{{Short description|Village in Wiltshire, England}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2019}} {{Use British English|date=August 2019}} {{Infobox UK place | country = England | static_image_name = The Crown at Alvediston - geograph.org.uk - 94920.jpg | static_image_caption = The Crown, Alvediston | coordinates = {{coord|51.012|-2.036|type:city(100)_region:GB-WIL|display=inline,title}} | official_name = Alvediston | population = 106 | population_ref = (in 2011)<ref name="census">{{cite web|title=Wiltshire Community History – Census|url=https://apps.wiltshire.gov.uk/communityhistory/Census?communityId=6|publisher=Wiltshire Council|access-date=26 August 2015}}</ref> | civil_parish = Alvediston | unitary_england = [[Wiltshire Council|Wiltshire]] | lieutenancy_england = [[Wiltshire]] | region = South West England | constituency_westminster = [[Salisbury (UK Parliament constituency)|Salisbury]] | post_town = Salisbury | postcode_district = SP5 | postcode_area = SP | dial_code = 01722 | os_grid_reference = ST976236 | website = }} '''Alvediston''' is a small village and [[Civil parishes in England|civil parish]] in [[Wiltshire]], England, about {{convert|7|mi|km|0}} east of [[Shaftesbury]] and {{convert|11|mi|km|0}} southwest of [[Salisbury]]. The area is the source of the [[River Ebble]] and is within the [[Cranborne Chase]] and West Wiltshire Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. In 2011 the parish had a population of 106.
==History== Prehistoric sites in the parish include three [[Bronze Age Britain|Bronze Age]] [[bowl barrow]]s on Trow Down<ref>{{National Heritage List for England entry|num=1020956|desc=Three bowl barrows on Trow Down|access-date=27 August 2015}}</ref> and a [[field system]] from the same era at Elcombe Down.<ref name="vch">{{Cite book |url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/wilts/vol13/pp6-16 |series=[[Victoria County History]] |title=A History of the County of Wiltshire, Volume 13 |chapter=Parishes: Alvediston |pages=6–16 |editor-first=D. A. |editor-last=Crowley |author-first1=Jane |author-last1=Freeman |author-first2=Janet H. |author-last2=Stevenson |date=1987 |via=British History Online |publisher=University of London |access-date=10 May 2021}}</ref>
Much of the land was granted to the nuns of [[Wilton Abbey]] in 955.<ref name="vch" /> Fragmentary records from Saxon times indicate that the Ebble valley was a thriving area. ''[[Domesday Book]]'' of 1086 recorded the division of the [[River Chalke|Chalke Valley]] into eight manors: ''Chelke'' (Chalke), ''Eblesborne'' ([[Ebbesbourne Wake]]), ''Fifehide'' ([[Fifield Bavant]]), ''Cumbe'' ([[Coombe Bissett]]), ''Humitone'' (Homington), ''Odestoche'' ([[Odstock]]), ''Stradford'' ([[Stratford Tony]]) and ''Trow''. Alvediston emerged in 1156 as ''Alfweiteston'', formed from the western part of Ebbesbourne Wake and the small manor of Trow.<ref name="Meers">{{cite web|url=http://www.southwilts.com/site/Ebbesbourne-Wake-Through-The-Ages/EWTTA3.pdf|publisher=Southwilts.com |title=Ebbesbourne Wake Through the Ages |first=Peter |last=Meers |date=2006 |access-date=26 August 2015}}</ref> The name Alvediston derives from the [[Old English]] ''Aelfgeatstūn'' meaning 'Aelfgeat's settlement'.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://kepn.nottingham.ac.uk/map/place/Wiltshire/Alvediston|title=Alvediston |website=Key to English Place-Names |publisher=The Institute for Name-Studies |access-date=24 November 2025}}</ref> The manor passed to the Crown at the [[Dissolution of the Monasteries|Dissolution]], then in 1541 to [[William Herbert, 1st Earl of Pembroke (died 1570)|Sir William Herbert]] who became [[Earl of Pembroke#The tenth creation (1551): Herbert|Earl of Pembroke]]. Alvediston manor remained with the Pembrokes until 1918 when it was sold as two farms, Church Farm and Elcombe Farm.<ref name="vch" />
The Ox Drove, a medieval [[drovers' road]] from Dorset to Salisbury, crossed the south of the parish.<ref name="vch" />
In 1377, the parish had 111 poll-tax payers.<ref name="vch" /> The population of the parish reached 278 at the 1851 census but fell steadily from the 1870s, reaching a low of 84 in 1981.<ref name="census" />
Norrington manor was recorded as held from the king in 1210–1212.<ref name="vch" /> It was owned by the Gawen family from 1377 to 1658 and then by the [[Wadham Wyndham (judge)|Wyndham]] family until 1952.<ref>{{cite web|website=Wiltshire Community History|title=Alvediston|url=https://apps.wiltshire.gov.uk/communityhistory/Community/Index/6|publisher=Wiltshire Council|access-date=28 August 2015}}</ref>
==Governance== The civil parish is governed by a [[parish meeting]], a form of governance applied to parishes with small populations.<ref>{{cite web|title=Alvediston Parish Meeting|url=http://cms.wiltshire.gov.uk/%28S%28wm5gga55b130f045qoanjja5%29%29/mgParishCouncilDetails.aspx?ID=246&LS=1|publisher=Wiltshire Council|access-date=27 August 2015}}</ref> It is in the area of [[Wiltshire Council]] [[Unitary authorities of England|unitary authority]], which is responsible for all significant local government functions. For Westminster elections, the parish is in the [[Salisbury (UK Parliament constituency)|Salisbury]] constituency.
