Berwick St James

Berwick St James is a village and civil parish on the River Till in Wiltshire, England, about 7 miles (11 km) northwest of Salisbury, on the southern edge of Salisbury Plain. The parish includes the hamlet of Asserton. At the 2001 census the parish had a population of 185, reducing to 142 at the 2011 census.[1]

Berwick St James
Berwick St James
Location within Wiltshire
Population142 (in 2011)[1]
OS grid referenceSU072393
Civil parish
  • Berwick St James
Unitary authority
Ceremonial county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townSalisbury
Postcode districtSP3
Dialling code01722
PoliceWiltshire
FireDorset and Wiltshire
AmbulanceSouth Western
UK Parliament
WebsiteVillage

History

Yarnbury Castle, an Iron Age hillfort, is partly within the parish. In the Domesday Book of 1086, estates at Berwick and Asserton were part of Winterbourne Stoke; by the 12th century the village had its present name.[2] Stapleford Castle, a medieval ringwork castle, was just south of the parish at Stapleford.[3] Manor Farmhouse, on the village High Street, is late 16th century;[4] Berwick House, to the west of the High Street, is early 19th century.[5]

In medieval times Asserton was a village or hamlet, with its own church or chapel, and in the 14th and 15th centuries it was a separate tithing.[2] In 1557 Asserton manor was granted to James Basset, a courtier to Queen Mary. Asserton House was built in the late 18th century and rebuilt early in the 19th.[6]

Parish church

The Church of England parish church of St James is Grade I listed.[7] Originating in the 12th century and with a 17th-century tower, the building was restored in 1871.

Local government

The civil parish does not elect a parish council. Instead the first tier of local government is a parish meeting, which all electors are entitled to attend.[8] The parish is in the area of Wiltshire Council unitary authority, which is responsible for all significant local government functions.

Amenities

The village has a pub, the Boot Inn, which is a 17th-century building.[9][10]

A National School was built northwest of the church in 1856 and was in use until 1936 when a new school was built in Stapleford parish to serve both parishes; this school closed in 1992.[2]

See also

References
  1. "Wiltshire Community History - Census". Wiltshire Council. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 18 September 2015.
  2. "Victoria County History - Wiltshire - Vol 15 pp168-177: Berwick St James". British History Online. University of London. Retrieved 19 September 2015.
  3. Historic England. "Stapleford Castle (1005686)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 19 September 2015.
  4. Historic England. "Manor Farmhouse, Berwick St James (1146246)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 19 September 2015.
  5. Historic England. "Berwick House and outbuildings, Berwick St James (1182524)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 19 September 2015.
  6. Historic England. "Asserton House (1146241)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 19 September 2015.
  7. Historic England. "Church of St James, Berwick St James (1146243)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 19 September 2015.
  8. "Berwick St James Parish Meeting". Wiltshire Council. Retrieved 19 September 2015.
  9. Historic England. "The Boot Inn, Berwick St James (1319709)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 19 September 2015.
  10. "The Boot Inn". berwickstjames.org.uk. Retrieved 19 September 2015.

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