Situated in lovely rolling countryside where the rivers Wylye and Nadder join, Wilton boasts a range of notable shops, businesses and local attractions for the visitor, including specialist food outlets, garden centre, shopping village, racecourse, riding schools and golf course.
Local Area
Established as a royal seat of the kingdom of Wessex and later the administrative centre of Wiltshire until the C11th, Wilton is now the quintessential English market town.
The origins of the town of Wilton can be traced back to King Egbert in the year 838 where he built his Royal Palace. Mentioned in the Doomsday book, Wilton was the seat of the Bishop of Wiltshire until 1045.
The introduction of weaving in the late 17th century resulted in the founding of the famous Wilton Royal Carpet Factory, which was the first of its kind in the country, and still exists today. For many centuries, Wilton has also been the centre of the sheep trade for the whole of the South West of England. The Great Fair, held in September, is claimed to be the largest in this part of the country and is held by virtue of a Charter granted to the town by King Henry VI in 1433.
Not to be missed whilst exploring the town is the 14th century church in the market square and the wonderful Italianate Basilica of SS Mary & Nicholas which was erected to a design by TH Wyatt in 1840.
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