25-535: Tidworth is a garrison town and civil parish in south-east Wiltshire , England, on the eastern edge of Salisbury Plain . Lying on both sides of the A338 about 3 + 1 ⁄ 2 miles (5.6 km) north of the A303 primary route, the town is approximately 8 miles (13 km) west of Andover , 12 miles (19 km) south of Marlborough , and 13 miles (21 km) north by north-east of Salisbury . The population of
50-544: A colonel , brigadier or major-general , assisted by a garrison sergeant major . In Ireland , Association football (as distinct from Gaelic football ) has historically been termed the "garrison game" or the "garrison sport" for its connections with British military serving in Irish cities and towns. Shipton Bellinger Shipton Bellinger is a village and civil parish in Hampshire , England. Shipton Bellinger
75-516: A military base nearby. "Garrison towns" ( Arabic : أمصار , romanized : amsar ) were used during the Arab Islamic conquests of Middle Eastern lands by Arab - Muslim armies to increase their dominance over indigenous populations. In order to occupy non-Arab, non-Islamic areas, nomadic Arab tribesmen were taken from the desert by the ruling Arab elite, conscripted into Islamic armies, and settled into garrison towns as well as given
100-633: A secondary school which was partly sponsored by Wellington College , opened in September 2009, replacing Castledown School. The academy has a sixth form college, an all-weather sports pitch, and dedicated Combined Cadet Force facilities. The parent unit of the CCF is 26 Royal Engineers , housed nearby at Swinton Barracks . The community is served by three primary schools and an infant school. Local news and television programmes are provided by BBC South and ITV Meridian . Television signals are received from
125-486: A share in the spoils of war . The primary utility of the Arab-Islamic garrisons was to control the indigenous non-Arab peoples of these conquered and occupied territories, and to serve as garrison bases to launch further Islamic military campaigns into yet-undominated lands. A secondary aspect of the Arab-Islamic garrisons was the uprooting of the aforementioned nomadic Arab tribesmen from their original home regions in
150-536: Is about 5 miles (8 km) north-east of the town of Amesbury and 12 miles (19 km) north-east of the city of Salisbury . It is on the A338 road , near its junction with the A303 road . It is in the Test Valley council district but its post town is Tidworth in Wiltshire . The village is surrounded by Salisbury Plain . It is close to Tidworth Camp and a number of British Army families live in
175-617: Is central to the British Army Polo Association and is affiliated to the UK Armed Forces Polo Association. South of Tidworth is a downhill mountain biking venue, first built in secret by the local mountain biking community in 2006. After the landowner discovered the site and forced the issue, Tidworth Freeride was taken over by B1KE, who now operate the site commercially, catering to a wide range of abilities. The Wellington Academy ,
200-403: Is responsible for most local government functions. Tidworth elects two members of Wiltshire Council: one for Tidworth North & West which covers most of the town, including Tidworth Camp, and one for Tidworth East & Ludgershall South which takes in a small eastern part of the town as well as Perham Down and the southern half of Ludgershall . For Westminster elections, the parish falls in
225-653: The Arabian Peninsula in order to proactively avert these tribal peoples, and particularly their young men, from revolting against the Islamic state established in their midst. In the United Kingdom , "Garrison" also specifically refers to any of the major military stations such as Aldershot , Catterick , Colchester , Tidworth , Bulford , and London , which have more than one barracks or camp and their own military headquarters , usually commanded by
250-539: The East Wiltshire constituency, which has been represented since 2024 by Danny Kruger for the Conservatives . Tidworth has a small commercial area containing two supermarkets (a Lidl and a large Tesco ), two veterinary surgeries, a pharmacy , and other shops and services. A dental surgery serves Tidworth and the surrounding area, covering approximately 5,000 people. In 2003 a new medical centre
275-474: The French garnison , itself from the verb garnir , "to equip") is any body of troops stationed in a particular location, originally to guard it. The term now often applies to certain facilities that constitute a military base or fortified military headquarters . A garrison is usually in a city , town , fort , castle , ship , or similar site. "Garrison town" is a common expression for any town that has
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#1732776016995300-531: The Hampshire Avon near Salisbury; later the Oxford -Salisbury road also followed the valley. On John Speed 's maps of 1611 the villages are North Tudworth, belonging to Amesbury hundred in "Wilshire", and South Tudworth to Andover hundred in "Hamshire". Before 1650 there was a substantial country house with parkland at South Tidworth; the present Tedworth House is a rebuilding of 1828 – 1830. In 1897
325-549: The Hannington and the local relay transmitters. Local radio stations are BBC Radio Wiltshire on 103.5 FM, Greatest Hits Radio Salisbury on 102 FM and British Forces Broadcasting Service that provides radio programmes for His Majesty's Armed Forces in nearby Salisbury Plain on 106.8 FM. The local newspapers that cover the town is the Salisbury Journal and Andover Advertiser. Duggie Fields , artist,
