Purton
| Purton | |
|---|---|
 St Mary's Parish Church |
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 Purton
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| Purton shown within Wiltshire | |
| Population | 3,897 (2011 census) |
| OS grid reference | SU093877 |
| Civil parish |
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| Unitary authority | |
| Ceremonial county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | Swindon |
| Postcode district | SN5 |
| Dialling code | 01793 |
| Police | Wiltshire |
| Fire | Dorset and Wiltshire |
| Ambulance | South Western |
| EU Parliament | South West England |
| UK Parliament | |
| Website | Parish Council |
Purton is a large village and civil parish in Wiltshire, England, about 4 miles (6 km) northwest of the centre of Swindon. The parish includes the village of Purton Stoke and the hamlets of Bentham, Hayes Knoll, Purton Common, Restrop, the Fox and Widham. The River Key, a tributary of the Thames, crosses the parish near Purton Stoke.
The village is a linear settlement along the old road between the historic market towns of Cricklade 4 miles (6.4 km) to the north and Royal Wootton Bassett 3 miles (4.8 km) to the south. Purton is on a minor road 1 mile (1.6 km) from the B4553 and 3 miles (4.8 km) from junction 16 of the M4 motorway. The village is on the brow of a hill, with views across to Cricklade and the Thames floodplain. Nearby, Braydon Forest stretches out to Minety in the west.
Village amenities include several shops, a sub-post office, a library, public houses and restaurants, a GP's practice, dentist and veterinary surgery. The village has grown such that its retailers are not all concentrated in one centre. A few shops are on the main road at the junction with Pavenhill, and a few are around the bend in the road near the village hall.
The Church of England parish church of Saint Mary the Virgin is unusual in having a tower at each end, one of which has a spire. It is one of only three parish churches in England with both a spire and another tower. The other two are at nearby Wanborough, Wiltshire, and Ormskirk, Lancashire.
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