Fovant
Encyclopedia
Fovant is a medium-sized village and civil parish
in southwest Wiltshire
, England
. It is located between Salisbury
and Shaftesbury
on the A30 road
in the Nadder valley
. Its name is derived from the Old English Fobbefunta, meaning "spring of a man called Fobbe". It has a population of 683.
Iron age
hillfort), created by soldiers garrisoned near Fovant during the First World War.
Originally with three public houses, an unusual occurrence in a small village, Fovant has one functioning pub, The Pembroke Arms, which has changed ownership a number of times in recent years. Fovant also has a village playing field and playground.
Fovant has a post office (closed April 2011 but re-opened in the village shop), village shop and a doctor's surgery all at the south end of the village. There is also a stream that runs through the village.
The post office used to be locally well known for having vehicles crash into its front wall, mostly at night as the road bends round in an unexpected manner at the bottom of the hill.
Civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...
in southwest Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It is located between Salisbury
Salisbury
Salisbury is a cathedral city in Wiltshire, England and the only city in the county. It is the second largest settlement in the county...
and Shaftesbury
Shaftesbury
Shaftesbury is a town in Dorset, England, situated on the A30 road near the Wiltshire border 20 miles west of Salisbury. The town is built 718 feet above sea level on the side of a chalk and greensand hill, which is part of Cranborne Chase, the only significant hilltop settlement in Dorset...
on the A30 road
A30 road
The 284 miles A30 road from London to Land's End, historically known as the Great South West Road used to provide the most direct route from London to the south west; more recently the M3 motorway and A303 road performs this function for much of the route and only parts of A30 now retain trunk...
in the Nadder valley
River Nadder
The River Nadder is one of the chalk stream rivers of southern England, much sought after by fly fishermen because of its clear waters and abundance of brown trout. It is one of the main tributaries of the River Avon, rising from a number of springs and small streams at Donhead St. Mary in south...
. Its name is derived from the Old English Fobbefunta, meaning "spring of a man called Fobbe". It has a population of 683.
Fovant Badges
It is principally known for several regimental badges cut in chalk into a nearby hill (also being the site of ChiselburyChiselbury
Chiselbury is the site of an Iron Age univallate hillfort located in Wiltshire. The hillfort is sub-circular in plan, and encloses an area of approximately 10.5 acres. It is defined by an earthen rampart up to 3.6m in height and an external ditch, up to a maximum of 1.6m in depth...
Iron age
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...
hillfort), created by soldiers garrisoned near Fovant during the First World War.
Community Facilities
The church of St George is at the north end of the village. Dating from the 13c., it is constructed largely of local Chilmark stone. The tower contains a peal of 6 bells. The oldest from the 15c., four from the 19c. and one from the 20c.Originally with three public houses, an unusual occurrence in a small village, Fovant has one functioning pub, The Pembroke Arms, which has changed ownership a number of times in recent years. Fovant also has a village playing field and playground.
Fovant has a post office (closed April 2011 but re-opened in the village shop), village shop and a doctor's surgery all at the south end of the village. There is also a stream that runs through the village.
The post office used to be locally well known for having vehicles crash into its front wall, mostly at night as the road bends round in an unexpected manner at the bottom of the hill.