[Description(s) from The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland (1868) transcribed by Colin Hinson ©2003]
"ALDERBURY HUNDRED, one of the 28 hundreds of the county of Wilts, situated in the south parliamentary division of the county, and bounded on the N. by Amerbury and Medwitch hundred; on the E., by Hampshire; on the S., by Downton hundred; on the W., by Cawden and Cadworth hundred. It contains the parishes of Alderbury, West Dean, West Grimstead, Idminston, Laverstock, Melchet Park, Plaitford, Winterbourne-Dantsey, Winterbourne-Earls and Winterbourne-Gunner, Winteraton and Clarendon Park liberty."
"AMESBURY HUNDRED, a hundred in Wiltshire, bounded on the N. by Elstub and Everley hundreds, on the E. by the county of Southampton, on the S. by the hundreds of Alderbury and Underditch, and on the W. by the hundred of Branch and Dole. Portions of this hundred lie detached in Berkshire. It contains the parishes of Allington, Amesbury, Boscombe, Bulford, Cholderton, Durnford, Durrington, Figheldean, Ludgershall, Milston Newton Toney, North Tidworth, West Wellow; besides parts of the four parishes of Hurst, Shinfield, Swallowfield, and Wokingham in Berkshire."
"BRADFORD HUNDRED, one of the 29 hundreds or subdivisions of the county of Wilts, situated in the north parliamentary division of the county, and bounded on the N. by the hundred of Chippenham, on the E. by the hundred of Melksham, on the S. by the hundred of Westbury, and on the W. by the county of Somerset. It comprises the parishes of Bradford on Avon, Broughton-Gifford, Great Chalfield, Monkton-Farleigh, and Wingfield, and extends over an area of about 18,760 acres."
"BRANCH AND DOLE HUNDRED, one of the 28 hundreds or subdivisions of the county of Wilts, situated in the south parliamentary division of the county, and bounded on the N. by the hundred of Swanborough; on the E. by the hundreds of Amesbury and Underditch; on the S. by the hundreds of Dunworth and Cawden; and on the W. by the hundred of Heytesbury. It contains the parishes of Berwick, Fisherton-Anger, Fugglestone, Little Langford, Steeple Langford, Maddington, South Newton, Orcheston St. Mary, Sherrington, Shrewton, Stapleford, Tilshead, Wylye, Stoke Winterbourne, and Great Wishford, with part of the parish of Wilton. The hundred comprises an area of about 38,440 acres."
"CALNE HUNDRED, one of the 29 hundreds or subdivisions of the county of Wilts, situated in the north parliamentary division of the county, and bounded on the N. by the hundred of Kingsbury, on the E. by the hundred of Selkley, on the S. by the hundreds of Swanborough and Potterne, and on the W. by the hundred of Chippenham. It contains the parishes of Berwick-Bassett, Blackland, Calne, Calstone-Wellington, Cherhill, Compton-Bassett, Heddington, and Yatesbury. The hundred comprises an area of about 21,540 acres."
"CAWDEN WITH CADWORTH, a hundred in the S. portion of the county of Wilts, contains the parishes of St. Martin Barford, Baverstock, Britford, Burcombe, Coombe-Bissett, Fovant, Groveley-Wood, Nether Hampton, West Harnham, Hornington, Odstock, St. Anthony Stratford, Sutton Mandeville, Whitsbury, and parts of Bramshaw and Wilton, and has an area of 25,100 acres."
"CHALK, a hundred in the S. portion of the county of Wilts; contains the parishes of Alvesdiston, St. John Berwick, Bower and Broad Chalk, Ebbesborne-Wake, Fifield-Bavant, Semley, and part of Tollard-Royal, comprising 26,610 acres. Chalk deanery, in the diocese of Salisbury, includes the whole of this hundred, and several adjoining parishes."
"CHIPPENHAM, a hundred in the N.W. portion of the county of Wilts; contains Chippenham borough, and the parishes of Alderton, Biddestone, Box, Bremhill, Castle-Combe, Colerne, Corsham, Ditteridge, Easton-Gray, Hardenhuish, Kellaways, Kingswood, West Kington, Laycock, Langley-Burrell, Leigh-de-la-Mere, Drew Littleton, Luckington, Pewsham, Sherston (Magna and Parva), Slaughterford, Sopworth, North Wraxall, Yatton-Keynell, and parts of Christian-Malford, and Hullavington comprising 65,160 acres."
"DOWNTON, a hundred in the county of Wilts, contains the parishes of Bishopstone, Downton, Bishops Fonthill, Hendon, East Knoyle, Nunton, and Standlynch, comprising 23,590 acres."
