Market Lavington: Manor House, Museum and Walks through the Landscape
Accommodation in Market Lavington
Market Lavington combines a rich local history with a rural setting that stretches from the open chalk uplands of Salisbury Plain to small fields and streams in the Vales. Anyone planning a trip centred on culture, landscapes and walking will find a variety of starting points here for organising their days.
Landscape and Getting to Market Lavington
Market Lavington lies one mile east of the A360. The single-track A-road crosses Salisbury Plain between Devizes and Salisbury, providing a clear geographical orientation for the journey. Locally, the landscape alternates between the open chalk uplands and wide skies of the Plain and the smaller fields and streams of the Vales. When choosing accommodation, you can therefore consider whether your trip should focus more on landscape experiences, historical discoveries or a combination of both.
Manor House, Museum and a Long Local History
The Old House is a Grade I-listed manor house in Market Lavington. The building contains an early medieval, two-aisled open-hall structure, making it a particularly distinctive example of the village's historic fabric. Market Lavington Museum offers another way to explore the past: it presents a thousand years of history from this area. Its collections also include evidence of a Saxon settlement discovered at Grove Farm.
St Mary's Church also reaches far back into history. The chancel and nave date from the late 13th century. During restoration work, numerous fragments of chevron ornament, billet friezes and shaft sections from a 12th-century church were incorporated into St Mary's Church. The church is normally open daily from approximately 10:00 to 15:00. This approximate opening time can help you fit a visit into your day's plans.
High Street and Traces of the Medieval Market
The houses on Market Lavington's High Street dating from the 16th or early 17th century include The King's Arms. The village's historical development goes back even further: in 1254, Richard Rochelle was granted a charter for a market in Market Lavington, where sheep and grain were sold.
Walking between the Plain and the Village
The Wessex Ridgeway near Lavington is of interest for walks and hikes. From there, a road leads down to the village of Market Lavington; at one point, the Wessex Ridgeway meets the White Horse Trail and the Imber Range Perimeter Path. Anyone wishing to combine different interests within their travelling group can include this route in their plans and combine cultural attractions in the village with a day in the countryside. No information on the length, duration or difficulty of the routes is available for this overview and should therefore not be assumed.
A holiday apartment or holiday cottage in Market Lavington can therefore be chosen primarily according to the daily rhythm you want: Would you like to focus on historic buildings and museum-related attractions, experience the landscape of Salisbury Plain or combine the two? Choosing the village as a base should suit your own plans, particularly if your family has different preferences for history, nature and outdoor activities.
Further Places to Include in Your Travel Plans
As additional destinations, you can also include Colerne, Amesbury, Hindon, Stanton Saint Quintin, Sherston, Christian Malford, Edington and Upavon in your wider search.
For the broader travel overview: Wiltshire.
