through the town and can be seen running through the middle of the town park. The Minster Church of St Denys sits on the River Were...
is to the south, and Trowbridge
Trowbridge
Trowbridge is the county town of Wiltshire, England, situated on the River Biss in the west of the county, approximately 12 miles southeast of Bath, Somerset....
(the county town) is just to the north (these last two are both in Wiltshire).
Features
Thomas Henry Wyatt
Thomas Henry Wyatt was an Irish British architect. He had a prolific and distinguished career, being elected President of the Royal Institute of British Architects 1870-73 and awarded their Royal Gold Medal for Architecture in 1873...
. The village also has a primary school, a public house (the Prince of Wales), a post office, grocery shop and Chinese takeaway.
Transport links
At the eastern end of the village is Dilton Marsh HaltDilton Marsh railway station
Dilton Marsh railway station is a railway station serving the village of Dilton Marsh in Wiltshire, England, United Kingdom.The station is located on the Wessex Main Line between Bristol Temple Meads and Southampton Central railway station north of Salisbury...
, a simple railway platform on the regional line. It is the subject of the John Betjeman
John Betjeman
Sir John Betjeman, CBE was an English poet, writer and broadcaster who described himself in Who's Who as a "poet and hack".He was a founding member of the Victorian Society and a passionate defender of Victorian architecture...
poem Dilton Marsh Halt. Dilton Marsh is a request stop which means you have to tell the conductor to stop there, when you want to get on a train there you hold you hand like you are yelling for a taxi - you will have to pay on board as you there are no facilities to pay at the platform.
History
The original settlement, Old Dilton, some 2.5 km (1.6 mi) south of the present village centre at , now consists of a couple of farm houses and the beautiful St Mary's ChurchSt Mary's Church, Old Dilton
St Mary's Church in Old Dilton, Wiltshire, England was built in the 14th century. It has been designated by English Heritage as a Grade I listed building, and is now a redundant church in the care of the Churches Conservation Trust...
(with a triple-decker pulpit
Pulpit
Pulpit is a speakers' stand in a church. In many Christian churches, there are two speakers' stands at the front of the church. Typically, the one on the left is called the pulpit...
and box pew
Box pew
Box pew is a type of church pew that is encased in panelling and was prevalent in England and other Protestant countries from the 16th to early 19th century.-History in England:...
s). As fewer workers were needed in the local woollen industry, with the introduction of greater mechanisation, many moved to the common land of the drained marsh on the northern side of the ridge. By the early nineteenth century, Dilton Marsh had outgrown the older settlement.
At the end of the 19th century, it was noticed that the Westbury Sheep Fair
Westbury Sheep Fair
The Westbury Sheep Fair was an annual fair which took place on high ground at Westbury, Wiltshire, near the north-western corner of Salisbury Plain, for the sale of sheep...
in September caused low attendance at local schools, including that at Dilton Marsh.