"DUNWORTH HUNDRED, in the county of Wilts, contains the parishes of Anstey, St. Leonard Berwick, Chicklade, Chilmark, Donhead St. Andrew and St. Mary, Fonthill-Gifford, Sedghill, Swallowcliffe, Evias Teffont, East and West Tisbury, and Wardour, comprising 26,650 acres."
"ELSTUB AND EVERLEY, a hundred in the E. division of the county Wilts. It includes the parishes of Collingbourne Ducis, Enford, Everley, Fittleton, Fyfield, Ham, Little Hinton, Netheravon, Patney, Rollston, Stockton, Westwood, Wroughton, and parts of Collingbourne-Kingston, and Overton, comprising an area of 40,590 acres."
"FRUSTFIELD HUNDRED, one of the 28 hundreds or subdivisions of county Wilts, situated in the south-eastern part of the county, and containing the parishes of Landford and Whiteparish, comprising an area of about 8,000 acres."
"HEYTESBURY, a hundred in the county Wilts, contains the parishes of Boyton, Brixton-Deverill, Chiltern, Codford, Heytesbury, Hill-Deverill, Horningsham, Knook, Orcheston St. George, Tytherington, Upton-Lovell, and part of Imber, comprising an area of 32,370 acres."
"HIGHWORTH(, CRICKLADE, AND STAPLE), a hundred in county Wilts, contains the parishes of Ashton-Keynes, Blunsdon St. Andrew, Castle Eaton, Cricklade SS. Mary and Sampson, Eisey, Hannington, Highworth, Latton, Liddiard Millicent, Marston-Maisey, Poulton, Purton, Rodborne-Cheney, Shorncote, Somerford-Keynes, Stanton-Fitzwarren, Stratton St. Margaret, and parts of Coleshill and Inglesham, comprising an area of 51,520 acres."
"KENNET, a river rising under the Marlborough Downs in county Wilts, and joining the Thames at Reading. On its banks are situated the towns of Hungerford, Marlborough, and Newbury. It is connected by a canal of 57 miles with the river Avon at Bath."
"KINGSBRIDGE, a hundred in county Wilts, contains the parishes of Chiseldon, Cliffe Pypard, Draycott-Foliatt, Liddington, Liddiard, Treegooze, Lyneham, Swindon, Tockenham, Wanborough, Wootton-Bassett, and part of Hillmarton, comprising an area of 40,430 acres."
"KINWARDSTONE, a hundred in county Wilts, contains the parishes of Great and Little Bedwin, Burbage, Buttermere, Chute, Chute-Forest, Collingbourne Kingston, Easton, Froxfield, Hippenscombe, Milton Libbourne, Pewsey, South Severnake, Tidcombe, Wootton Rivers, parts of Chilton Foliatt, Hungerford, and Shalbourn, comprising an area of 54,030 acres."
"MALMESBURY, a hundred in county Wilts, containing the parishes of Abbat's Ashley, Bremilham, Brinkworth, Brokenborough, with Charlton, Crudwell, Dauntsey, DraycotCerne, Foxley, Garsdon, Hankerton, Kemble, Lee, Malmesbury St. Paul, Long Newnton, Norton-Coleparle, Oaksey, Poole-Keynes, Seagry, Great and Little Somerford, St. Quintin Stanton, Sutton Benger, St. Mary Westport, and parts of Hullavington and Minty, comprising an area 57,030 acres."
"MELKSHAM, a hundred in county Wilts, contains the parishes of Earl-Stoke, Hilperton, Melksham, Poulshot, Trowbridge, Whaddon, and part of Keevil, comprising an area of 18,870 acres."
"MERE, a hundred in county Wilts, contains the parishes of Kingston-Deverill, West Knoyle, Mere, and parts of Maiden Bradley and Stourton, comprising an area of 17,290 acres."
"NADDER, a small river of the county Wilts, flowing into the Avon at Wilton."
"NORTH DAMERHAM, a hundred in the N.W. division of the county of Wilts, contains the parishes of Kington-St. Michael, Grittleton, Nettleton, and part of Christian-Malford, comprising 10,520 acres."
"POTTERNE AND CANNINGS, a hundred in the county of Wilts, containing the town of Devizes, and the parishes of Bishop's Canning, Bromham; Highway, West Lavington, Potterne, and Rowde, comprising an area of 26,700 acres, exclusive of Devizes."
"RAMSBURY, a hundred in the county of Wilts, contains the parishes of Baydon, Bishopston, and Ramsbury, comprising an area of 16,350 acres."
"ROUNDAWAY, an eminence in the county of Wilts, 2 miles N. of Devizes. It is supposed to have been the site of the Roman station Verlucio, on the road to Bath, and has on the summit a large entrenched camp. It was here that Lord Wilmot routed Waller's army during the civil war of Charles I.'s reign."
