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The village of Box is uniquely situated at a Gateway to the Cotswolds National Landscape, on the historic Great Western Railway line and Great West Way, stretching along the beautiful By Brook valley only 5 miles east of the World Heritage City of Bath. Located in the rural county of Wiltshire, Box offers a place to stay, visit, enjoy, and relax in stunning surroundings, allowing opportunity to step back in time through its cultural heritage.
The area has been settled since Neolithic times. Box Roman villa is a Scheduled Monument, and a Roman Road forms the southern boundary of the Parish. The Parish contains many buildings of national importance. Grade I and II*, of outstanding importance, such as Box and Middle Hill Tunnel Portals, Drewetts Mill, Hazelbury Manor, Rudloe Manor, and the Churches of St Thomas a Becket in Box and St Christopher’s Church in Ditteridge. Grade II, buildings include such properties as Box School and the Poynder Fountain. The Parish has four Conservation Areas, areas of special architectural and historic importance, at Box, Ditteridge, Middle Hill, and Ashley.
Historic Box Mill was bought by Peter Gabriel in the 1980s and converted into his international renowned Real World recording studios. Notable artists who have recorded at the studios include Robert Plant, Deep Purple, Harry Styles, Coldplay, and Tom Jones, and it is the headquarters of WOMAD.
Box is probably best known for its Isambard Kingdom Brunel’s railway tunnel and quarried stone. Views of Box Tunnel combine with his Road Bridge and magnificent Middle Hill Tunnel to celebrate a wonder of the Victorian age and one of the finest views of a historic railway line in the country.
Box also lays claims to being the birthplace of Thomas the Tank Engine as the popular children’s entertainment character was conceived by Rev. W.V Awdry when he lived in Box.
Hillside and underground quarries provided stone not only for the honey-coloured historic buildings in the area but fine country houses such as Longleat and Lacock Abbey, properties in Bath, London and exported around the world. A quarryman’s village grew up on Box Hill, the ‘Hill of Stone ‘, with stone yards, shops, cottages for workers, pubs, and Methodist Chapel. Box was famous for Box Ground Stone, a durable stone. http://www.boxpeopleandplaces.co.uk/ has a wealth of information on the village.
Box Recreation Ground offers a children’s playground, football ground, bowling green and tennis courts. It has thriving men’s and women’s cricket teams who play on the cricket pitch which WC Grace graced. A Rock Circus, a magnificent circle of rocks fossils and minerals, forms the centre piece of the village. Lovar Garden, adjacent, with its pond and bog garden is a haven for wildlife and a habitat for flora and fauna.
Kingsdown Golf Club, founded in 1880, is the second oldest Golf Club in the West of England (behind Westward Ho!) and a popular destination for golfers of all abilities.
The Parish has over 100 Public Rights of Way making it a hugely popular destination for people looking to explore the glorious English countryside. Long distance footpaths The MacMillan Way and Cross Cotswolds Path cross the Parish. The Box Heritage Trail a circular walk of 4.5 miles offers magnificent views of the By Brook Valley and details of quarrying, milling and Brunel’s Great Western Railway. Footpaths and bridleways pass through Commons, woods, and meadows, areas of significant habitat value for our native species of wildlife, which in some areas have been improved with tree and hedge planting. Box Common at the top of Box Hill is an example of one of the splendid viewpoints around the Parish.
A range of walking maps give details of the paths, suggested routes, and points of historical interest including https://corshamwalkingfestival.org.uk/heritage-trails/
A variety of pubs, restaurants, cafes, and shops can be found in the area, with plenty of places to stay locally from cosy B&Bs to 5 Star hotels. The village has even got its own airfield!
Box Revels which takes place every end of May Bank holiday commenced life as a medieval celebration of the patronal day of St Thomas à Becket. Box Revels has had a lot of in-carnations since then and each year brings different themes and ideas, but the two purposes remain the same; to bring together the whole demographic of the village in fun and entertainment, and to raise funds for community groups and projects.
Number of results: 185
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Salisbury
Salisbury Cathedral has been a place of worship, welcome, and hospitality for over 800 years. Its Spire (the tallest in the country and a feat of medieval engineering) rises to a breath-taking 404ft/123m, guiding travelers, merchants, and pilgrims…
Bristol
Enjoy harbour tours and river trips with Bristol Packet Boat Trips with public timetabled trips and private hire available.
Chippenham
A quirky country house and grounds, built on the foundations of a medieval nunnery, that celebrates the scientific genius of the inventor of the photographic negative.
Bath
Welcome to Original Wild, the adventure specialists in the city of Bath, providing epic high quality adventures & experiences.
Epic outdoor adventure experiences within the heart of Bath. Original Wild provide the highest quality activities in…
Purley on Thames
We offer bespoke self-guided walking holidays in the south of England.
Twickenham
Discover a taste of Georgian life and the remarkable story of Henrietta Howard at this idyllic riverside home.
Bath
On this self-guided podcast tour discover the stories and influence of Jane Austen in Bath.
Bath
Journey through the history of America
Calne
Outstanding 18th century mansion house estate.
Gloucester
Hello I’m Anne Bartlett, an experienced Cotswold based Blue Badge Tour Guide and Tour Director and I want to welcome you and your group to England’s Great West Way, one of the premier touring routes of the world. It brings together some of…
Abbey Church Yard, Bath
Epicentre (and raison d'etre!) of the Heritage City.
Bath
No. 1 Royal Crescent is a museum which has been decorated and furnished just as it might have been during the period 1776-1796. The rooms feature historic furniture, pictures and objects that reveal what life was like for Bath’s fashionable…
Berkeley
Berkeley Castle is considered by many as a hidden gem; it was built in 1153 by the Berkeley family, who still live there. Over the centuries it has changed from a foreboding fortress to a welcoming family home.
Salisbury
Homely and welcoming eighteenth-century townhouse with magnificent plasterwork, fine oak staircase, period furniture and important collection of drinking glasses. Tranquil walled garden.
Nr Lechlade
Visit Kelmscott Manor, the inspirational Cotswold retreat of William Morris, Father of the Arts and Crafts Movement.
Nr Cricklade
Owned by Wiltshire Wildlife Trust, the Lower Moor Farm complex is a landscape of fascinating contrasts, a mosaic of wetlands linked together by boardwalks, woodland and meadows. The meadows here have some of the finest displays of flowers in the UK.
Salisbury
Set in the heart of southwest Wiltshire in the historic village of Fonthill Bishop, and named after the medieval 'witch marks' carved into Fonthill's old stone buildings, the beautiful 9000 acre Fonthill Estate provides us with the ideal…
Warminster
Longleat Safari Park, nestled within 900 acres of ‘Capability’ Brown landscaped grounds, is home to the UK’s original Safari Park, one of the best examples of Elizabethan architecture, and an abundance of exciting attractions including Jungle…
Egham
The Savill Garden is a 35-acre haven of gardens, woodland and seasonal displays, commissioned by King George V and created by Eric Savill in 1932.
Salisbury
Southern Tour, experts in delivering bespoke driver-guided tours tailored to your individual itineraries.
Bath
Mad Max Tours operate small group day tours from Bath which explore highlights of Wiltshire. Includes Stonehenge, Avebury, Lacock National Trust Village (film location in the Harry Potter movies) and Castle Combe in the Cotswolds.
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