The landlocked county of Wiltshire is set in some of the most beautiful and unspoilt rural territory in England. It has a long history in both human and natural history terms. The name Wiltshire is taken from its original county town Wilton (the county originally being known as Wiltonshire).
Wiltshire has been a rich hunting ground for archaeologists, with findings from settlements made by Mesolithic, Neolithic and Bronze Age peoples. In Avebury and Stonehenge , Wiltshire possesses two of the most famous Neolithic sites in the United Kingdom if not the world. Of the two sites Avebury is considerably the larger, consisting of a very large stone circle with two smaller ones contained within. It is the largest prehistoric stone circle in the world and also at the site is a huge man made ditch which is believed to predate the stones. Many of the stones have been removed, particularly in medieval times for building or fear of the pagan rituals that may once have taken place on the site. Today the site is probably considered more important than Stonehenge by many followers of the faiths of Paganism, Wicca, Druidry and Heathenry. The summer solstice is drawing increasingly larger and larger crowds to Avebury. Stonehenge is, of course, better known to the tourists. The impressive stone monument dates from around 2500BC and has always been a major draw for visitors. The circular earth bank and ditch are believed to date from around 3100BC. Indeed evidence uncovered during excavations has shown that the site was constructed in numerous phases, spanning at least 3,000 years. In more modern times Stonehenge has been the site of a very famous music festival. It has also been the site of neo-druidic rituals, with recreated druidic practices having taken place at the summer solstice since about 1905. These druidic rituals date from the Iron Age, so are far removed from the original rituals that would have taken place from much earlier cultures. Over sixty percent of the land in Wiltshire is chalk based. This has led to the creation of another famous landmark, the Cherhill White Horse, on a hillside visible from the village of Cherhill. Although a small county, Wiltshire offers much to the visitor. The beautiful city of Salisbury is the only city in Wiltshire and it attracts large numbers of tourists each year, many of whom will also visit nearby Stonehenge. Salisbury Cathedral is a local landmark visible from some distance as you approach the city. In 2008 it celebrated the 750th anniversary of its dedication. Many events were organised for this celebration. Salisbury is also part of Wiltshire's contribution to Hardy Country , known as Melchester in Hardy's novels. The town of Bradford on Avon is another popular spot in Wiltshire. It has many attractions for the large number of tourists that visit each year. These include canals, shops and historic buildings. The town is Roman in origin and contains many 17th century buildings dating from the time when the growth of the town was fuelled by the wool industry. Swindon is one of the few really urban areas of Wiltshire and also provides the only professional football team in the county. Wilton, the former county town of Wiltshire was also very important in terms of the whole kingdom of Wessex and is known to have been the capital of a section of the kingdom of Wessex. Although somewhat overshadowed by its near neighbour Salisbury, Wilton still attracts many visitors, especially to its major attraction Wilton House . Originally an Anglo Saxon town, Wilton and the surrounding areas were the scene of many important and decisive battles between King Alfred and the Danes. It is also famous for its carpets which are a product of the wool that once dominated the county economy. Longleat is another of Wiltshire's very famous attractions. The magnificent Longleat House and Longleat Safari Park, famous for the Lions of Longleat, have been attracting numerous visitors for many years. Longleat featured on the popular BBC television programme Animal Park. Home to the eccentric 7th Marquess of Bath, Longleat House is considered to be one of the finest examples of High Elizabethan architecture left in Britain. The Safari Park houses a huge variety of animals from large to small and was the first drive through Safari Park outside of Africa.