Key facts
OS Grid Reference: SU2348
What3words: ///probing.hikes.puddles
Postcode: SP9
Post town: Tidworth
Unitary Authority: Wiltshire Council
Parliamentary Constituency: East Wiltshire
Tidworth
Tidworth is a town in Wiltshire, close to the border with Hampshire, with a personality that has been driven by the fact that it’s a garrison town close to Salisbury Plain.
It’s a community of around 12,000 people which benefits from having both military and civilians living there – and it’s likely it will continue to thrive and grow with Army re-basing.
Tidworth runs alongside the A303, so there are good road connections, and it’s just 17 miles, or a drive of around 30 minutes, to Salisbury with its shops, restaurants, culture, heritage and rail links. London is 80 minutes away by train from nearby Grately station. It’s about eight miles to Andover – a 20-minute drive – and 14 miles to Marlborough – around 20-25 minutes.
Because this is a family-oriented village, there are plenty of facilities and both Salisbury Reds and Stagecoach operate bus routes through there. There’s a GP surgery, dentist and vet, a pre-school nursery and junior school, two large supermarkets, shops, restaurants and a Post Office.
The leisure centre, on Nadder Road, has a 25-metre, six-lane, swimming pool and a learner pool, squash, netball and tennis courts, a multi-purpose sports hall and fully-equipped fitness suite, as well as an indoor climbing wall. As you would expect there are football clubs, dance and fitness classes and bootcamps, as well as a skate park and library. There are also the Tidworth Garrison Golf Course and Tedworth Park Polo Club.
History
There’s evidence of settlements at Tidworth as far back as prehistoric times, with an Iron Age hillfort at nearby Sidbury Hill, as well as several bowl barrow burial mounds.
The Domesday Book recorded settlements at what is now north and south Tidworth in the valley of the River Bourne – named ‘Todeworde’, ‘Tedorde’ or ‘Todeorde’.
There was a substantial country house in the 17th Century on the site of the now Tedworth House, which was built around 1830. Today it serves as a recovery centre for the charity, Help for Heroes.
In 1897 the War Office bought the house and grounds, together with land to the north, which gave access to Salisbury Plain for Army training. Extensive barracks were built in the early 20th Century.
Walking and cycling
Tidworth sits in stunning countryside close to the stretches of Salisbury Plain and the River Bourne, a perfect area for walking, cycling or horseriding. If you’d like to explore the area on foot, there’s the Tidworth Circular Walk from All Trails. It’s an 8½ miler that takes almost half-a-day.