Westbury, Wiltshire

   

Westbury is a town and civil parish in the west of the English county of Wiltshire.

Location

Westbury is situated some 12 miles south east of the city of Bath and about four miles south of Trowbridge. It is an important junction point on the railway network, as it lies at the point where the main line railway from London to the Exeter and the West Country intersects the cross country line from South Wales, Bristol, Bath and Chippenham to Salisbury, Southampton, Portsmouth and Brighton.

Grid reference: ST868511 (http://getamap.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/getamap/frames.htm?mapAction=gaz&gazName=g&gazString=ST868511) (British national grid reference system)

Nearby towns and cities: Bath, Bristol, Frome, Salisbury, Swindon, Trowbridge, Warminster

Nearby villages: Bratton, Chapmanslade, Dilton Marsh, North Bradley, Rudge, Standerwick, Upton Scudamore

Features and History

Westbury is sometimes known as Westbury-under-the-Plain to distinguish it from other towns of the same name. Westbury nestles under the north-western bluffs of Salisbury Plain, and it is there that the town's most famous feature can be seen: the Westbury White Horse. It is believed that the White Horse was originally cut into the chalk face to commemorate the victory of King Alfred the Great over the Danes in the Battle of Ešandun (nearby Edington) in 878. Its original form was probably quite different from the horse seen today. The form of the current White Horse dates from 1778, when it was restored. It is now a graceful, grazing horse facing to the left: it is believed that it was, originally, charging to the right.

Westbury is centred around the Market Place, with the churchyard of All Saints' Church (fourteenth century) behind it.

Local Government

Westbury is a civil parish with an elected town council. It falls within the the areas of West Wiltshire District Council and Wiltshire County Council. All three councils are responsible for different aspects of local government.

Westbury falls within the Westbury parliamentary constituency.

See also

Sources


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