Middle Woodford
| Woodford | |
|---|---|
 Village Hall, Middle Woodford |
|
 Woodford
|
|
| Woodford shown within Wiltshire | |
| Population | 443 (in 2011) |
| OS grid reference | SU123372 |
| Civil parish |
|
| Unitary authority | |
| Ceremonial county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | Salisbury |
| Postcode district | SP5 |
| Dialling code | 01722 |
| Police | Wiltshire |
| Fire | Dorset and Wiltshire |
| Ambulance | South Western |
| EU Parliament | South West England |
| UK Parliament | |
Woodford is a civil parish in southern-central Wiltshire, England, on the west bank of the Salisbury Avon, about 4 miles (6 km) north of Salisbury. Its settlements are the villages of Lower Woodford, Middle Woodford and Upper Woodford, the last of which is the largest of the three. In 1871, the population was 523; in 1951, this had decreased to 405 people.
In 972, the name was recorded as Wuduforda, which in Old English means "ford in or by a wood", from wudu + ford. In the nineteenth century it was pronounced 'oodford.
Woodford is mentioned in the days of Henry III, namely there being a knight, Sir William Woodford of Woodford. A palace existed here, used by the Bishops of Salisbury, but only a few carved stones remain on the site; the palace was the hiding place of Charles II after the Battle of Worcester in September 1651. The buildings of Druid's Lodge (also known as Woodford Hut), in the north-west of the parish, were used as a prisoner-of-war camp during the Second World War, but they no longer exist. Nearby there is a small stone shelter, erected as a memorial to Lieutenant Colonel F. G. G. Bailey (d. 1951), who resided at Lake House, Wilsford. Woodford Church of England Primary School was erected between 1833 and 1836, and increased in size in 1854. In 1880 the chief landowners were Ecclesiastical Commissioners, and Robert Loder.
Woodford is approximately 2,780 acres (1,130 ha) in size. On a hill slope southwest of Druid's Head, there is a large and old enclosure that was formed by a bank.
Lower Woodford Water Meadows is a 23.9 hectares (59 acres) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Lower Woodford, notified in 1971. Of the working water-meadows in southern England that are associated with chalk streams, the best is situated at Lower Woodford.
...
Wikipedia