Wiltshire

Geography
Status	Ceremonial & (smaller) Non-metropolitan county
Region:	South West England
Area - Total - Admin. The ceremonial counties are areas of England that are appointed a Lord-Lieutenant, and are defined by the government as the Counties for the purposes of the Lieutenancies Metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties are one of the four levels of Subdivisions of England used for the purposes of Local government outside Greater London South West England is one of the Regions of England. It is the largest such region in terms of area and extends from Gloucestershire and Wiltshire to Surface area is the measure of how much exposed Area an object has council - Admin. area	Ranked 14th 1,346 sq. This is a List of Ceremonial counties of England by Area. See also miles (3,485 km²) Ranked 13th 1,257 sq. Square Kilometre ( US spelling square kilometer) symbol km2, is a decimal multiple of the SI unit of This is a list of non-metropolitan counties of England by area miles (3,255 km²)
Admin HQ:	Trowbridge
ISO 3166-2:	GB-WIL
ONS code:	46
NUTS 3:	UKK15
Demographics
Population - Total (2006 est. Trowbridge is the County town of Wiltshire, England, situated on the River Biss in the west of the county approximately 12 miles (19 km southeast ISO 3166-2GB is an ISO standard which defines Geocodes it is the subset of ISO 3166-2 which applies to the United Kingdom. The Office for National Statistics coding system is a hierarchical code used in the United Kingdom for tabulating Census and other statistical data The Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics, ( NUTS) for the French nomenclature d'unités territoriales statistiques, is a Geocode In Biology a population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular Species; in Sociology ) - Density - Admin. The density of a material is defined as its Mass per unit Volume: \rho = \frac{m}{V} Different materials usually have different council - Admin. pop.	Ranked 34th 635,300 182 / km² Ranked 30th 448,700
Ethnicity:	97. This is a List of Ceremonial counties of England by Population. This is a list of non-metropolitan counties of England by population. 5% White
Politics
Wiltshire County Council http://www.wiltshire.gov.uk/
Executive	Conservative
Members of Parliament	Michael Ancram (C) James Gray (C) Robert Key (C) Andrew Murrison (C) Anne Snelgrove (L) Michael Wills (L)
Districts
Salisbury West Wiltshire Kennet North Wiltshire Swindon (Unitary)

Wiltshire (abbreviated Wilts) is a ceremonial county in the south west of England. The Conservative Party (officially the Conservative and Unionist Party) is a Political party in the United Kingdom. Composition Graphical representation of the House of Commons This is a comparison of the party strengths in the British House of Commons Michael Andrew Foster Jude Kerr 13th Marquess of Lothian PC, QC, MP (born 7 July 1945 known as Michael Ancram, is a United Kingdom The Conservative Party (officially the Conservative and Unionist Party) is a Political party in the United Kingdom. James Whiteside Gray (born November 7, 1954) is a British Politician. The Conservative Party (officially the Conservative and Unionist Party) is a Political party in the United Kingdom. Simon Robert Key known as Robert Key (born 22 April 1945, Plymouth) is a Conservative politician in the United Kingdom. The Conservative Party (officially the Conservative and Unionist Party) is a Political party in the United Kingdom. Dr Andrew William Murrison (born 24 April 1961 Colchester) is a doctor and politician in the United Kingdom. The Conservative Party (officially the Conservative and Unionist Party) is a Political party in the United Kingdom. Anne Christine Snelgrove (born 7 August 1957 Wokingham, Berkshire) is the Labour Party Member of Parliament in the United Kingdom The Labour Party is a Political party in the United Kingdom. Founded at the start of the 20th century it has been since the 1920s the principal party of the Michael David Wills (born 20 May 1952, St Pancras) is a politician in the United Kingdom. The Labour Party is a Political party in the United Kingdom. Founded at the start of the 20th century it has been since the 1920s the principal party of the Political control Control of the authority shifted in the elections of May 2007 from Conservative to no overall control the current administration being formed by a coalition The District Council West Wiltshire District Council has forty-four members all elected together for a four-year term of office See also Kennett Square Pennsylvania, which is completely unrelated to this District Economy This is a chart of trend of regional gross value added of Swindon at current basic prices published (pp The ceremonial counties are areas of England that are appointed a Lord-Lieutenant, and are defined by the government as the Counties for the purposes of the Lieutenancies South West England is one of the Regions of England. It is the largest such region in terms of area and extends from Gloucestershire and Wiltshire to England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. Dorset ( (or archaically, Dorsetshire) is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast Somerset ( or) is a county in south west England The County town is Taunton, which is in the south of the county Wildlife Hampshire has wildlife typical of the island of Great Britain History See also History of Gloucestershire Gloucestershire is a historic county mentioned in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle in the 10th century History See also History of Oxfordshire The county of Oxfordshire was formed in the early years of the 10th century and is broadly situated in the Berkshire (ˈbɑːkʃə or /ˈbɑːkʃɪə/ say Baak-shuh/-sheer sometimes abbreviated to Berks) is a Home County in the South It contains the unitary authority of Swindon. See also Independent city A unitary authority is a type of Local authority that has a single tier and is responsible for all Local government functions Economy This is a chart of trend of regional gross value added of Swindon at current basic prices published (pp The county covers 858,931 acres (3476 km²). The acre is a unit of Area in a number of different systems including the imperial and U Wiltshire is characterised by its high downland and wide valleys. A downland is an area of open Chalk Hills This term is especially used to describe the Chalk countryside in southern England. In Geology, a valley (also called a vale, dale, glen or strath and near or in Appalachia, a draw) is Salisbury Plain is famous as the location of Stonehenge stone circle and other ancient landmarks. Salisbury Plain is a Chalk Plateau in central southern England covering. Stonehenge is a Prehistoric Monument located in the English county of Wiltshire, about west of Amesbury and north of Salisbury A stone circle is an ancient monument Such a monument is not always precisely circular and often forms an ellipse or a setting of four stones laid on an arc of a circle The city of Salisbury is notable for its cathedral. Salisbury (ˈsɒlzbri ˈsɔːlzbri ('Solzbry' or ˈzɔːwzbri ('Zawzbry' — moving from RP to local dialect) is a cathedral city in the Salisbury Cathedral is an Anglican Cathedral in Salisbury, England, considered one of the leading examples of Early English architecture The county town is Trowbridge (originally Wilton). A county town is the 'capital' of a County in the United Kingdom or Republic of Ireland. Trowbridge is the County town of Wiltshire, England, situated on the River Biss in the west of the county approximately 12 miles (19 km southeast Wilton is a town in Wiltshire, (of which it was once the County town) England, with a rich heritage dating back to the Anglo-Saxons.

