Key facts
OS grid ref: SU135550
Postcode: SN9
Post town: Pewsey
What3words: ///scanning.mailings.lift
Unitary Authority: Wiltshire
Parliamentary Constituency: Devizes
Upavon
Upavon sits on the edge of Salisbury Plain, with picturesque cottages and a spectacular landscape surrounding it. It takes its name from its location on the upper section of the River Avon which flows through the village.
The A345 and A342 also run through the village which is around a 30-minute drive to Salisbury, 10 minutes from Pewsey and less than 20 minutes from the market town of Devizes. Salisbury Reds operates a bus service through the village. So this is a peaceful spot, but it also has access to excellent amenities.
Upavon is known as the birthplace of the RAF more than a century ago and the churchyard has the graves of young men killed in flying accidents from that early period. The RAF handed it over to the Army in 1993 but there’s still a gliding school here. It’s now the administrative HQ of the British Army.
There’s a strong sense of community here, with a GP surgery, parish website, local shop and post office, playing fields, two pubs and a village hall. There are activities and events all year round, from live music to carol concerts and fetes.
There are two local pubs, The Antelope Inn with rooms dating back to the early 1700s which serves home-cooked food and real ales and The Ship Inn which is a traditional, thatched village pub complete with low-beamed ceilings, roaring fires in the colder months and a beer garden in warmer ones.
There’s fly-fishing on the spectacular River Avon, grouse shooting in season, and an 18-hole golf course with spectacular views across Salisbury Plain, initiated by the Royal Flying Corps in 1912, the forerunner to the RAF.
History
The first mention of Upavon is in the Domesday Book as ‘Oppavrene’ with land held by a Benedictine monastery.
The village was prosperous during the 12th and 13th Centuries and there’s still evidence of that today with a Norman church replacing the Saxon one, a manor house and a market square.
Upavon is known as the birthplace of the RAF more than a century ago and the graveyard bears testament to young men killed in flying accidents from that early period. The RAF handed it over to the Army in 1993 and today it’s home to administrative headquarters of the British Army. There’s still a gliding school at the village.
St Mary’s Church is Grade I listed and the High Street has several ancient houses, many thatched.
Walking and cycling
Check out the Visit Pewsey Vale website for the Insider Guide to Upavon Walk, a loop that takes you from Upavon, to North Newnton, Charlton St Peter and Rushall.