Wilton, Wiltshire
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 Coat of arms is missing |
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| Basic data | |||
| Unitary Authority : | Wiltshire | ||
| Geographic location : | 51 ° 5 ′ N , 1 ° 52 ′ W | ||
| Height : | 55m ASL | ||
| Area : | 18.80 km² (ward) | ||
| Residents : | 3,873 | ||
| Population density : | 235.46 inhabitants per km² (ward) | ||
Wilton is a city and an administrative municipality ( Civil parish ) in the south of the English county and Unitary Authority of Wiltshire and formerly in the district of Salisbury . The city of Wilton is located at the confluence of the River Wylye and the River Nadder . In the 2001 census, 3873 inhabitants were determined.
history
Wilton's history goes back to Anglo-Saxon times. In the 9th century the place was the capital of Wiltunscire , part of the Kingdom of Wessex . Wilton remained the administrative center of Wiltshire until the 11th century. Founded in 773 by Earl Wulfstan of Wiltshire, the monastery made the site an important site for the English Church. In the year 800 the monastery was converted into a nunnery. After his victory over the Danish Great Army near Wilton in 871, King Alfred von Wessex (King 871-899) had a new monastery built on the site of a royal court. Edith von Wilton (961–984), the illegitimate daughter of King Edgar the Peaceful (King 959–975) donated another church in Wilton and later entered the monastery. After her death she was canonized and named the abbey.
The Danish King Sven Gabelbart destroyed Wilton on his conquest through England in 1003. The monastery, which was previously made of wood, was rebuilt in stone. In the civil war between Matilda and Stephan von Blois , which raged in England between 1135 and 1154 for possession of the royal throne, Wilton was a target of Stephen in 1143. However, his attack was repulsed and he narrowly escaped capture.
In 1539 the monastery was secularized by Henry VIII (King 1509–1542). The grounds of the former monastery now became the residence of the royal favorite William Herbert , a descendant of the noble Herbert family from the Welsh border areas and first Earl of Pembroke , who had a residence, Wilton House , built here. By the 17th century, weaving had become one of the most traditional trades in Wilton. There was an upswing in 1741 when two French weavers, who were commissioned by the Earl of Pembroke to impart new weaving techniques to local craftsmen, settled here. Carpet weaving mills were established and the industry flourished until the end of the Napoleonic Wars in 1815 when domestic products were exposed to European competition. At the beginning of the 20th century, the Wilton Royal Carpet Factory was founded, which brought together the carpet weaving mill in Wilton and strengthened it again. In 1995, however, it finally ceased operations.
Attractions
Wilton House was built in 1544 on the site of the former monastery and is still the seat of the Herbert family today. The manor house is considered to be one of the main works of Palladianism in Great Britain and has magnificent state apartments furnished in the style of the early Baroque and an extensive garden.
Located in town, the Church of St. Mary and St. Nicholas was built between 1841 and 1844 on the site of the medieval St. Nicholas Church in neo-Romanesque style. The church takes its architectural models from the Romanesque basilicas of Lombardy . The approximately 35 m high bell tower, built as a campanile , goes well with it . The north-south orientation of the church is unusual. It probably goes back to the situation on the building site. Italian columns from the 2nd century BC were used during the construction. Used. French stained glass windows from the 12th century were also reused.
education
Wilton is home to the Church of England-supported Wilton and Barford Primary School and the Southills School.
sons and daughters of the town
- Herbert Chermside (1850–1929), British officer and diplomat
Web links
- Wilton Town Council official website
- History of Wilton (English)
- Description of the Church of St. Mary and St. Nicholas (English)