Idmiston


Idmiston is a village and civil parish in Wiltshire, England. The village is about southeast of Amesbury and northeast of Salisbury. The parish includes the villages of Porton and Gomeldon; all three villages are on the River Bourne and are linked by the A338 road.
Porton Down military science park is in the parish, separated from Idmiston by the railway line. It is home to the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory and related businesses.

History

The Port Way, a Roman road towards Sorviodunum, followed the Bourne valley and passed close to the present settlements.

Notable buildings

Idmiston Manor is a house from c. 1600 with 17th-century interior features and an arched gateway from the same period; both house and gateway are Grade II* listed. The Old Rectory, opposite the church, also dates from the early 17th century and is also Grade II*.
The Church of England parish church was built in the 12th century. It has been designated as a Grade I listed building and is now in the care of the Churches Conservation Trust.

Railway

In 1857 the London and South Western Railway company opened its line from Andover to Milford station at Salisbury, following the Bourne valley through the parish. There was a station at Porton from the beginning; between 1943 and 1968 a halt at Idmiston served Porton Down military camp. The railway remains in use as part of the West of England Main Line but there are no local stations.

Amenities

The local primary school for Idmiston village is St Nicholas CofE Primary School, Idmiston Road, Porton. Idmiston had its own school from 1833, replaced by a new building in 1869; it was closed in 1972 after the new school was opened at Porton, to cater for the increased local population.