Etymology

The county, formerly 'Wiltonshire' or 'Wiltunscir' (9th century), is named after the former county town of Wilton (itself named after the river Wylye, one of eight rivers that drain the county). Wilton is a town in Wiltshire, (of which it was once the County town) England, with a rich heritage dating back to the Anglo-Saxons. The River Wylye (pronounced 'Why-lee' is a classic southern England Chalk stream; champagne clear water flowing over gravel The new county town is Trowbridge. A county town is the 'capital' of a County in the United Kingdom or Republic of Ireland. Trowbridge is the County town of Wiltshire, England, situated on the River Biss in the west of the county approximately 12 miles (19 km southeast

The local nickname for Wiltshire natives is moonrakers. A nickname is a Name of an entity or thing that is not its Proper name. Moonrakers is the Colloquial name for people from Wiltshire, a County of South West England in the West Country. This originated from a story of smugglers who managed to foil the local Excise men by hiding their alcohol, possibly French brandy in barrels or kegs, in a village pond. Smuggling, also known as trafficking, is the clandestine transportation of goods or persons past a point where prohibited such as out of a building into a Prison Excise or Excise tax (sometimes called an excise duty) is a type of Tax charged on goods produced within the country (as opposed to Customs duties In Chemistry, an alcohol is any Organic compound in which a Hydroxyl group ( - O[[hydrogen H]]) is bound to a Carbon Brandy (from brandywine, derived from Dutch brandewijn — “burnt wine” is a spirit produced by distilling Wine When confronted by the excise men they raked the surface in order to conceal the submerged contraband with ripples, and claimed that they were trying to rake in a large round cheese visible in the pond, really a reflection of the full moon. The English word contraband, reported in English since 1529 from Medieval French contrebande "a smuggling" derived via Italian contrabando from Latin The police took them for simple yokels or mad and left them alone, allowing them to continue with their illegal activities.

