County Dossier
Wiltshire
England’s oldest stones meet Saxon shires.
Wiltshire is an inland county in southern England, marked by history, agriculture, and dramatic landscapes. Salisbury in the south-east is famed for its magnificent cathedral, while Wilton, the ancient county town, hosts the stately Wilton House.
At a glance
Wiltshire at a glance
England’s oldest stones meet Saxon shires.
- Wiltonscir', shire of Wilton
- A shire by the 9th century
- Salisbury and Stonehenge
- Area: 1,374 sq miles / 3,559 sq km
- Population: 682,380
- County Top: Milk Hill (967ft / 295m)
County Geography
Wiltshire is landlocked, meeting Gloucestershire to the north, Berkshire and Hampshire to the east, Dorset to the south, and Somerset to the west. Within those bounds the county is dominated by chalk country, especially Salisbury Plain, the Marlborough Downs, and the connected valleys between them.
Downland, plain, and valley give Wiltshire a strong internal logic.
Map Reference
View Wiltshire on the map
Wiltshire is the county. The map also shows lieutenancies and council areas that use the county name.
The county.
The lieutenancy.
Council areas.
Places and routes
Salisbury, Wilton, Devizes, Marlborough, Malmesbury, Bradford on Avon, Swindon, and Amesbury all belong to the county’s story. So do Stonehenge, Avebury, Silbury Hill, the cathedral close at Salisbury, and the broad chalk landscapes that give Wiltshire some of the most recognisable county scenery in England.
Connections
Wiltshire has long been crossed by prehistoric trackways, Roman roads, coaching routes, and later rail lines. The Ridgeway approaches, the routes over Salisbury Plain, and the valleys linking Kennet, Avon, and Nadder country show how the county works as practical geography.
Names
- Wiltshire
- County of Wilton
- Wilts
County of Wilton is the formal historical style. Wilts remains a familiar documentary abbreviation, while older forms such as Wiltonscir and Wiltescire show the county’s long naming continuity.
Wiltshire was already a shire by the 9th century and developed around Wilton before Salisbury rose to later prominence.