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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.
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Number of results: 184
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Bradford on Avon
Anglowelsh offers a range of canal boat experiences on the Kennet & Avon Canal
Nr Lechlade
Visit Kelmscott Manor, the inspirational Cotswold retreat of William Morris, Father of the Arts and Crafts Movement.
Bath
Enjoy the Hop on with Jane Austen bus and walking Tootbus tour, with unlimited hop-on hop-off access across two bus routes, exploring iconic landmarks like the Royal Crescent and Roman Baths at your leisure.
Salisbury
Southern Tour, experts in delivering bespoke driver-guided tours tailored to your individual itineraries.
Calne
Outstanding 18th century mansion house estate.
Devizes
Discover gold from the time of Stonehenge, find out more about ancient Wiltshire, including the Stonehenge and Avebury World Heritage Site. Plus displays and exhibitions exploring the history of Wiltshire from earliest times to the present.
Bath
Bath’s most Austen-tatious travel company - Expert Guided Tours of Jane Austen's Bath & unique curated experiences.
Pewsey
Jones’s Mill, a nature reserve owned by Wiltshire Wildlife Trust is a fen, made up of wet woodland, ponds and wet grassland. Its peaty soils are fed by natural springs and the Salisbury Avon flows through its centre. It is home to wildlife that…
Bath
Journey through the history of America
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…
Bath
All things Austen-related!
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.
Windsor
Windsor Castle is the oldest and largest inhabited castle in the world, the family home of 39 British kings and queens for almost 1,000 years.
Hungerford
The rolling North Wessex Downs encompass some of England’s finest landscapes. The North Wessex Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) was created in 1972 to conserve and enhance the natural beauty and tranquillity of these landscapes.
Marlborough
A community hub for the Arts and History hosting events, exhibitions and activities for its members, local residents and tourists.
Swindon
McArthurGlen's Swindon Designer Outlet lies within the beautifully renovated Grade II listed buildings of the Great Western Railway Works and is one of the largest covered designer outlets in Europe. 90 High St and Designer brands.
Woking
Wisley is one of the world’s great gardens, packed with horticultural inspiration. Visit and find out more about this glorious garden in Surrey
Bath
Tales and Trails of the Regency City of Bath, recounting fascinating stories of famous and infamous Visitors and Residents.
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.
Maidenhead
Fly a Spitfire simulator at this local museum which covers local history from the Romans to Racing Cars!
Bradford on Avon
Week and day hire, skippered cruises and canoe hire.
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