History

Main article: History of Wiltshire

Stonehenge

Wiltshire is notable for its pre-Roman archaeology. Wiltshire is an historic county located in the South West England region Stonehenge is a Prehistoric Monument located in the English county of Wiltshire, about west of Amesbury and north of Salisbury Roman Britain refers to those parts of the island of Great Britain controlled by the Roman Empire between AD 43 and 410 Archaeology, archeology, or archæology (from Greek grc ἀρχαιολογία archaiologia – grc ἀρχαῖος archaīos The Mesolithic, Neolithic and Bronze Age people that occupied southern Britain built settlements on the hills and downland that cover Wiltshire. The Mesolithic or Middle Stone Age was a period in the development of human technology in between the Paleolithic or Old Stone Age and the Neolithic or New Stone Age The Neolithic (from Greek νεολιθικός — neolithikos from νέος neos, "new" + λίθος lithos The term Bronze Age refers to a period in human cultural development when the most advanced Metalworking (at least in systematic and widespread use included techniques for Stonehenge and Avebury are perhaps the most famous Neolithic sites in the UK. Stonehenge is a Prehistoric Monument located in the English county of Wiltshire, about west of Amesbury and north of Salisbury Avebury is the site of a large Henge and several Stone circles in the English county of Wiltshire surrounding the village of Avebury

In the 6th and 7th centuries Wiltshire was at the western edge of Saxon Britain, as Cranborne Chase and the Somerset Levels prevented the advance to the west. For their language see Anglo-Saxon language. Anglo-Saxon is the term usually used to describe the invading Tribes in the south Cranborne Chase ( is a Chalk Plateau in central southern England, straddling the counties Dorset, Hampshire and Wiltshire The Somerset Levels (or Somerset Levels and Moors as they are less commonly but more correctly called is a sparsely populated Wetland area of central Somerset The Battle of Bedwyn was fought in 675 between Escuin, a Wessex nobleman who had seized the throne of Queen Saxburga, and King Wulfhere of Mercia. Great Bedwyn is a Village and Civil parish in the east of the English county of Wiltshire. Æscwine (died Circa 676 was a King of Wessex, but probably not the only king in Wessex at the time West Saxon redirects here For other meanings of Wessex or West Saxon see Wessex (disambiguation. Wulfhere (died 675 was King of Mercia from the end of the 650s until 675 Mercia (ˈmɝsiə was one of the kingdoms of the Anglo-Saxon Heptarchy. ^[1] In 878 the Danes invaded the county, and, following the Norman Conquest, large areas of the country came into the possession of the crown and the church. The term Dane may refer to People with a Danish ancestral or ethnic identity whether living in Denmark, emigrants or the descendants of emigrants

At the time of the Domesday Survey the industry of Wiltshire was largely agricultural; 390 mills are mentioned, and vineyards at Tollard and Lacock. The Domesday Book (ˈduːmzdeɪ bʊk also known as Domesday, or Book of Winchester) was the record of the great survey Agriculture refers to the production of goods through the growing of plants and fungi and the raising of domesticated Animals The study of agriculture A grinding mill is a Unit operation designed to break a solid material into smaller pieces A vineyard is a Plantation of Grape -bearing Vines grown mainly for Winemaking, but also Raisins Table grapes and non-alcoholic In the succeeding centuries sheep-farming was vigorously pursued, and the Cistercian monasteries of Kingswood and Stanley exported wool to the Florentine and Flemish markets in the 13th and 14th centuries. Florence ( Italian: Firenze Florentia and Fiorenza) is the Capital City of the Italian region of Tuscany Flanders (Vlaanderen Flandre Flandern is a geographical region located in parts of present day Belgium, France, and the Netherlands.

In the 17th century English Civil War Wiltshire was largely Parliamentarian. The English Civil War (1642-1651 was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists. " Roundheads " was the Nickname given to the Puritan supporters of Parliament during the English Civil War. The Battle of Roundway Down, a decisive Royalist victory, was fought near Devizes. The Battle of Roundway Down was fought on July 13, 1643, during the English Civil War. Devizes is a small Market town and Civil parish in the heart of the English county of Wiltshire, in the southern United Kingdom

Around 1800 the Kennet and Avon Canal was built through Wiltshire providing a route for transporting cargoes from Bristol to London until the development of the Great Western Railway. The Kennet and Avon Canal is a Canal in southern England The name may refer to either the route of the original Kennet and Avon Canal Company, which linked the Bristol ( ˈbrɪstəl is a city, Unitary authority and ceremonial county in South West England, west of London London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. The Great Western Railway ( GWR) was a British railway company and a notable example of Civil engineering, linking London with the West

Information on the 261 civil parishes of Wiltshire is available on the Wiltshire Community History website, run by the Libraries and Heritage services of Wiltshire County Council. This site includes maps, demographic data, historic and modern pictures, thumbnail histories, faqs, and information on schools and churches.

