Key facts
OS grid ref: ST959391
Postcode: BA12
Post town: Warminster
What3words: ///sitting.novel.anchorman
Unitary Authority: Wiltshire
Parliamentary Constituency: South West Wiltshire
Sherrington
Sherrington, at the bottom of a valley and near the edge of Salisbury Plain, captures the very essence of a traditional Wiltshire village. It’s set in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (National Landscape) with winding lanes that bring you to thatched cottages overlooking the village mill pond – a tableau from a time gone by.
That said the village is only nine miles from Warminster, a drive of less than 20 minutes, where there’s a train station. Salisbury is only 35 minutes away, with its shops, restaurants, bars, heritage, culture and amenities. The train from here to Waterloo takes less than 90 minutes.
Sherrington is home to a part of Great Ridge Wood, formerly Chicklade Wood, one of the largest woodlands in the county. The section that sits in Sherrington is called Snailcreep Hanging. The unusual name is used by Thomas Hardy in Under the Greenwood Tree, but probably dates to the Middle Ages. It’s also now the name of a local ale by Stone Daisy Brewery, so keep an eye out for it.
History
Sherrington has the remains of a motte-and-bailey castle dating back to the late 11th Century.
The church, which is featured on the walk on this page, dates back to the 13th Century and is dedicated to Cosmas and Damian, two saints of the Middle East, acknowledged as the guardian spirits of healing and safe travelling.
Walking and cycling
The walking around Sherrington, in the Cranborne Chase and West Wiltshire Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (National Landscape), is stunning. If you’d like to explore the area on foot then combine a walk with some history of the village with this trail from AA Rated Trips.