{{Short description|Village and civil parish in Wiltshire, England}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2019}} {{Use British English|date=August 2019}} {{Infobox UK place |country = England |static_image_name= A354 through Coombe Bissett.jpg |static_image_caption= A354, Coombe Bissett |label_position= left |coordinates = {{coord|51.037|-1.846|type:city(500)_region:GB-WIL|display=inline,title}} |official_name= Coombe Bissett |population = 675 |population_ref= (in 2011)<ref>{{cite web|title=Coombe Bissett Census Information|url=https://apps.wiltshire.gov.uk/communityhistory/Census?communityId=83|work=Wiltshire Community History|publisher=Wiltshire Council|access-date=19 December 2014}}</ref> |civil_parish= Coombe Bissett |unitary_england = Wiltshire |lieutenancy_england = Wiltshire |region= South West England |constituency_westminster= Salisbury |post_town= Salisbury |postcode_district = SP5 |postcode_area= SP |dial_code= 01722 |os_grid_reference= SU109264 |website= {{URL|https://www.coombebissett.com/}} }} '''Coombe Bissett''' is a village and civil parish in the English county of Wiltshire in the River Ebble valley, {{convert|3|mi}} southwest of Salisbury on the A354 road that goes south towards Blandford Forum. The parish includes the village of '''Homington''', to the east towards the village of Odstock. In 2011 the parish had a population of 675.
==History== Records from Saxon times indicate that the Ebble valley was a thriving area, the River Ebble also being known as the River Chalke. The Domesday Book in 1086 divided the Chalke Valley into eight manors: ''Chelke'' (Chalke – Bowerchalke and Broadchalke), ''Eblesborne'' (Ebbesbourne Wake), ''Fifehide'' (Fifield Bavant), ''Cumbe'' (Coombe Bissett), ''Humitone'' (Homington), ''Odestoche'' (Odstock), ''Stradford'' (Stratford Tony and Bishopstone) and ''Trow'' (circa Alvediston).<ref name="Meers">[http://www.southwilts.com/site/Ebbesbourne-Wake-Through-The-Ages/EWTTA3.pdf Ebbesbourne Wake through the Ages by Peter Meers]</ref> The Domesday Book also recorded ''Cumbe'' as a royal manor with 85 households,<ref>{{OpenDomesday|SU1026|coombe-bissett|Coombe Bissett}}</ref> while ''Humitone'' had just two households.<ref>{{OpenDomesday|SU1226|homington|Homington}}</ref> A medieval packhorse bridge, now a footbridge, crosses the Ebble close to the current road bridge at Coombe Bissett.<ref>{{National Heritage List for England|num=1375630|desc=Packhorse Bridge over River Ebble|access-date=30 April 2016}}</ref>
Coombe Bissett and Homington were separate parishes, each with its own church, until they were united in a joint benefice in 1885.<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=25456 |date=31 March 1885 |pages=1459–1460}}</ref> Homington was absorbed into Coombe Bissett civil parish in 1934.<ref>{{cite web|title=Homington|website=A Vision of Britain through Time|publisher=University of Portsmouth|url=http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/unit/10405488|access-date=30 April 2016}}</ref>
== Religious sites == thumb|left|Church of St Michael and All Angels, Coombe Bissett The two Anglican churches below are served by the Chalke Valley team ministry.<ref>{{cite web|title=Our Churches|url=http://www.chalkevalley.org.uk/churches/|website=Chalke Valley Church|access-date=30 April 2016|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160327221236/http://chalkevalley.org.uk/churches/|archive-date=27 March 2016}}</ref>
=== St Michael's, Coombe Bissett === <!-- Church of St Michael and All Angels, Coombe Bissett redirects here --> The oldest part of St Michael's, the south aisle, is from the 12th century. The chancel was built in the 13th and the tower (with stair-turret) added in the 14th; the nave and north transept are 15th-century. Restoration in 1845 by T.H. Wyatt included the rebuilding of the west front, reducing the length of the building.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Pevsner |first1=Nikolaus |author-link1=Nikolaus Pevsner |last2=Cherry |first2=Bridget (revision) |year=1975 |orig-year=1963 |title=Wiltshire |series=The Buildings of England |edition=2nd |place=Harmondsworth |publisher=Penguin Books |isbn=0-14-0710-26-4 |pages=190–191}}</ref> The church is a Grade I listed building.<ref>{{National Heritage List for England|num=1023802|desc=Church of St Michael|access-date=1 May 2016|fewer-links=yes}}</ref> === St Mary's, Homington === thumb|left|St Mary's Church, Homington St Mary's is a 14th-century church, possibly with earlier origins. The tower of the present church is from the early 17th century and there was extensive restoration in the 1860s. The church is a Grade II* listed building.<ref>{{National Heritage List for England|num=1023807|desc=Church of St Mary the Virgin|access-date=1 May 2016|fewer-links=yes}}</ref>
