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An Introduction to Wiltshire

Wiltshire (shortened to Wilts) is in South/central England and is principally an agricultural county. The county has many historical associations with world significant attractions at Stonehenge, Avebury, and Silbury Hill, these are the largest and oldest monuments of the early British, dating back 4,000 years.

For the visitor, all of Wiltshire is full of historical sites, unique ruins and attractions to suit everyone. The distinctive silhouette of Stonehenge is known the world over. Protected as a world heritage site, it is arguably Britain's greatest prehistoric monument. The substantial remains of a sequence of monuments erected between around 3050 and 1600 BC make up Stonehenge; each was a circular structure, aligned along the rising of the sun at the summer solstice. It was built in three phases and stands on Salisbury Plain at the centre of a ceremonial landscape containing 450 ancient monuments of national importance. Each a treasure in its own right.

Old Sarum was a district until the 13th century, when the office was transferred to Salisbury, famous since then for its outstanding cathedral. The small city of Salisbury is nice for a short civilised break, with a lovely cathedral precinct and interesting places to visit tucked quite closely around it.

Wilton, known for its carpets, was once the capital of the powerful Saxon kingdom of Wessex; many battles were fought here in the 9th century, when King Alfred's battled against the Danes. His grandson, Athelstan, is buried at Malmesbury Abbey and according to legend, Queen Guinevere spent her last days in the nunnery at Amesbury.

Longleat, is often regarded as the best family attraction in the UK,  Whether it is a tranquillity of a beautifully preserved manor house with spectacular grounds, or an excitement of interesting drive through Zoo with many animals freely moving on its grounds including lions, monkeys and tigers, Longleat has it all. Inside of the House is beautifully furnished and kept, with artefacts and furnishings from almost every century on display.

Further attractions include, the estates of Bowood at Calne (wonderful gardens and an adventure playground), Lacock Abbey (interesting museum), and Wilton House (also with a good play area) and the Larmer Tree Pleasure Grounds at Tollard Royal offer family entertainment the Victorian way.

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