Bishopstrow | |
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St. Aldhelm's church, Bishopstrow |
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Bishopstrow shown within Wiltshire | |
Population | 122 (in 2011) |
OS grid reference | ST893438 |
Civil parish |
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Unitary authority | |
Ceremonial county | |
Region | |
Country | England |
Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
Post town | Warminster |
Postcode district | BA12 |
Dialling code | 01985 |
Police | Wiltshire |
Fire | Dorset and Wiltshire |
Ambulance | South Western |
EU Parliament | South West England |
UK Parliament | |
Bishopstrow is a village and civil parish in Wiltshire, England, on the River Wylye about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) southeast of Warminster.
The village lies south of the old Warminster to Salisbury road, formerly the A36, now the B3414. The modern A36 passes to the south of the village.
The name may come from "bishop's tree", meaning the place where St Aldhelm's staff miraculously grew into an ash tree. When Bishopstrow was recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 it was held by Edward of Salisbury.
In the 18th century Bishopstrow House stood between the Salisbury road and the river. In 1817 William Temple built a new house on the north side of the road using the Bath architect John Pinch the elder, which has been a hotel and restaurant since 1977.
The parish is considered too small to support a parish council, so instead it has a parish meeting, a body in which all electors for the parish are voting members. Almost all local government functions are carried out by Wiltshire Council, a unitary authority created in 2009. The village is represented in parliament by Andrew Murrison, and in Wiltshire Council by Christopher Newbury, both Conservatives.
The Church of England parish church of St Aldhelm is a Grade II* listed building. The site may have been in use since the 8th century; the building is from the 14th century, rebuilt (except for the tower and spire) in 1757 and restored in 1876.