Sherston, Wiltshire
Sherston is a village and civil parish about 5 miles west of Malmesbury in Wiltshire, England. The population in 2001 was 1418.[1]
History
The earliest surviving record of Sherston, then called Scorranstone, is an Anglo-Saxon one from the time of Ethelred, who was an Ealdorman of Mercia. Evidence of Roman survives in the parish in the form of ramparts and ditches in a field called Pennymead, which is now the recreation ground. Remains of a Roman villa, built around AD 350, have also been discovered. The Fosseway, a major Roman road, passes nearby.
In 1016 Cnut the Great and his army fought a West Saxon army in a two-day battle on the hills around Sherston. John Rattlebone of Sherston was the leader of the local militia and is now a symbol of Sherston and its community. His name is celebrated in a local pub, the Rattlebone Inn. In 1511 a fire destroyed most of Sherston.
The old part of the village is laid out around a broad High Street. Much of it is in a conservation area. The newer parts of the village are late 20th and early 21st century.
Every year on the Saturday closest to 14 July a carnival is held. The main attraction is the boules tournament and a music evening with local bands.
Sherston has a football team, a cricket team and Scout troop. There are two pubs, the Rattlebone and the Carpenters Arms.
The village has a shop and a post office. It has won a "Best Rural Retailer" award in the Best Shop/Post Office category for Wessex.
In the 1970s and 1980s Sherston was the home of eccentric socialite Lady Edith Foxwell, and her friend the soul singer Marvin Gaye was a frequent visitor. Until his death in 2002, the actor John Thaw lived nearby with his wife, the actress Sheila Hancock.
Sherston has three churches: the Church of England parish church of the Holy Cross, a Congregational church and a Methodist church.
The village of Sherston is also the home of the Sherston Publishing Group (better known as Sherston Software).
References
- ↑ Source: Wiltshire County Council
External links
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- grid reference ST854860
Coordinates: 51°34′22″N 2°12′43″W / 51.57268°N 2.21206°W