Key facts
OS grid ref: ST990317
What3words: ///unguarded.shelved.scripted
Postcode:SP3
Post town: Salisbury
Unitary Authority: Wiltshire
Parliamentary Constituency: South West Wiltshire
Teffont
Teffont is a peaceful and historic Wiltshire village with a timeless charm, set against a landscape of the lush meadows and ancient woodlands of the Nadder Valley.
A clear, cold, spring-fed stream known as ‘The Teff’ or ‘Teffont Brook’ meanders through the thatched cottages of the village with arched bridges crossing it.
Teffont sits on the A30 and is about a half-hour drive to both Salisbury and Shaftesbury. Tisbury, the largest of the Nadder Valley village, is just a 10-minute drive away – so easy access to all its amenities and facilities including the train station. There’s a bus stop in the village.
Although now one village, until 1934 it was two – Teffont Evias and Teffont Magna. They lie close together but locals still use both names today.
The village has a strong sense of community with a village website for locals. The village hall and church are the centre of the community. There’s a village show in the summer, and the likes of garden and wine clubs, a fishing club, table tennis, children’s parties music and art and Pilates classes, and special occasions throughout the year.
For horseriders, there are lots of bridleways and a livery yard at Manor Farm with plenty of unrestricted access directly onto public rights of way that surround the village. Manor Farm also has holiday cottages for visiting friends and family.
History
Historically the village had two separate identities, Teffont Evias and Teffont Magna.
Between them the Romans and Anglo-Saxons invented a shared name for the place: Teffont – made up from a Frisian word for border ‘tef’ and the Roman word for spring ‘fontana’.
The village can trace its roots back to the Saxon era, with its name believed to be derived from the Old English words ‘Tæppa’s spring’ or ‘Tæppa’s stream’.
The two former parishes each had a church, and both continue in use, although they are only about three-quarters of a mile apart; they are both Grade II listed.
The village is home to several Grade II listed buildings, including local manor houses and traditional cottages, many of which date back to the 16th and 17th Centuries and the Church of St. Edward, a beautiful 13th Century structure.
A green sand ridge overlooks the valley from the west, and here the Teffont Archaeology Project has investigated the Roman landscape of the region.
Walking and cycling
If you’re looking to explore Teffont on foot, then this five-mile trail from Visit Wiltshire takes you from Chicksgrove to Teffont Evias.
