This month in our village life feature, Michael Marshman visits the Winterslows.
One of my interests is in the development of communities since late Saxon times and Winterslow is a fascinating example of change. In the 11thcentury there were three estates, West, Middle, and East, along a 500 feet high ridge running south west to north east, close to the Hampshire border. West Winterslow, with its church, was twice as populous as the other two combined but by 1377 was less than twice as big as East Winterslow alone. Middle Winterslow, or Middleton, was very small and does not seem to have grown greatly until the 18thcentury.
Today, most of the more than 2,000 residents live in Middle Winterslow, which has a great deal of 20thcentury housing, much of it on the Common. West Winterslow is still largely a street village with a small amount of modern housing, while East Winterslow remains what it has always been, scattered farms and houses with the main focus on the manor house.
You can discover more about the Winterslows, in the October issue of Wiltshire Life on sale across the county from Thursday 5th September 2019. For further information or to buy a copy contact our Subscription Ream: 01722 716997