==Religious sites== [[File:Alvediston St Mary's church and house.jpg|thumb|left|Alvediston St Mary's church]] The [[Church of England parish church]] of St Mary stands on the north bank of the Ebble, next to Church Farm and with only the former vicarage and a 17th-century house<ref>{{National Heritage List for England|num=1130706|desc=Church Cottage|access-date=12 May 2021|fewer-links=yes}}</ref> nearby, the rest of the village now lying south of the river. Built in limestone, the church has a chancel with a north chapel, a nave with transepts and a west tower. The date of the nave is uncertain: the [[Wiltshire Victoria County History]] places it in the 12th century, with 14th-century transepts,<ref name="vch" /> but the [[English Heritage]] listing offers no date. The three-stage tower was built in the 17th century. Extensive restoration in 1866 by [[Thomas Henry Wyatt|T.H. Wyatt]] included the addition of the north chapel and the rebuilding of the north transept. The church was designated as [[Grade II* listed]] in 1966.<ref name="chlisting">{{National Heritage List for England|num=1318670|desc=Church of St Mary|access-date=12 May 2021|fewer-links=yes}}</ref>
The stone font bowl is 12th-century, while the pews and pulpit are from the 1860s. Monuments inside the church include a recumbent 14th-century knight, probably one of the [[John Gawen|Gawens]] of [[Norrington Manor]]. There are marble tablets to [[Wadham Wyndham (judge)|Sir Wadham Wyndham]] (d.1668), his wife (d.1704) and son John (d.1724).<ref name="chlisting" /> Two of the three bells are from the 17th century; at present the peal is unringable.<ref>{{cite web|title=Alvediston|url=https://dove.cccbr.org.uk/detail.php?tower=10835|access-date=10 May 2021|website=Dove's Guide for Church Bell Ringers}}</ref>
From 1584 or earlier, [[Broad Chalke]], [[Bowerchalke]] and Alveston were held as one benefice, with Bowerchalke and Alvediston treated as chapels. This continued until Alvediston was made a [[perpetual curacy]] in 1861. In 1963 the benefice was united with that of [[Ebbesbourne Wake]] with Fifield Bavant,<ref>{{London Gazette | issue = 43143 | date = 25 October 1963 | page = 8770 }}</ref> and in 1970 the parishes were united to form the parish of Ebbesbourne Wake with Fifield Bavant and Alvediston.<ref>{{cite web|title=Alvediston: St Mary|url=https://www.achurchnearyou.com/church/9510/more-information/|access-date=10 May 2021|website=A Church Near You|publisher=The Archbishops' Council}}</ref><ref>{{London Gazette | issue = 45057 | date = 10 March 1970 | page = 2856 | nolink = y }}</ref> Today the parish is part of the Chalke Valley Churches group.<ref>{{cite web|title=Alvediston|url=https://www.chalkevalleychurches.org/alvediston-stmary.htm|access-date=10 May 2021|website=Chalke Valley Churches}}</ref>
A [[Primitive Methodism|Primitive Methodist]] chapel was built in 1894 and closed sometime before 1951.<ref>{{cite web|website=Wiltshire Community History|title=Primitive Methodist Chapel, Alvediston|url=https://apps.wiltshire.gov.uk/communityhistory/Church/Details/1595|publisher=Wiltshire Council|access-date=28 August 2015}}</ref> As of 2019 the building was standing but unused.<ref>{{Commons file|Disused Chapel - geograph.org.uk - 298963.jpg|the chapel at Alvediston}}</ref>
==Notable buildings== [[File:Samways Farm Stables from The Street.jpg|thumb|left|Samways Farm Stables and tower from The Street, Alvediston]] The Crown Inn is on the south side of the village and was originally a pair of mid-17th century cottages.<ref>{{National Heritage List for England entry|num=1300374|desc=The Crown Inn, Alvediston|access-date=28 August 2015|fewer-links=yes}}</ref>
[[File:Village House, Alvediston - geograph.org.uk - 795930.jpg|thumb|right|Alvediston Manor from the village street]] [[Alvediston Manor]] (mid-18th century)<ref>{{National Heritage List for England entry|num=1130703|desc=The Manor, Alvediston|access-date=28 August 2015|fewer-links=yes}}</ref> is on the east side of the village street leading to the river, and is Grade II listed. From 1968 until his death in 1977, it was the home of the former prime minister [[Anthony Eden]].