Geology, landscape and ecology

Cherhill White Horse

Wiltshire is a mostly rural landscape, two thirds of the county lying on chalk, giving it a high chalk downland landscape. Cherhill is a Village in Wiltshire, England located on the A4 road between Calne and Marlborough and about 90 miles west Chalk (ʧɔːk is a soft white porous Sedimentary rock, a form of Limestone composed of the Mineral Calcite. Chalk (ʧɔːk is a soft white porous Sedimentary rock, a form of Limestone composed of the Mineral Calcite. A downland is an area of open Chalk Hills This term is especially used to describe the Chalk countryside in southern England. This chalk is part of the Southern England Chalk Formation that underlies large areas of Southern England from the Dorset Downs in the west to Dover in the east. KentGeologyWealdenDomeSimplesvg|thumb|The Wealden Anticline]] The Chalk Formation of Southern England is a system of Chalk Downland in The Dorset Downs are an area of Chalk Downland in the centre of the county Dorset in south west England. Dover is a town and major ferry port in the county of Kent, England. The largest area of chalk in Wiltshire is Salisbury Plain, a semi-wilderness used mainly for arable agriculture and by the British Army as training ranges. Salisbury Plain is a Chalk Plateau in central southern England covering. Agronomy is the science and technology of using plants for food fuel feed and fiber Agriculture refers to the production of goods through the growing of plants and fungi and the raising of domesticated Animals The study of agriculture The British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British Armed Forces. The highest point of the county is the Tan Hill-Milk Hill ridge in the Pewsey Vale on the northern edge of Salisbury Plain, at 294m (965 ft) above sea level. Tan Hill may refer to Tan Hill Wiltshire Tan Hill Yorkshire Milk Hill, located near Alton Priors is the highest point in the county of Wiltshire, UK at some 295  m (968  ft) above The Vale of Pewsey is an area in the Kennet district of Wiltshire, England to the west of Devizes, centred on the town of Pewsey. Salisbury Plain is a Chalk Plateau in central southern England covering.

The chalk runs northeast into West Berkshire in the Marlborough Downs ridge, and southwest into Dorset as Cranborne Chase. History The district of Newbury was formed on April 1, 1974, as a merger of the borough of Newbury Bradfield Rural District, Hungerford Rural The North Wessex Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB is located in the English counties of Berkshire, Hampshire, Oxfordshire Cranborne Chase ( is a Chalk Plateau in central southern England, straddling the counties Dorset, Hampshire and Wiltshire Cranborne Chase, which straddles the border, has, like Salisbury Plain, yielded much Stone Age and Bronze Age archaeology. Archaeology, archeology, or archæology (from Greek grc ἀρχαιολογία archaiologia – grc ἀρχαῖος archaīos The Marlborough Downs are part of the North Wessex Downs AONB (Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty), a 1,730 km² (668 square mile) conservation area. The North Wessex Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB is located in the English counties of Berkshire, Hampshire, Oxfordshire M^2 redirects here For other uses see M². CM2 redirects here

In the north west of the county, on the border with Gloucestershire and Bath and North East Somerset, the underlying rock is the resistant oolite limestone of the Cotswolds. History See also History of Gloucestershire Gloucestershire is a historic county mentioned in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle in the 10th century Bath and North East Somerset (commonly referred to as BANES or B&NES) is a Unitary authority that was created on 1 April 1996 Oolite ( egg stone) is a Sedimentary rock formed from Ooids spherical grains composed of concentric layers Limestone is a Sedimentary rock composed largely of the Mineral Calcite ( Calcium carbonate: CaCO3 See also Cotswold The Cotswolds is a range of Hills in west-central England, sometimes called the "Heart of England" Part of the Cotswolds AONB is also in Wiltshire.

Between the areas of chalk and limestone downland are clay valleys and vales. Clay is a naturally occurring material composed primarily of fine-grained Minerals which show plasticity through a variable range of Water content, and In Geology, a valley (also called a vale, dale, glen or strath and near or in Appalachia, a draw) is The largest of these vales is the Avon Vale. The River Avon is a River in the south west of England. Because of a number of other River Avons in England this river is often also known as the Lower The Avon cuts diagonally through the north of the county, flowing through Bradford on Avon and into Bath and Bristol. Bradford on Avon (sometimes Bradford-on-Avon) is a Town in west Wiltshire, England with a Population of about 9326 Bath is a city in Somerset in the south west of England It is situated west of London and south-east of Bristol. Bristol ( ˈbrɪstəl is a city, Unitary authority and ceremonial county in South West England, west of London The Vale of Pewsey has been cut through the chalk into Greensand and Oxford Clay in the centre of the county. Greensand is an olive-green coloured Sandstone rock which is commonly found in narrow bands particularly associated with bands of Chalk and In the south west of the county is the Vale of Wardour. The south east of the county lies on the sandy soils of the New Forest. The New Forest is an area of southern England which includes the largest remaining tracts of unenclosed pasture land heathland and Forest in the heavily-populated

Chalk is a porous rock so the chalk hills have little surface water. The main settlements in the county are therefore situated at wet points. Notably, Salisbury is situated between the chalk of Salisbury Plain and marshy flood plains.

