In Memory of the Men of this Parish who fell in the Great War

In commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the Armistice which ended the combat of WW1 in 1918 (the war itself didn't technically finish until the Treaty of Versaille in 1919). We have taken the names from the Upavon War Memorial, and have done some research and produced a potted history from information found on Ancestry.co.uk, the Commonwealth War Graves Commision, and other sites. Click the Poppy below to go to our Upavon War Memorial page.

The Pewsey Vale Tourism Partnership (PVTP) has opened one of its Tourist Information Kiosks - in a disused public telephone box in the centre of Upavon. And this time the opening included the unveiling of one of the Partnership's new Historic Map Information Boards.

Chair of Upavon Parish Council, John Tighe, welcomed everyone to the official opening of the kiosk and the unveiling of the information board. After a few words about the project from PVTP's Susie Brew, Bill Bracher - a resident of Upavon for twenty-five years, and Church Warden - cut the ribbon.

Upavon Village

Upavon is a beautiful village set in the middle of Salisbury Plain, with picturesque cottages and gorgeous scenery; it is a place that will bring joy when visited. Surrounded by fields, with the River Avon running its length, Upavon is one of the most eye catching places in the Wiltshire area. With excellent amenities, it has kept its village style, and is highly regarded by both locals and visitors alike.

Upavon is in the County of Wiltshire, England. As its name suggests, it is on the upper portions of the River Avon which runs from the north to the south through the village. It is situated about 4 miles (6.4 km) south of Pewsey, about 10 miles (16 km) southeast of the market town of Devizes, about 11 miles (17.7km) north of the prehistoric monument of Stonehenge and about 20 miles (32 km) north of the cathedral city of Salisbury. The A345 and A342 roads run through the village.

History  

The occupation of Upavon dates back to the Iron Age settlement at Casterley Camp which lies approximately 1.5 miles west of the current village. The first mention of Upavon itself is in the Domesday Book as 'Oppavrene' (click here to go to Open Domesday website); though there are no details it can be estimated that the village supported some 200 to 250 people. The Iron Age settlement of Chisenbury Camp also lies close by to the southeast. The village prospered during the 12th and 13th centuries and started to develop features that are recognisable today. A large Norman church replaced the previous Saxon one, a manor house was built in the south of the village and a market square developed west of the church in the area that now lies between the two village pubs. For more information please visit Wikipedia