Netheravon

Netheravon
Wiltshire
Netheravon Manor
Location
Grid reference:	SU148487
Location:	51°14’13"N, 1°47’24"W
Data
Population:	1,060  (2011)
Post town:	Salisbury
Postcode:	SP4
Dialling code:	01980
Local Government
Council:	Wiltshire
Parliamentary constituency:	Devizes

Netheravon is a village in Wiltshire sitting beside the River Avon, and on the A345 road, about four miles north of Amesbury. The village stands within Salisbury Plain.

The parish church, the Church of All Saints, dates from the 11th century. It is Grade I listed.

In 1898, the War Department bought almost the entire parish of Netheravon, which has meant that development since then has been mostly limited to housing for those associated with the various military establishments based at Netheravon House since 1904. Barracks and some associated houses, including a large red-brick villa for the Officer Commanding, have been built in its grounds, and some smaller villa-type residences for officers on the south side of Wexland Avenue. In the village, development has been confined to the triangle of land between High Street and the Upavon-Salisbury Road.

Netheravon House

Netheravon House stands in a commanding position on the chalk bluff overlooking the Avon valley, south of the church. It was built after 1734 as a hunting-box by Henry Somerset (afterwards Scudamore), Duke of Beaufort, on what is believed to have been the site of an older manor house. This eighteenth century house is a Grade II* listed building.

Evidence of a Roman villa has been found on part of the grounds of Netheravon House.

In 1898, Michael Hicks Beach sold the house and estate to the War Office.

Military camps

Cavalry School – Choulston Camp

Military activity was first established at Netheravon in 1904 with the creation of a Cavalry school under the sponsorship of Major General Robert Baden Powell as the Inspector General of Cavalry. Baden-Powell envisioned developments in the use of Cavalry following his experiences in Southern Africa and India and lessons from the Second Boer War. The school emphasised the use of cavalry for scouting and reconnaissance, recognising that the traditional effects of mass of cavalry had been diminished by the availability of modern weapons. The Officers' Mess was established in Netheravon House, with the stables and buildings to the east of the A345 and training areas to the west.

Aviation operations and training

Netheravon Airfield is in the parish of Figheldean, on the east side of the Avon.

Avon Camp

With the establishment of the Airfield in 1912 the Cavalry School continued to operate in the remaining training areas until the beginning of the war, re-opening briefly in 1919. In 1922 the school amalgamated with the Royal Artillery Riding Establishment in Northamptonshire and the location was taken over by the Machine Gun School, following a move from Grantham.

The Machine Gun School was absorbed as an element of the Small Arms School Corps in 1926. Over time the school expanded to encompass support weapons in general, becoming the Support Weapons Wing of SASC. Support Weapons Wing remained at Netheravon until 1995 when Avon Camp was closed and the Wing moved to the Land Warfare Centre, Warminster.

Netheravon Dovecote

Netheravon Dovecote

Main article: Netheravon Dovecote

The Netheravon Dovecote is a dovecote containing over 700 dove boxes which was built in the 1700s. The Dovecote is a Grade II listed building. and in the care of English Heritage.

Outside links

("Wikimedia Commons" has material about Netheravon)

• A History of the County of Wiltshire - Volume pp 165-181: {{{2}}} (Victoria County History) – Parishes: Netheravon