Samways House (c.1700) and Samways Farm Stables (mid 19th century) are north of the village street, about 200 metres west of the Crown Inn; both are also Grade II listed. The clocktower over the archway entrance to the stables was built by [[William Day (horseman)|William Day]] in 1861 to celebrate his horse Dulcibella winning the [[Cesarewitch Handicap|Cesarewitch]] at Newmarket.<ref>{{National Heritage List for England|num=1130701|desc=Samways|access-date=29 December 2020|fewer-links=yes}}</ref><ref>{{National Heritage List for England|num=1318667|desc=Stables at Samways|access-date=29 December 2020|fewer-links=yes}}</ref>
[[Norrington Manor]], about 1 kilometre NNW of the village centre, is a Grade I listed manor house based on a 14th-century [[great hall]].<ref>{{National Heritage List for England entry|num=1318666|desc=Norrington Manor|access-date=28 August 2015|fewer-links=yes}}</ref> It was probably built by [[John Gawen]], a layer, [[Justice of the peace|justice]] and Member of Parliament, who acquired the property in 1377.<ref name="vch" /> Around 1659 it was bought by [[Wadham Wyndham (judge)|Wadham Wyndham]], a lawyer and later a [[Justice of the King's Bench]].<ref name="vch" />
==Amenities== Alvediston has a [[pub]], the Crown Inn. A [[National school (England and Wales)|National School]] was built in 1872 but closed in 1922.<ref>{{cite web|website=Wiltshire Community History|title=National School, Alvediston|url=https://apps.wiltshire.gov.uk/communityhistory/School/Details/1527|publisher=Wiltshire Council|access-date=28 August 2015}}</ref>
There are two [[Biological Site of Special Scientific Interest|Sites of Special Scientific Interest]] in the parish: [[Pincombe Down]] and [[Gallows Hill SSSI, Wiltshire|Gallows Hill]]. The latter is notable for rare chalk grassland species and a scarce species of butterfly.
==Notable people== [[File:Saint Mary, Alvediston- churchyard (i) (geograph 3576018).jpg|thumb|Eden's grave in the churchyard of St Mary's, Alvediston]][[Anthony Eden]], 1st Earl of Avon, was a [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]] politician who was Foreign Secretary three times.
He was deputy to Winston Churchill for almost 15 years, and succeeded him as leader of the Conservative Party.
He won the [[1955 United Kingdom general election|1955 general election]] and served as [[Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|Prime Minister]] from 1955 to 1957.
Eden lived at [[Alvediston Manor]] from 1966 until his death in 1977.<ref name="vch" /> He was buried in St Mary's churchyard.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/1977/01/17/archives/eden-is-to-be-buried-in-his-village-today.html ''The New York Times'']</ref>
[[Clarissa Eden]], Countess of Avon (1920–2021), [[Winston Churchill]]'s niece and the second wife of Anthony Eden, continued to live at Alvediston Manor after her husband's death.
In 2018, Lady Avon became the oldest living [[Spouse of the prime minister of the United Kingdom|spouse of a British prime minister]].<ref>{{cite web |last=Kettle |first=Martin |author-link=Martin Kettle |title='Acerbic and firm': Mary Wilson remembered fondly after death at 102 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2018/jun/08/acerbic-and-firm-mary-wilson-remembered-fondly-after-death-at-102 |website=The Guardian |access-date=15 November 2021 |date=8 June 2018 |quote=Wilson's death makes the exclusive club of past or present prime ministerial consorts more exclusive than ever. Now there are just six of them. The oldest member is Clarissa Eden, widow of Anthony, who turns 98 this month. |archive-date=15 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211115232829/https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2018/jun/08/acerbic-and-firm-mary-wilson-remembered-fondly-after-death-at-102 |url-status=live }}</ref> She turned 100 in 2020,<ref>{{cite web |last=Vickers |first=Hugo |author-link=Hugo Vickers |title=The Countess of Avon at 100 |url=https://winstonchurchill.org/publications/churchill-bulletin/bulletin-145-jul-2020/the-countess-of-avon-at-100/ |publisher=[[International Churchill Society]] |access-date=15 November 2021 |date=30 June 2020 |archive-date=15 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211115233308/https://winstonchurchill.org/publications/churchill-bulletin/bulletin-145-jul-2020/the-countess-of-avon-at-100/ |url-status=live }}</ref> the second British prime minister's spouse to become a [[List of centenarians (royalty and nobility)|centenarian]] after Mary Wilson.
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== {{Commons category-inline}} {{authority control}}
[[Category:Villages in Wiltshire]] [[Category:Civil parishes in Wiltshire]]