Key facts
OS grid reference: ST976236
Postcode: SP5
What3words: ///then.choppers.education
Post town: Salisbury
Unitary Authority: Wiltshire
Parliamentary Constituency: South West Wiltshire
Alvediston
The charming hamlet of Alvediston sits at the head of the Ebble Valley in the Cranborne Chase and West Wiltshire Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (National Landscape), with thatched cottages and a 12th Century church.
Alvediston is less than 20 miles from Shaftesbury, a pretty drive of around 20 minutes on the A30. It’s also a half-hour drive from Salisbury on the A354 or the A36, with all its amenities and travel connections and the main train line between Exeter and Waterloo. Nearby Tisbury, less than 15 minutes’ drive, also has a train station. A Salisbury Reds bus route runs through the hamlet.
Broad Chalke, the busiest of the valley’s villages has a CE primary school, sports centre, shop and café and is just a 10-minute drive away.
At the centre of the village sits Alvediston Manor, a Grade II listed, 18th Century manor house which was the former home of Sir Anthony Eden, Earl of Avon, and former prime minister who retired there in 1968. He is buried in the village churchyard.
The Ebble is the local newsletter for Alvediston, Ebbesbourne Wake and Fifield Bavant, listing community news and upcoming events.
History
There are signs of a settlement at Alvediston from prehistoric times including three Bronze Age bowl barrows, a type of burial ground on Trow Down.
Much of the land was granted to the nuns of Wilton Abbey in 955 and Alvediston appears as a historic settlement in 1156 as ‘Alfweiteston’.
A medieval drover’s road from Dorset to Salisbury, The Ox Drove, crossed to the south of the village.
The 12th Century church of St Mary’s looks out over the pastureland surrounding the village and is approached through a field. On Sundays and special occasions the bells, two of which date back to 1630 and 1640, can be heard across the village.
Former Prime Minister, Sir Anthony Eden retired to Alvediston in 1966 and is now buried in the churchyard.
Walking and cycling
The area around Alvediston is excellent for walking, running and cycling. Check out this five-star Alvediston Circular Walk from All Trails. The six-mile countryside loop takes in a mixture of sights and terrains.