West Grimstead

West Grimstead, (grid reference of SU212267) is a village in Grimstead civil parish, on the River Dun in Wiltshire, England, about 4.5 miles (7.2 km) southeast of Salisbury.

Parts of the Church of England parish church of Saint John date from about 1300, but the brick tower is a more recent addition.^[1] The Methodist chapel was built in the middle of the 19th century.

The village shop and public house closed some years ago. The village school closed in 1993, replaced by a new school built in Alderbury for the children of both Alderbury and West Grimstead.

Until the early 20th century much of West Grimstead was owned by landed gentry and was part of larger estates. There are early references to the De Grimstede family, the village passing from them through the male line first to the Perots, then to the Berkeleys; next through the female line to the Breretons; again by the male line to Sir William Compton of Compton Wynyates. West Grimstead was then sold by Richard Compton to Sir Stephen Fox, later Earl of Ilchester. West Grimstead remained part of the Ilchester estate through the 18th century until it was sold to the 2nd Earl of Radnor in 1801 at the time of the parish's Inclosure Act. In 1916 the whole village was sold by the Longford Estate, mainly to sitting tenants.

References

External links

Media related to West Grimstead at Wikimedia Commons

Coordinates: 51°02′N 1°42′W / 51.033°N 1.700°W / 51.033; -1.700