Flag of Wiltshire

Climate

As with the rest of South West England, Wiltshire has a temperate climate which is generally wetter and milder than the rest of England. The Wiltshire flag with The Great Bustard (Otis Tarda as the centrepiece is the official County Flag for Wiltshire, created by Mike Prior South West England is one of the Regions of England. It is the largest such region in terms of area and extends from Gloucestershire and Wiltshire to England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland The annual mean temperature is 10 °C and shows a seasonal and a diurnal variation. A season is one of the major divisions of the Year, generally based on yearly periodic changes in Weather. Diurnal motion is an astronomical term referring to the apparent daily motion of Stars around the Earth, or more precisely around the two January is the coldest month with mean minimum temperatures between 1 and 2 °C. July and August are the warmest months in the region with mean daily maxima around 21 °C.

The number of hours of bright sunshine is controlled by the length of day and by cloudiness. Sunlight, in the broad sense is the total spectrum of the Electromagnetic radiation given off by the Sun. In general December is the dullest month, June the sunniest. The south-west of England has a favoured location with respect to the Azores high pressure when it extends its influence north-eastwards towards the UK, particularly in summer. The Azores ( Açores ɐˈsoɾɨʃ or) is a Portuguese Archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, about 1500 km (950  mi) from Convective cloud often forms inland, especially near hills, and acts to reduce sunshine amounts. Convection in the most general terms refers to the movement of molecules within Fluids (i The average annual sunshine totals 1600 hours.

Rainfall tends to be associated with Atlantic depressions or with convection. In Meteorology, precipitation (also known as one class of hydrometeors, which are atmospheric water phenomena is any product of the condensation of atmospheric A low pressure area, or " low " is a region where the Atmospheric pressure is lower in relation to the surrounding area The Atlantic depressions are more vigorous in autumn and winter and most of the rain which falls in those seasons in the south-west is from this source. In summer, convection caused by solar surface heating sometimes forms shower clouds and a large proportion of rainfall falls from showers and thunderstorms at this time of year. A cloud is a visible mass of droplets or frozen crystals floating in the atmosphere above the surface of the Earth or another Planetary body Average rainfall is around 800–900 mm. About 8–15 days of snowfall is typical. "Snowfall" redirects here For other uses see Snow (disambiguation or Snowfall (disambiguation. November to March have the highest mean wind speeds, with June to August having the lightest winds. Wind is the flow of Air or other Gases that compose an Atmosphere (including but not limited to the Earth's) The predominant wind direction is from the South West. ^[2]

Economy

This is a chart of trend of regional gross value added (GVA) of Wiltshire at current basic prices^[3] with figures in millions of British Pounds Sterling. Gross Value Added or GVA is a measure in Economics of the value of goods and services produced in an area or sector of an Economy.

The Wiltshire economy benefits from the "M4 corridor effect", which attracts business, and the attractiveness of its countryside, towns and villages. The M4 corridor is the area adjacent to the M4 Motorway. The Eastern End Its eastern end in particular is home to a large number of businesses The northern part of the county is richer than the southern part, particularly since Swindon is home to national and international corporations such as Honda, Intel, Motorola, Alcatel-Lucent and Nationwide, with Dyson (company) located in nearby Malmesbury. () is a Multinational corporation, engine Manufacturer and engineering corporation headquartered in Japan. Motorola Inc ( is an American, multinational Fortune 100, Telecommunications company based in Schaumburg Illinois. Alcatel-Lucent is one of the world's biggest industry players in Telecommunications that provides hardware software and services to Service Providers Enterprises and Dyson is a British appliances manufacturer Its main products are Vacuum cleaners that use Cyclonic separation. Wiltshire’s employment structure is distinctive in having a significantly higher number of people in various forms of manufacturing (especially electrical equipment and apparatus, food products, and beverages, furniture, rubber, and plastic goods) than the national average. Manufacturing (from Latin manu factura, "making by hand" is the use of tools and labor to make things for use or sale Electrical equipment includes any Machine powered by Electricity. Food is any substance usually composed primarily of Carbohydrates Fats water and/or Proteins that can be eaten or drunk by an A drink, or beverage, is a Liquid specifically prepared for Human consumption Furniture is the Mass noun for the movable objects which may support the human body (seating furniture and beds, provide storage or hold objects on horizontal Plastic is the general common term for a wide range of synthetic or semisynthetic organic solid materials suitable for the manufacture of industrial products

