Goatacre

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Goatacre is a village in the southwestern English county of Wiltshire situated 8 km (5 miles) north of Calne and 1 km south of Lyneham on the A3102 route. It is in the parish of Hilmarton and the closest major town is Swindon, some 19 km (12 miles) to the northeast. The adjacent hamlet of New Zealand is also considered part of Goatacre.

It is known for its village cricket team which won the Cricketer National Village Knockout competition in 1988 and 1990.^[1]

As well as a famous cricket club there is also a village hall that plays host to both private and community events, as well as a small members bar. There are also facilities for playing football including a pitch and changing facilities shared with the cricket club.

A variety of public footpaths offer pleasant walks in all seasons and there is also a post box and phone box situated by the main road.

A bus service runs between Chippenham and Swindon via Goatacre on a regular basis.

[edit] Etymology

Quakers settled in the area now known as Goatacre,^[2] naming the small hamlet Godacre. Remnants of this can be seen around the area such as the road called 'Quakers Lane.' Over time this deviated to Gotacre and finally Goatacre.^{[citation needed]}