"SALISBURY PLAIN, an extensive level tract of unenclosed country running across the county of Wilts, formerly extending into Hampshire on the E., and Dorsetshire on the W., but now much circumscribed, including only the open downs to the S. of Salisbury, and the level plain, or plateau, to the S. of that city, chiefly occupied as sheep walks. In the dreariest part of this plain, about 6 miles N. of Salisbury, stands Stonehenge."
"SCRATCHBURY, an ancient British camp in the county of Wilts, 1½ mile N.W. of Heytesbury. It covers an extent of near 40 acres, and is surrounded by a single trench, within which many antiquities have been found."
"SELKLEY, a hundred in the county of Wilts, contains the town of Marlborough, and the parishes of Aldbourn, Avebury, Broad Hinton, East Kennet, Mildenhall, Ogbourne, Preshute, North Savernake, Winterbourne-Bassett, Winterbourne-Monkton, and parts of Hillmarton and Overton, comprising an area of 47,100 acres, exclusive of Marlborough."
"SELWOOD, an extensive forest on the borders of counties Wilts and Somerset, between Westbury and Frome. It was called by the Britons Coed-mawr, or "the great wood", and by the Saxons Sealwuda, and is celebrated in history as being the retreat of Alfred the Great before the battle of Ethandune."
"SOUTH DAMERHAM, a hundred in the county of Wilts, contains the parishes of South Damerham, Longbridge, Compton, Chamberlayne, Monkton Deverill, and Martin, comprising 17,080 acres."
"STONEHENGE, an assemblage of upright, horizontal, and prostrate stones, supposed to be the remains of a Druidical temple, on Salisbury Plain, county Wilts, about 2 miles N.W. of Amesbury, and 9 N. of Salisbury. Its name is Saxon, and signifies "hanging stones". It consists of the remains of two ovals within two circles, the whole surrounded by a circular vallum, or bank of earth, 15 feet high and 1,010 round. The outer circle is 100 feet in diameter, and has 17 stones remaining of about 30, measuring 20 feet by 7, and 3 feet thick, with several top stones still remaining in situ.
The second circle is 9 feet within the first, and has but 8 stones remaining, besides fragments of 12 others; inside this is the first oval, consisting of 10 stones, of which 8 still remain, measuring from 16 to 21 feet in height, with top stones across 16 feet long; inside this is the inner oval, consisting of about 20 smaller stones, the largest 7½ feet high, of which only 11 remain; and nearly in the centre is the altar-stone, consisting of a flat slab 15 feet long, and different in character from any of the other stones, being a grained calcareous sandstone, which strikes fire with steel, and contains some minute particles of silver mica.
The outer stones, which weigh from 10 to 70 tons, are chiefly sandstone, of the kind found on the surface of the downs in the vicinity of Avebury and Marlborough; but the stones of the inner circle are of various kinds not found in the neighbourhood, as fine-grained greenstone, black horneblende, quartz, felspar, and chlorite.
Scattered over the plain are about 300 tumuli, or barrows, some of which have been opened, and found to contain charred human bones, with fragments of pottery and British and Roman ornaments and weapons; while within the enclosure, at the foot of the altar, have been found, on excavation, horns of stags, oxen, and other animals, intermixed with burnt wood and fragments of Roman and coarse British pottery."
"SWANBOROUGH, a hundred in county Wilts, contains the parishes of Allcannings, Alton-Barnes, Beeching Stoke, Charlton, Churton, Great and Little Cheverell, Hewish, East Lavington, Manningford-Abbots and Bruce, Marden, North Newnton, Rushall, St. Bernard Stanton, Upavon, Urchfont, Wilcott, Wilsford, Woodborough, and part of Imber, comprising an area of 47,310 acres."
"UNDERDITCH, a hundred, county Wilts, contains Salisbury, and the parishes of Stratford-under-the-Castle, Wilsford, and Woodford, comprising an area of 6,180 acres."
"WARMINSTER, a hundred, county Wilts, contains the parishes of Bishopstrow, Corsley, Denton, Fisherton-de-la-Mere, Norton-Bavant, Upper Portwood, Sutton Veney, Teffont Magna, Upton Scudamore, and Warminster; comprising an area of 25,170 acres."
"WHORWELSDOWN, a hundred in county Wilts, contains the borough of Marlborough, and the parishes of Ashton Steeple, North Bradley, East Coulston, St. Mary and St. Peter Marlborough, and part of Keevil; comprising 18,440 acres, exclusive of Marlborough."
"WILLEY, a river, county Wilts, rises above Warminster, and after receiving the tributary streams of the Deverill and Nadder, joins the Avon at Salisbury."
"WINKELBURY, a lofty hill on the Downs, county Wilts, near Cranbourn Chase. On its summit, 941 feet above sea level, is an ancient camp of 12½ acres."