Allington, Salisbury facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Allington |
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 The Old Inn, Allington |
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 Allington
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| Population | 493 (in 2011) |
| OS grid reference | SU203396 |
| Civil parish |
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| Unitary authority |
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| Ceremonial county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | Salisbury |
| Postcode district | SP4 |
| Dialling code | 01980 |
| Police | Wiltshire |
| Fire | Wiltshire |
| Ambulance | Great Western |
| EU Parliament | South West England |
| UK Parliament |
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Allington is a small village in Wiltshire, England. It is also a civil parish, which is a local area with its own council. Allington is located about 3 kilometers (2 miles) southeast of Amesbury. It is also about 11 kilometers (7 miles) northeast of Salisbury.
The parish includes another village called Boscombe. Both villages are located along the River Bourne. They are also near the A338 road. The western edge of the parish is also the border with Hampshire.
History of Allington
The southern part of Allington parish has signs of ancient settlements. People lived here during the Iron Age, which was a very long time ago. There are also remains of a Roman-British villa. A Roman road called the Port Way also crossed through the southeast of the parish.
Allington is mentioned in the Domesday Book from 1086. This was a big survey ordered by William the Conqueror. At that time, Alentone had eight households and one mill. The land belonged to Amesbury Abbey. By 1377, Allington was still a small place. Only 35 people paid a special tax called poll-tax.
The village grew where a small road from Winterslow crossed the river. This road also met the main road from Salisbury. The Winterslow road disappeared in the early 1900s. This happened because of a military training area. The Salisbury road used to go through the village center. In 1835, a new bypass was built. This moved the road to the west side of the church. At the end of this new road is a pub called the Old Inn. This building was rebuilt in the early 1900s. A pub was already there by 1848.
In 1836, a writer named James Bell wrote about Allington. He said it was a rectory (a church area led by a rector). The church was part of the diocese of Salisbury. He also mentioned that there was a free school in the village. In 1801, Allington had 75 people. By 1831, the population grew slightly to 80 people.
Boscombe had its own school starting in 1902. This school closed in 1972. After that, children from Boscombe went to a new school in Porton. In 1934, the smaller parish of Boscombe was joined with Allington parish.
Military Areas
A large area in the southeast of the parish is part of the Porton Down military training area. This has been used by the military since the early 1900s. The Porton Down science park is also nearby. This park is home to the Ministry of Defence's Defence Science and Technology Laboratory. This lab does important scientific research for the UK's defense.
The MoD Boscombe Down is another military site. It is an aircraft test center. It is located in the northwest part of the parish. There was a small airfield here during the First World War. It reopened in 1930 as a bomber base. In 1939, it became a place for testing new aircraft.
Churches and Religious Sites
The Church of England parish church of St Andrew is in Boscombe. It was built in the 1300s. This church is a Grade I listed building. This means it is very important historically. The old rectory (where the rector lived) nearby is also very old. It started as a large house in the 1400s. It is now a Grade II* listed building.
The church of St John the Baptist is in Allington. It was rebuilt in 1851. The new church kept the same design as the old one. It also used some stone pieces from the 1100s. In 2010, this church was no longer used for regular services. It is now looked after by the Friends of Friendless Churches.
The church areas of Allington and Boscombe were joined in 1924. The priest for both areas lived in Allington. In 1970, the parishes themselves were joined. Since 1973, they have been part of the Bourne Valley Benefice. St Andrew's in Boscombe became the main church after the Allington church closed in 2010.
A small house in Allington became a Primitive Methodist chapel in 1843. It was made bigger in 1981. By 2014, the building was no longer a chapel. It became a private home again.
Railways
A railway line called the Andover to Salisbury railway opened in 1857. It crossed the southeast part of Allington parish. In the north, the Amesbury and Military Camp Light Railway was built in 1901. This line helped serve Bulford Camp, a military base. There was a station at Newton Tony where the line crossed the Allington road. This railway stopped carrying passengers in 1952. It continued to carry goods until 1963.