350-609: The War Office bought the house and grounds, together with land to the north which gave access to Salisbury Plain for Army training. Extensive barracks were built in the early 20th century, largely in South Tidworth but spreading across the boundary to the north. From 1902 to 1963 there was a railway station at North Tidworth, connected to the main line by a branch from Ludgershall . North and South were separate ecclesiastical parishes, and therefore became civil parishes in
375-456: The 13th or 14th centuries, but by 1784 it was in poor condition and Thomas Assheton Smith the elder , owner of Tedworth House, was given permission to demolish it. Masonry from the church, including a 14th-century window and some monuments, was used to build a small chapel which remains in use as a mortuary chapel for the surrounding cemetery. A replacement St Mary's Church was built closer to Tedworth House in 1878 to designs of John Johnson at
400-468: The 19th century. An Ordnance Survey map of 1958 labels the parishes as North Tidworth and South Tedworth. When the boundary between Wiltshire and Hampshire was redrawn in 1992, the entire town became part of Wiltshire, though remaining part of the Hampshire postal county . The two parts remained as separate civil parishes until 1 April 2004. In the 21st century the population of the town increased as
425-617: The barracks now known as Tidworth Camp expanded, in particular following the return of units from Germany in 2019 and 2020 under the Army Basing Plan. Holy Trinity, North Tidworth is the Church of England parish church . There may have been a church here in the 12th century but the earliest record is of 1291. The present building, in flint and stone with repairs in red brick, is from the late 14th and 15th centuries. Restoration designed by J. L. Pearson in 1882 included replacement of
450-500: The expense of Sir John Kelk , who had bought the estate in 1877. It is Grade I listed and is now in the care of the Churches Conservation Trust . St Michael's Garrison Church (Church of England) and St Patrick's Garrison Church (Roman Catholic), both built in 1912, are the military churches for the garrison. The parish elects a town council . It is in the area of Wiltshire Council unitary authority , which
475-460: The incumbent to live at Tidworth, although the parishes remained separate. In 1972 Shipton Bellinger was made a separate benefice, the parishes of North and South Tidworth were united, and the Victorian church at South Tidworth was declared redundant . The benefice was united with the parish of Ludgershall and Faberstown in 1986. There was a church dedicated to St Mary at South Tidworth from
500-553: The north of the parish. Domesday Book of 1086 recorded four landowners and 18 households at what is now North Tidworth, in the Amesbury hundred of Wiltshire; and three landowners with 20 households and one church at South Tidworth, in the Broughton hundred of Hampshire. Placenames were written as Todeworde , Tedorde or Todeorde . The two villages developed in the valley of the small River Bourne , which flows south to join
525-442: The parish at the 2011 census was approximately 10,600. Originally two villages – North Tidworth and South Tidworth – the modern town is dominated by Tidworth Camp , a large British Army site. Swinton Barracks , another Army site, is in the west of the parish. Evidence of prehistoric activity in the area is in the form of several sites with bowl barrows , including a group of seven; and an Iron Age hillfort at Sidbury Hill in
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#1732776016995550-462: The roofs and rebuilding of the porch. The church was recorded as Grade II* listed in 1988. The font is from the 12th century. Three of the six bells were cast in 1619 by John Wallis, and another is from 1700. There are two 17th-century chest tombs in the churchyard. Parish registers from 1700 are held by the Wiltshire and Swindon History Centre , Chippenham. The Hampshire benefices of South Tidworth and Shipton Bellinger were united in 1926, with
575-605: Was born in Tidworth, as was musician James Blunt in 1974. Owners of the South Tidworth estate and Tedworth House include John Smith (1656–1723), Speaker of the House of Commons and Chancellor of the Exchequer; Thomas Assheton Smith (1752–1828), owner of Dinorwic quarry and MP; and his son Thomas (1776–1858), cricketer, foxhunter, yacht designer and MP, who built the present house. Garrison A garrison (from
600-605: Was completed, the cost being split between the Ministry of Defence and the NHS , as it serves the armed forces and their dependants within the surrounding area. Castledown FM, a community radio station , broadcasts to Tidworth and Ludgershall from studios in the grounds of Wellington Academy. Tidworth has one of the lowest crime rates per thousand in Wiltshire, and between 1990 and 2004 only one major crime took place. In 2014, it
625-458: Was rated by the Royal Mail as the most attractive postcode area of England to live in. Tidworth Garrison Golf Club was constructed in 1904 initially for use by army officers. It was established in 1908 and gradually made available to all ranks and civilians. In 2000 it became a limited company. Tidworth Polo Club also known as Tedworth Park Polo Club is south of Tedworth House. The ground
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