=== Nonconformist chapels === A Primitive Methodist chapel was built in 1841 at the west end of Homington village, then rebuilt in 1877. The chapel closed in 1967 and is now a private house.<ref>{{cite web|website=Wiltshire Community History|title=Homington Primitive Methodist Chapel|url=https://apps.wiltshire.gov.uk/communityhistory/Church/Details/1460|publisher=Wiltshire Council|access-date=30 April 2016}}</ref> In 1895 a Baptist chapel was opened at Coombe Bissett, on the road to Homington, and is used by the Coombe Fellowship.<ref>{{cite web|title=Baptist Chapel, Coombe Bissett|url=https://apps.wiltshire.gov.uk/communityhistory/Church/Details/1459|access-date=30 April 2016}}</ref> {{-}}
==Amenities== Coombe Bissett has a pub, the ''Fox and Goose'', a village hall, and a shop with a post office. A primary school was built at Shutts Lane in the 1960s, replacing a small National School on the Homington road which was built in 1845.<ref>{{cite web|website=Wiltshire Community History|title=Coombe Bissett Church of England Primary School|url=https://apps.wiltshire.gov.uk/communityhistory/School/Details/1427|publisher=Wiltshire Council|access-date=1 May 2016}}</ref> Homington and Coombe Bissett Downs is a nature reserve on nearby chalk downland. There are various clubs within the village, including a tennis club, cricket club<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://sites.google.com/site/coombebissettcc/|title=Coombebissettcricketclub|website=sites.google.com}}</ref> and badminton club. Salisbury and South Wiltshire Golf Course is to the north of the village. Salisbury Hospital is to the east, north of Odstock village and a 10-minute drive from Coombe Bissett.
==Notable people== *Tancred Borenius (1885–1948), Finnish art historian, died at Laverstock House hospital and is buried in Coombe Bissett churchyard.<ref name="HarrisWilbourn2014">{{cite book|author1=John Harris|author2=Richard Wilbourn|title=Rudolf Hess: A New Technical Analysis of the Hess Flight, May 1941|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=St8TDQAAQBAJ&pg=PT90|date=6 January 2014|publisher=History Press|isbn=978-0-7524-9565-1|page=90 |quote=Carl Tancred Borenius (1885–1948) was born at Viipuri, Finland, modern Vyborg, Russia. He died at Coombe Bissett, near Salisbury in Wiltshire, UK.}}</ref> *Tim Smith (1961–2020), songwriter, composer and former leader of Cardiacs, spent his later years near Coombe Bissett.
==Bordering areas== {{Geographic location |title = '''Neighbouring areas of Coombe Bissett''' |Northwest = Rural Area |North = Salisbury Racecourse |Northeast = Salisbury |West = Bishopstone |Centre = Coombe Bissett |East = Homington/Odstock/Nunton |Southwest = Rural area |South = Rural area |Southeast = Homington }}
==References== {{Reflist|30em}}
==External links== *{{Commonscatinline}} *{{Official|https://www.coombebissett.com/}} *{{cite web|website=Wiltshire Community History|title=Coombe Bissett|url=https://apps.wiltshire.gov.uk/communityhistory/Community/Index/70|publisher=Wiltshire Council|access-date=30 April 2016}} *{{cite web|last1=Acornley|first1=Jennifer|title=History of Coombe Bissett|url=http://www.coombebissett.com/coombe-bissett.html|website=www.coombebissett.com|access-date=30 April 2016}} *{{cite web|title=History of St Michael and All Angels, Coombe Bissett|url=http://www.chalkevalley.org.uk/coombe-bissett-history/|website=Chalke Valley Church|access-date=1 May 2016|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160630022647/http://www.chalkevalley.org.uk/coombe-bissett-history/|archive-date=30 June 2016}} *{{cite web|last1=Acornley|first1=Jennifer|title=History of Homington|url=http://www.coombebissett.com/homington.html|website=www.coombebissett.com|access-date=30 April 2016}} *{{cite web|title=Homington Church History|url=http://www.chalkevalley.org.uk/homington-history/|website=Chalke Valley Church|access-date=1 May 2016|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160630003937/http://www.chalkevalley.org.uk/homington-history/|archive-date=30 June 2016}}
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Category:Villages in Wiltshire Category:Civil parishes in Wiltshire