In addition, there is higher than average employment in public administration and defence, due to the military establishments around the county, particularly around Amesbury and Corsham. Public administration can be broadly described as the development implementation and study of branches of government Policy. Defence A military is an Organization authorized by its Nation to use force usually including use of Weapons in defending its Country (or by attacking Amesbury is a Town and Civil parish in the English county of Wiltshire, eight miles north of Salisbury. Corsham is a small medieval town in northwest Wiltshire, England. Wiltshire is also distinctive in having a high proportion of its working age population who are economically active – (86. 6% in 1999-2000), and its low unemployment rates. Unemployment occurs when a person is available to work and currently seeking work but the person is without work. The Gross domestic product (GDP) level in Wiltshire did not reach the UK average in 1998, and was only marginally above the rate for South West England. South West England is one of the Regions of England. It is the largest such region in terms of area and extends from Gloucestershire and Wiltshire to ^[8]

Education

Wiltshire has a mostly comprehensive education system with two grammar schools and three secondary modern schools in the Salisbury district. A Secondary Modern School is a type of Secondary school that existed in most of the United Kingdom from 1944 until the early 1970s under the Tripartite System There are 29 state and 13 independent secondary schools - notably Marlborough College, not including the three further education colleges - Wiltshire College, Salisbury College and Swindon College, all of which provide limited levels of higher education. Marlborough College is an English independent, Co-educational Boarding school in the county of Wiltshire. There is also a sixth form college (New College) in Swindon. A sixth form college is an educational institution in England, Wales, Northern Ireland, Hong Kong or Malta where students aged 16 All schools in West Wiltshire have sixth forms, and only two in North Wiltshire do not. For the other two districts, it is half and half.

North Wiltshire has the largest school population, with Kennet the smallest. West and North Wiltshire have school year sizes around 200-250, whereas the other districts have school year sizes around 120.

There are no universities within Wiltshire, although the Oakfield campus of the University of Bath is situated 2 miles east of central Swindon. The University of Bath is a Campus university located in Bath, England.

Demographics

The county registered a population of 613,024 in the Census 2001. A nationwide Census, commonly known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday 29 April 2001 The population density is low at 178 people / km². Population density (in agriculture standing stock and Standing crop) is a measurement of Population per unit area or unit volume In 1991 there were 230,109 dwellings in the county. In 1991 98. 3% of the population was indigenous and 17. 9% of the population were over 65. ^[9]

Population of Wiltshire:

• 1801: 185,107
• 1851: 254,221
• 1901: 271,394
• 1951: 386,692
• 2001: 613,024

Politics and administration

Wiltshire is a shire county, mostly under the control of Wiltshire County Council. This is divided into four local government districts, Kennet, North Wiltshire, Salisbury and West Wiltshire. See also Kennett Square Pennsylvania, which is completely unrelated to this District Political control Control of the authority shifted in the elections of May 2007 from Conservative to no overall control the current administration being formed by a coalition The District Council West Wiltshire District Council has forty-four members all elected together for a four-year term of office Additionally, Swindon Borough is a unitary authority that forms part of the county for various functions such as Lord Lieutenant and High Sheriff, but does not come under county council control. Economy This is a chart of trend of regional gross value added of Swindon at current basic prices published (pp See also Independent city A unitary authority is a type of Local authority that has a single tier and is responsible for all Local government functions The Department for Communities and Local Government announced on 25 July 2007 that Wiltshire County Council would become a unitary authority, replacing the four district councils of West Wiltshire, North Wiltshire, Kennet and Salisbury as part of the 2009 structural changes to local government in England. The Department for Communities and Local Government (branded as Communities and Local Government) is the United Kingdom government department for communities See also Independent city A unitary authority is a type of Local authority that has a single tier and is responsible for all Local government functions It is planned that during 2009 there will be structural changes to local government in England, whereby a number of new unitary authorities will be created

