River Till (Wiltshire)
Encyclopedia
The River Till is a river that rises near Tilshead
on Salisbury Plain
, and which flows south and south-east to join the River Wylye
near Stapleford
. It also flows through Shrewton
and Winterbourne Stoke
. It has been designated as a SSSI
site.
The name ‘River Till’ is a double misnomer, firstly because this is not a river but a winterborne – i.e. a winter stream that only flows for approximately three months in a year. Secondly because the name ‘Till’ is a Victorian misunderstanding. At some point the false leap of logic was made that because the winterbourne flows from the village of Tilshead this meant it was the head of the Till. In fact Tilshead arises from Tydolfshide, i.e. the hide of land belonging to Tydolf.
Even as recently as the early 20th century the winterbourne was known, in Shrewton at least, as ‘the Waterlake’, rather than the Till.
Tilshead
Tilshead is a small village located in Wiltshire, in England. It lies approximately midway between the villages of Shrewton and Market Lavington, and is located at the source of the River Till. Its population in 2001 was 359, down from a peak of 989 inhabitants in 1951.. The White Barrow long...
on Salisbury Plain
Salisbury Plain
Salisbury Plain is a chalk plateau in central southern England covering . It is part of the Southern England Chalk Formation and largely lies within the county of Wiltshire, with a little in Hampshire. The plain is famous for its rich archaeology, including Stonehenge, one of England's best known...
, and which flows south and south-east to join the River Wylye
River Wylye
The River Wylye is a classic southern England chalk stream; champagne clear water flowing over gravel. Consequently, it is popular with anglers keen on fly fishing.- Course :...
near Stapleford
Stapleford, Wiltshire
Stapleford is a village and civil parish about north of Wilton, Wiltshire, England. The village is on the River Till just above its confluence with the River Wylye...
. It also flows through Shrewton
Shrewton
Shrewton is a village in Wiltshire, England, located around 9 km west of Amesbury and north of Salisbury. It lies on the A360 road between Stonehenge and Tilshead. It is close to the source of the River Till, which flows south to Stapleford. Its population at the 2001 Census was 1,826, as...
and Winterbourne Stoke
Winterbourne Stoke
Winterbourne Stoke is a village in Wiltshire, England, located around 5 km west of Stonehenge. It is sited on the A303 road, close to its junction with the B3083.-External links:...
. It has been designated as a SSSI
River Till SSSI, Wiltshire
The River Till SSSI is a 32.07 hectare biological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Wiltshire, notified in 2000.-References:* -External links:*...
site.
The name ‘River Till’ is a double misnomer, firstly because this is not a river but a winterborne – i.e. a winter stream that only flows for approximately three months in a year. Secondly because the name ‘Till’ is a Victorian misunderstanding. At some point the false leap of logic was made that because the winterbourne flows from the village of Tilshead this meant it was the head of the Till. In fact Tilshead arises from Tydolfshide, i.e. the hide of land belonging to Tydolf.
Even as recently as the early 20th century the winterbourne was known, in Shrewton at least, as ‘the Waterlake’, rather than the Till.