Key facts
OS grid ref: SU086345
Postcode: SP2
Post town: Salisbury
What3words: ///simple.unspoiled.sorry
Unitary Authority: Wiltshire
Parliamentary Constituency: Salisbury
South Newton and Stoford
The side-by-side villages of South Newton and Stoford, to the north west of Salisbury in the Wylye Valley, offer a perfect blend of rural Wiltshire village life with accessible city convenience.
South Newton straddles the A36 and is just 5½ miles, or a drive of around 20 minutes, to the cathedral city of Salisbury with its shops, restaurants, bars, heritage, culture and amenities. The train from here to Waterloo takes less than 90 minutes. Salisbury Reds operates a bus route through the villages.
Sat in the Cranborne Chase and West Wiltshire Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (National Landscape), the villages both have the River Wylye flowing through them, and the hamlets of and Chilhampton and Little Wishford are included in the parish.
There’s a vibrant, local community, with a cricket club and junior football club, a pre-school nursery and a WI. The village hall hosts events ranging from exercise classes and the valley art group, to community meetings and a baby group. There are also quiz evenings, bingo, table tennis and breakfast mornings. Every year, there’s a family music event called Stofest.
The Bell Inn at South Newton is a friendly pub with rooms and dates back to 1737. It also has a beer garden with a view of the river for a cold pint on a summer evening.
History
There have been settlements in the parish since Saxon times and these are largely 10th Century estates, each occupying a strip of land down to the River Wylye and up onto the downlands.
The Church, St Andrew’s dates back to the 13th Century.
Walking and cycling
The area is perfect for a hike. So if you want to explore on foot this long 11.3-mile walk, the Hadden Hill loop from South Newton (bus stop towards Salisbury) from Komoot, takes you through Grovely Wood, on the footpath between Barford St. Martin and Wilton, and Hadden Hill.