Downton, Wiltshire
| Downton | |
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 The Borough |
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 Downton
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| Downton shown within Wiltshire | |
| Population | 3,073 (in 2011) |
| OS grid reference | SU180215 |
| Civil parish |
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| Unitary authority | |
| Ceremonial county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | Salisbury |
| Postcode district | SP5 |
| Dialling code | 01725 |
| Police | Wiltshire |
| Fire | Dorset and Wiltshire |
| Ambulance | South Western |
| EU Parliament | South West England |
| UK Parliament | |
| Website | Parish Council |
Downton is a village and civil parish on the River Avon in southern Wiltshire, England, about 6 miles (10 km) southeast of the city of Salisbury. The parish is on the county boundary with Hampshire and is close to the New Forest; it includes the villages of Wick and Charlton-All-Saints, and the small ancient settlement of Witherington. The Trafalgar Park estate erased the former settlement of Standlynch. The parish church, Trafalgar House and two more houses are Grade I listed.
Downton village is on the east bank of the river. Wick lies on the opposite bank, and is linked to Charlton by the A338 Poole-Oxfordshire road which accompanies the river north-south through the parish.
Downton can trace its ancient inhabitants to the Neolithic, Iron Age, Roman and Saxon times. Evidence of Neolithic occupation was found at Downton in 1956-7 in advance of a housing development. Close to this site, in 1953 the site of a Roman villa was discovered. Excavations in 1955-6 revealed a villa with tessellated floors, at least two featuring mosaics, a hypocaust and bath house. Roman features were found over an area of about 12 acres. The villa is no longer visible, but the finds, including one of the mosaics, are displayed in Salisbury Museum.Clearbury Ring, on high ground in the northwest of the parish, is an Iron Age hillfort.
The ancient parish of Downton covered a large area, extending north to Nunton and southeast beyond Redlynch as far as Hamptworth. Downton was probably the principal village in the 7th and 8th centuries, and became important as the centre of the manor belonging to the Bishop of Winchester.
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