Fovant

Fovant

Two of the Fovant Badges
Fovant
 Fovant shown within Wiltshire
Population 669 (2011)[1]
OS grid referenceSU004289
Civil parishFovant
Unitary authorityWiltshire
Ceremonial countyWiltshire
RegionSouth West
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post town SALISBURY
Postcode district SP3
Dialling code 01722
Police Wiltshire
Fire Wiltshire
Ambulance South Western
EU Parliament South West England
UK ParliamentSouth West Wiltshire
WebsiteFovant Parish Council
List of places
UK
England
Wiltshire

Coordinates: 51°03′32″N 1°59′46″W / 51.059°N 1.996°W

Fovant is a medium-sized village and civil parish in southwest Wiltshire, England. It is located between Salisbury and Shaftesbury on the A30 road in the Nadder valley. Its name is derived from the Old English Fobbefunta, meaning "spring of a man called Fobbe".

Governance

The village is part of the 'Fovant and Chalke Valley' electoral ward. The ward begins in the Netherhampton parish just to the west of Salisbury, stretches west to Bishopstone and north west to Fovant, ending at Tollard Royal. The population of the ward at the 2011 census was 4,315.[2]

Fovant Badges

Main article: Fovant Badges

The area is known for several regimental badges cut in chalk into a nearby hill (also being the site of Chiselbury Iron age hillfort), created by soldiers garrisoned near Fovant during the First World War.

Community Facilities

The Anglican Church of St George is Grade II* listed.[3] Dating from the 13c., it is constructed largely of local Chilmark stone.[4] The tower contains a peal of 6 bells: the oldest from the 15c., four from the 19c. and one from the 20c.[5]

Originally with three public houses, an unusual occurrence in a small village, Fovant currently has no functioning pub following the closure of The Pembroke Arms in August 2012 (having changed management a number of times in recent years, it is now for sale). Fovant also has a village playing field and playground.

Fovant has a post office (closed April 2011 but re-opened in the village shop), village shop and a doctor's surgery all at the south end of the village. The post office used to be locally well known for having vehicles crash into its front wall, mostly at night as the road bends in an unexpected manner at the bottom of the hill.

References

  1. ↑ "Wiltshire Community History - Census". Wiltshire Council. Retrieved 15 August 2014.
  2. ↑ "Fovant and Chalk Valley ward 2011.Retrieved 12 March 2015".
  3. ↑ "List entry - Church of St George, Fovant". English Heritage. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
  4. ↑ http://www.fovanthistory.org/entry_point.html
  5. ↑ http://dove.cccbr.org.uk/detail.php?searchString=Fovant&Submit=+Go+&DoveID=FOVANT

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Fovant.