Following the elections in May 2005, 28 Conservatives, 16 Liberal Democrats, three Labour Party members and two Independents (Christopher Newbury and John Syme) are members of Wiltshire County Council. The Conservative Party (officially the Conservative and Unionist Party) is a Political party in the United Kingdom. The Liberal Democrats, often shortened to Lib Dems, are a liberal Political party in the United Kingdom, formed in 1988 by merging the The Labour Party is a Political party in the United Kingdom. Founded at the start of the 20th century it has been since the 1920s the principal party of the In Politics, an independent is a Politician who is not Affiliated with any Political party. Conservatives hold most of the more rural areas while the Liberal Democrats hold several towns, including Trowbridge, Chippenham and Bradford-on-Avon. The Liberal Democrats, often shortened to Lib Dems, are a liberal Political party in the United Kingdom, formed in 1988 by merging the Trowbridge is the County town of Wiltshire, England, situated on the River Biss in the west of the county approximately 12 miles (19 km southeast Chippenham is a Market town in Wiltshire, England, located at, some 21 km (13 miles east of Bath and 163 km (96 miles west of London Bradford on Avon (sometimes Bradford-on-Avon) is a Town in west Wiltshire, England with a Population of about 9326 The county divisions of Westbury Ham with Dilton and Warminster West elected the two Independents, while the three Labour members hold their seats in the towns of Salisbury, Melksham and Devizes. Westbury is a Town and Civil parish (population 11135 in the 2001 census in the west of the English county of Wiltshire, most famous for the Warminster is a town in western Wiltshire, England, by-passed by the A36, and near Frome and Westbury. Salisbury (ˈsɒlzbri ˈsɔːlzbri ('Solzbry' or ˈzɔːwzbri ('Zawzbry' — moving from RP to local dialect) is a cathedral city in the Melksham is a medium-sized English town lying on the River Avon. Devizes is a small Market town and Civil parish in the heart of the English county of Wiltshire, in the southern United Kingdom

At the parliamentary level Wiltshire is represented entirely by Conservative Members of Parliament, except for the predominantly urban area of Swindon which is represented by Labour. The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom and British overseas territories A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters to a Parliament. Swindon ( is a large town in the ceremonial county of Wiltshire in the South West of England, midway between Bristol (64 km / 40 miles Since 1992 Devizes has been represented by the front bench Conservative Michael Ancram, MP for Devizes. Devizes is an English Constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. In many Parliaments and other similar assemblies seating is typically arranged in banks or rows with each Political party or Caucus grouped together Michael Andrew Foster Jude Kerr 13th Marquess of Lothian PC, QC, MP (born 7 July 1945 known as Michael Ancram, is a United Kingdom

Sport

The county is represented in the Football League by Swindon Town, who play at the County Ground near Swindon town centre. The Football League, also known as the Coca-Cola Football League for sponsorship reasons is a league competition featuring professional football clubs Swindon Town Football Club is an English football club based in Swindon, Wiltshire, who currently play in League One. Swindon ( is a large town in the ceremonial county of Wiltshire in the South West of England, midway between Bristol (64 km / 40 miles They joined the Football League on the creation of the Third Division in 1920, and have remained in the league ever since. The Football League, also known as the Coca-Cola Football League for sponsorship reasons is a league competition featuring professional football clubs From the 1992-93 to the 2003-04 season, the Football League Third Division was the third-highest division of The Football League and the fourth-highest Their most notable achievements include winning the Football League Cup in 1969, two successive promotions in 1986 and 1987 (taking them from the Fourth Division to the Second), promotion to the Premier League as Division One playoff winners in 1993 (as inaugural members), the Division Two title in 1996, and their recent promotion to League One in 2007 after finishing third in League Two. The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup, is an English football competition "Fourth Division" redirects here For usage of the term in the Military, see 4th Division. From 1892 until 1992 the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football. The Premier League, colloquially referred to as the Premiership, is an English professional league for football clubs The Football League First Division was the highest division of The Football League between 1993 and 2004 and the highest division of English football overall between Football League One (often referred to as League One for short or Coca-Cola Football League 1 for sponsorship reasons is the second-highest division of The Football Football League Two (often referred to as League Two for short or Coca-Cola Football League 2 for Sponsorship reasons is the third-highest division of

Principal settlements

A bridge over the River Avon at Bradford on Avon in Wiltshire

Wiltshire has 24 towns and one city

• Amesbury
• Bradford on Avon
• Calne
• Chippenham
• Corsham
• Cricklade
• Devizes
• Highworth
• Ludgershall
• Lyneham
• Malmesbury
• Marlborough
• Melksham
• Mere
• Pewsey
• Salisbury (city)
• Swindon
• Tidworth
• Tisbury
• Trowbridge
• Warminster
• Westbury
• Wilton
• Wootton Bassett
• Wroughton

