church of Saint Michael, Wilsford cum Lake

Key facts

OS Grid Reference: SU135398
Postocode: SP4
What3words: ///howler.minimums.flattens
Unitary Authority: Wiltshire
Parliamentary Constituency: Salisbury

Wilsford cum Lake

Rock legend Sting’s hit song Fields of Gold was inspired by the lush landscape surrounding his Wiltshire home in the tiny, tranquil village of Wilsford cum Lake.

Sting and his wife Trudi Styler have owned their 16th Century manor house since 1992, which nestles in the pretty village next to the River Avon and has views of Stonehenge from the land behind the manor.

The parish is rich in archeological features and lies within the Stonehenge World Heritage Site.

The market town of Amesbury is nearby (2.5 miles) and provides most day-to-day needs. There are a number of good pubs including The Wheatsheaf, The Bridge Inn, and the newly-opened Great Bustard. Salisbury is about eight miles away and provides a comprehensive range of shopping, dining and cultural facilities, as well as excellent grammar, state and independent schools.

The Woodford Valley CE Primary School is a good local primary school, with other primary schools and the Stonehenge secondary school also available in the neighbouring town of Amesbury.

Wilsford Manor Estate is a sporting estate in the village that has one of the best chalk stream fisheries in the UK, and fishing days can be let during the season between mid-April and the end of September. You’ll often see horses hacking through the quiet lanes of Wilsford cum Lake, which is home to Wilsford Stables and top racehorse trainer Seamus Mullins. The trainer moved to Wilsford cum Lake in 1995 to the stables owned by the Bailey family, where the late jumps trainer Peter Bailey trained many big race winners during his career.

Salisbury Reds operates a bus route through the village.

History

The village of Wilsford cum Lake was formed in the 1950s by the amalgamation of the hamlets Wilsford and Lake, and both halves of the village have a Manor or Squires house. Lake House was restored by architect Detmar Blow in 1910 and Wilsford Manor built into its current form by him a year or two later, both in local chequerboard style. The first recording of a church at Wilsford was in 1053, and the current church of St Michael’s was restored in 1851.

Walking and cycling

This area is popular with cyclists, with the Wiltshire Cycleway passing along some of its roads.

There’s good walking, too – try this intermediate hiking tour of Middle Woodford with a Little Durnford Hill Loop.

Explore our
Patch

It’s safe to say that we live in one of most beautiful places in the British Isles, with everything from the culture and heritage of a city and the buzz of a market town, right down to the quietest rural villages. Each area has its own unique charm, so explore our patch to uncover where is perfect for you.