Key facts
Postocode: SP4
Unitary Authority: Wiltshire Council
Parliamentary Constituency: Salisbury
Lower Woodford
OS Grid Reference: SU138374
What3words: ///thick.ignore.otherwise
Middle Woodford
OS Grid Reference: SU137379
What3words: ///plausible.fatigued.bluffing
Upper Woodford
OS Grid Reference: SU135382
What3words: ///poetic.jukebox.shelters
Lower, Middle and Upper Woodford
Upper, Middle and Lower Woodford are three idyllic Wiltshire villages sitting side-by-side in the Woodford Valley, along the west bank of the River Avon, known here as the Wiltshire Avon.
Each offers a unique blend of historical charm and village life, set against the backdrop of a stunning rural valley landscape.
The villages are around five or six miles from the cathedral city of Salisbury, with all it has to offer including transport links, with the train to London taking less than 90 minutes. Salisbury Reds operates a route through all three villages.
The villages of the Woodford Valley each have their own personality but have a shared community, centred on the village hall at Middle Woodford which hosts with quiz nights, coffee mornings, a mobile library and a market and café.
There’s a parish website and an online magazine called ‘The Bridge’ that keeps locals up to date with what’s happening across the valley.
Yoga, flower arranging, table tennis, pilates, a book club and a garden club are among the activities on offer in these villages.
History
There’s evidence that the fertile river valley of the Woodfords was an attraction for early settlers as far back as prehistoric times. Remnants of Roman roads and artefacts have been discovered in and around the village.
In 972, the name was recorded as Wuduforda, in Old English, ‘ford in or by a wood’. ‘Wodeford’ is then recorded in the Domesday Book, as several households farmland and a mill, part of the Wilton Abbey estate. In the 19th Century it was pronounced ‘Oodford’.
During the medieval period, Woodford developed around the manor house, which remains a significant architectural feature of the village. The Church of All Saints is Grade I listed, built in the 12th Century, it features classic Norman architecture, including a striking chancel arch and beautiful carved font.
Walking and cycling
The Woodfords have great walking and cycling potential. If you’d like to explore the area on foot, then this trail from Visit Wiltshire takes in some of the best river and architectural views of the Woodford Valley.