A full list of settlements is at List of places in Wiltshire. The River Avon is a River in the south west of England. Because of a number of other River Avons in England this river is often also known as the Lower Bradford on Avon (sometimes Bradford-on-Avon) is a Town in west Wiltshire, England with a Population of about 9326 A town is a type of settlement ranging from a few to several thousand (occasionally hundreds of thousands inhabitants although it may be applied loosely even to huge metropolitan A city is an Urban area with a large Population and a particular Administrative, Legal, or Historical status Amesbury is a Town and Civil parish in the English county of Wiltshire, eight miles north of Salisbury. Bradford on Avon (sometimes Bradford-on-Avon) is a Town in west Wiltshire, England with a Population of about 9326 Calne is a Town in central Wiltshire, England. It is situated at the southern extreme of the county's North Wiltshire * local government district Chippenham is a Market town in Wiltshire, England, located at, some 21 km (13 miles east of Bath and 163 km (96 miles west of London Corsham is a small medieval town in northwest Wiltshire, England. Cricklade Cricklade is a small town in north Wiltshire in England, on the River Thames situated midway between Swindon and Cirencester. Devizes is a small Market town and Civil parish in the heart of the English county of Wiltshire, in the southern United Kingdom Highworth is a Market town in the Unitary authority of Swindon in Wiltshire, England, located about six miles north-east of Ludgershall is a borough 16 miles north east of Salisbury, Wiltshire, at grid SU264509 Malmesbury is a south Cotswold town and Civil parish in south west England in the county of Wiltshire. Marlborough ( IPA /ˈmɔːlbrə/ " Maul bruh" is a market town in the English county of Wiltshire on the Old Bath Road Melksham is a medium-sized English town lying on the River Avon. Pewsey is a large Village (often considered a small Town) in Wiltshire with a Population of 3237 people Salisbury (ˈsɒlzbri ˈsɔːlzbri ('Solzbry' or ˈzɔːwzbri ('Zawzbry' — moving from RP to local dialect) is a cathedral city in the Swindon ( is a large town in the ceremonial county of Wiltshire in the South West of England, midway between Bristol (64 km / 40 miles Tidworth is a town in south-east Wiltshire, England with a growing Civilian population Trowbridge is the County town of Wiltshire, England, situated on the River Biss in the west of the county approximately 12 miles (19 km southeast Warminster is a town in western Wiltshire, England, by-passed by the A36, and near Frome and Westbury. Westbury is a Town and Civil parish (population 11135 in the 2001 census in the west of the English county of Wiltshire, most famous for the Wootton Bassett is a small Market town located in northern Wiltshire, UK. Wroughton is a large village in Wiltshire in the South West England region of the UK. This is a list of cities towns and villages in the ceremonial county of Wiltshire, England

The flight of 16 locks at Caen Hill on the Kennet and Avon Canal. Caen Hill Locks are a flight of locks on the Kennet and Avon Canal, at Devizes, Wiltshire England. The Kennet and Avon Canal is a Canal in southern England The name may refer to either the route of the original Kennet and Avon Canal Company, which linked the

Places of interest

Key
	Abbey/Priory/Cathedral
	Accessible open space
	Amusement/Theme Park
	Castle
	Country Park
	English Heritage
	Forestry Commission
	Heritage railway
	Historic House
	Museums (free/not free)
	National Trust
	Zoo

Places of interest in Wiltshire are:

Areas of countryside in Wiltshire are:

• Cranborne Chase
• Marlborough Downs
• Salisbury Plain
• Vale of Pewsey

Routes through Wiltshire include:

• A4 road
• M4 motorway / M4 Corridor
• A303 trunk road
• Fosse Way old Roman road
• Great Western Main Line railway
• Wessex Main Line railway
• Kennet and Avon Canal
• Swindon and Cricklade Railway
• Thames Path, a long distance footpath
• The Ridgeway an ancient route
• Wiltshire Cycleway
• National Cycle Route 4

References and footnotes

See also

• King's Play Hill
• Knapp and Barnett's Downs
• Knighton Downs and Wood
• List of civil parishes in Wiltshire
• List of photographs of Wiltshire
• List of places in Wiltshire
• List of Lords Lieutenant of Wiltshire
• Flag of Wiltshire
• Wiltshire is "Mid-Wessex" in the novels of Thomas Hardy

External links

• Wiltshire County Council
• Wiltshire Community History
• List of Councillors
• Wiltshire Constabulary Online
• Wiltshire Libraries
• Merlin local information
• BBC Wiltshire
• Wiltshire Tourist Office
• John Aubrey's The Natural History of Wiltshire
• White horses of Wiltshire
• Wiltshire Gazette & Herald
• Wiltshire Times & Chippenham News
• Geology map of Wiltshire (PDF)
• Wiltshire & Swindon Intelligence Network