WILTSHIRE, an inland county of England, in the western judicial circuit. It is bounded on the north-west and west by the county of Gloucestershire; on the west by Somersetshire; on the south by Dorset and Hants; and on the east and north-east by the latter county and Berkshire. The length is about 50 miles, and the breadth about 34. It is of an elliptical form, with very irregular indentations on the borders. The area is 1379 square miles, or 882,560 statute acres. The county is divided into twenty-nine hundreds, comprising one city, 23 market towns, and 295 parishes. The whole of the county, with the exception of the parish of Kingswood, is in the diocese of Salisbury, and is ecclesiastically divided into two archdeaconries, which are subdivided into ten deaneries.
By the census of 1821, Wiltshire appeared to contain 43,125 houses, inhabited by 47,684 families; of whom 24,972 were employed chiefly in agriculture; 16,982 in trade, manufactures, or handicraft; and 5730 were not comprised in either of these classes. The whole number of persons was 222,157, of whom 108,213 were males, and 113,944 females. The increase of population between the census of
Wiltshire. 1811 and that of 1821 was at the rate of 15 per cent.
Face of the Country and Cultivation. The southern division of Wiltshire is chiefly that extensive tract of unwooded land usually denominated Salisbury Plain. It is an uninclosed country, and from thence has an appearance of desolateness; but bottoms are frequent, and having generally streams of water running through them, the houses and villages are, for the most part, erected in them, and the district is much more populous than a traveller passing over the plain would suspect. The land, though chiefly used for feeding sheep, is, when brought under the plough, highly productive in turnips, barley, and wheat. There is a tract of rich land between Salisbury Plain and Marlborough Downs; and to the north of these downs the country is well inclosed, and abounds in rich pasture, on which are fed the cows that produce the excellent cheese known by the name of North Wiltshire. The peculiar breed of sheep of this county, and which are universally called by its name, are all horned, afford heavy fleeces of moderately fine wool, and are very numerous; on Salisbury Plain they are said to be more than 500,000. The produce of wheat and other grain is estimated to be less per acre than the general average of the contiguous counties. There were anciently several extensive forests in this county, and, though the districts still retain the name either of Forest or Chace, they are, with the exception of Savernake or Marlborough Forest, and Cranbourn Chace, almost wholly now either in pasture or under the plough.
Rivers and Canals. Wiltshire being an elevated district, many rivers have their sources in it, or water the lands of it soon after their rise. The most important of these are the Thames, the Lower Avon, and the Kennet, all of which are navigable. Besides these are the tributary streams, the Upper Avon, the Willey, the Nadder, the Bourne, the Stour, and the Brue. The canals which pass from or through this county are the Thames and Severn, connecting those two rivers with each other; the Kennet and Avon, which also unites those rivers. Both of these canals have been most expensive, and, hitherto, unproductive undertakings, designed to facilitate the intercourse between London and Bristol. The Wilts and Berks Canal, designed to connect the Severn with the Thames, has been especially an unfortunate concern. The Salisbury and Southampton Canal has been found of some benefit, by supplying the former place with coals, but has been little productive to the proprietors.
Manufactures. This county has long been one of the chief districts for the manufacture of fine cloths. That branch of industry is now, however, confined to the western part of it. The populous towns of Bradford, Trowbridge, Devizes, Warminster, Chippenham, Westbury, Melksham, Calne, and the villages surrounding them, are chiefly maintained by making cloths and casimeres of fine quality, the wool for which used to be imported from Spain to Bristol, but of late years the fine wools of Saxony have in a great measure supplanted those of Spain in this country. Salisbury is distinguished by its manufacture of fine flannels, and by cutlery and steel articles of superior quality. Wilton makes carpets and fine cloths. At Mere and in its vicinity linen goods, chiefly dowlass
and bed ticks, are made. At Swindon are many Wiltshire manufacturers of gloves.
Antiquities. Few counties present so many objects of antiquarian research as Wiltshire. Among those of British origin are the Wansdike, a fortification of earth traversing the whole county; the druidical masses of stone at Stonehenge and Avebury; the numerous barrows, or tumuli, which are to be seen on a great number of spots on the Downs; and the earthen ramparts supposed to have formerly inclosed the towns of the ancient Britons. Among the Roman antiquities are many of the roads constructed by that people, their fortified encampments, and the ruins of several of their castles, especially those of Marlborough, Devizes, Malmesbury, and Old Sarum. The monastic remains, especially at Malmesbury, present very interesting subjects of study to the antiquarian. Besides these vestiges of antiquity, tessellated pavements, coins, urns, fragments of sculpture, daggers, shields and ornaments of British, Roman, Saxon, and Norman fashion, have been discovered. The cathedral of Salisbury, though not of such an age as to be classed among antiquities, is an object of great admiration on account of the elegant design and scientific execution of the structure. The beautiful spire is much admired for its height and its proportions, and though in a valley, may be seen at a great distance rising above the surrounding hills. It is said to be the loftiest in England, rising from the floor of the church to the height of 400 feet.
Titles and Representation. The following Peers derive their titles from this county: Duke of Marlborough, Marquises of Lansdowne and Salisbury, Earl of Malmesbury, Viscount Bolingbroke, Baron Arundel. Two members are returned to the House of Commons by the county, and two each from Salisbury, Chippenham, Calne, Cricklade, Downton, Devizes, Heytesbury, Hindon, Great Bedwin, Marlborough, Malmesbury, Ludgorth, Westbury, Wilton, Wotton Bassett, and Old Sarum.
Towns. The chief places and their population are as follows: Salisbury, 8763; Trowbridge, 9545; Warminster, 5612; Melksham, 4765; Calne, 4549; Devizes, 4208; Bradford, 3760; Chippenham, 3201; Downton, 3114; and Marlborough, 3038.
Chief Seats. Among a great number of seats belonging to noblemen and gentlemen, the most remarkable are Longleat, the Marquis of Bath; Bowood, Marquis of Lansdowne; Tottenham Park, Lord Aylesbury; Wardour Castle, Lord Arundel; Fonthill Abbey, late Mr Beckford; Wilton, Earl of Pembroke; Stourhead, Sir R. C. Hoare; Longford Castle, Earl of Radnor; New Park, Thomas Estcourt, Esq.; Dinton House, William Wyndham, Esq.; Corsham House, P. C. Methuen; Wilbury House, Sir C. W. Malet; Charlton Park, Earl of Suffolk; Stoke Park, Joshua Smith, Esq.; Bradley, Duke of Somerset; and Ramsbury, Sir Francis Burdett.
See Davis's View of the Agriculture of the County of Wilt.—The Ancient History of South Wiltshire, by Sir Richard Colt Hoare, Bart.—Aubrey's Introduction to the Survey and Natural History of North Wiltshire.—The Beauties of Wiltshire displayed in Statistical, Historical, and Descriptive Sketches, by John Britton.