Highworth

Civil Parish in Wiltshire

England

Highworth

Church of St James, Sevenhampton Credit: AJD

Highworth is a civil parish located in the county of Wiltshire, England. It is situated in the northern part of the county, approximately 6 miles northeast of Swindon. The town lies on the edge of the Cotswold Hills, offering picturesque views of the surrounding countryside.

Highworth has a rich history dating back to Roman times, with evidence of settlements in the area. The town's name is derived from the Old English words 'heah' and 'worth', meaning 'high enclosure or farm'. It was once a market town and played a significant role in the wool trade during the medieval period.

Today, Highworth is a thriving community with a population of around 8,500 people. The town center is characterized by its historic buildings, including the 13th-century St. Michael's Church and the Old Manor House, which dates back to the 17th century.

The local economy is diverse, with a mix of independent shops, restaurants, and businesses. High Street, the main thoroughfare, is home to a range of shops catering to residents' needs. The town also benefits from good transport links, with easy access to the A419 road and proximity to Swindon, making it a popular choice for commuters.

Highworth is surrounded by beautiful countryside, making it an ideal location for outdoor enthusiasts. The nearby Cotswold Water Park offers a range of recreational activities, including water sports and walking trails. The town also hosts various events throughout the year, such as the Highworth Music Festival and the Highworth Carnival, attracting visitors from near and far.

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Highworth Images

Images are sourced within 2km of 51.628984/-1.703524 or Grid Reference SU2092. Thanks to Geograph Open Source API. All images are credited.

Church of St James, Sevenhampton

AJD

St. Michael's church, Highworth

Gareth James

Looking from Sheep Street towards St Michael, Highworth

Basher Eyre

St Michael, Highworth: churchyard

Basher Eyre

Inside St Michael, Highworth (a)

Basher Eyre

Inside St Michael, Highworth (b)

Basher Eyre

Inside St Michael, Highworth (c)

Basher Eyre

Inside St Michael, Highworth (d)

Basher Eyre

Sevenhampton: the city limits

Basher Eyre

Quack, quack: her we come

Downtown in Sevenhampton

Basher Eyre

Tennis courts at Highworth Rec

Gareth James

Cemetery chapel, Highworth: early September 2023

The Church of England was not keen on anyone else muscling in on the burial business. The times, however, were a-changing. In 1819 The Rosary Cemetery in Norwich opened as the first interdenominational cemetery in England allowing all to follow their own burial customs. The death knell, quite literally, for traditional overcrowded churchyards was Cholera: they had become a menace to public health. At first cemeteries tended to be in urban centres with fast-rising populations and were funded by private capital. However in 1837 St Bartholomew’s Cemetery in Exeter, opened as the first funded by public money. On 31 August 1848, the first Public Health Act received the Royal Assent and from 1852 to 1857 a series of Burial Acts were passed. In came the modern funeral director, but still people wanted change. In 1874 The Cremation Society was founded: the first legal cremation was at Woking. The first municipal crematorium was opened at Hull in 1901 and by 2017 77% of burials were cremations.

Basher Eyre

Highworth Cemetery on a glorious late summer afternoon (A)

Basher Eyre

Highworth Cemetery on a glorious late summer afternoon (B)

The two Commonwealth War Graves you can see are *Bombardier F.G. Ackling Link

*Private W.T.E Alexander Link

Basher Eyre

Highworth station, 1950

View eastward to the buffer-stops of the terminus of the ex-GWR branch from Swindon (Highworth Junction), closed to passengers 2/3/53, to goods 6/8/62. (See also my SU1992 : Rail Tour at Highworth with a GW Dock Tank).

Walter Dendy, deceased

Highworth: Wrde Hill sign

This might pass as a pronounceable word in Welsh, but it does look rather out of place in a Wiltshire suburb. The explanation is that Highworth was 'Wrde' in the Domesday Book - presumably morphing into the 'worth' bit of the present-day name.

Chris Downer

Highworth Telephone Exchange, Wilts

Situated in Station Road, this TE is of a standard design dating from the early 1970s. It has the code SSHGH and serves 3,708 residential and 164 non-residential premises in Highworth, plus Coleshill, Hannington and Sevenhampton nearby. BT Openreach vehicles can be seen parked in front of this TE. The numbering range of this TE is (01793) 76xxxx, the (01793) referring to the fifteen TEs in the Swindon group, and its postcode is SN6 7DJ.

David Hillas

Highworth railway station (site), Wiltshire

Opened in 1883 by the Great Western Railway as the terminus of a branch line from Swindon, this station closed to passengers in 1953 and completely in 1962. View south west towards Hannington and Swindon, from a similar viewpoint to SU1992 : Highworth station, 1950. The road known as Windrush appears to follow the track of the former railway at this point. No trace of the former station appears to remain here but the station sign does - see SU2093 : The station sign from the former Highworth railway station.

Nigel Thompson

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Highworth is located at Grid Ref: SU2092 (Lat: 51.628984, Lng: -1.703524)

Unitary Authority: Swindon

Police Authority: Wiltshire