In Marston, listed buildings, old paths and traces of rural land use tell different parts of the village’s history. Christ Church and a former inn stand alongside clues to its connections with Worton, local water sources and brick construction. These details offer different starting points for discovering the character of the village.
Church and architectural history
Christ Church is a Grade II listed Anglican parish church. Wyatt and Brandon built it in 1841; the church serves the families of Worton and Marston in Wiltshire. The £1,200 needed for its construction was raised mainly through subscriptions. The year it was built, its architects and its funding offer specific insights into the building’s origins and the resources that made it possible.
The Plough is also a Grade II listed building. It dates from the 17th century and formerly served as an inn. Comparing it with Christ Church draws attention to two different building histories: a parish church built in the 19th century and a 17th-century building that formerly served as an inn.
Paths between Marston and Worton
The connections between Marston and Worton have a long history. In 1740, Raw Bridge, the bridge between the two villages, was in disrepair and dangerous for travellers. By June 1899, Horse Road was the main route between Worton and Marston. These two details place the villages’ history in context without describing the same route: one concerns the condition of the bridge, the other the importance of Horse Road.
A footpath to Plough Lane connects Christ Church directly with Marston. In Marston, footpaths, bridleways and minor roads can be explored using the Rights of Way Explorer linked by the Parish Council. Check path conditions locally before choosing a route. This lets you plan according to the conditions, rather than infer a particular route or walking time from the mere range of path types.
Water, land and village history
A ditch historically known as “le gripp” ran from Marston to Bulkington. The Grip is described as an important water source in Marston in the 1920s, when water was drawn there. The two place names preserve different clues about water and the landscape: the course of the ditch and the Grip’s use as a water source at the time.
The construction of many older houses also reflects the local environment. Most houses built in Marston before the end of the 19th century were made from bricks produced from local clay. Most of these bricks are thought to have come from brickworks on the outskirts of Worton or near Stoke’s Marsh in Coulston. Historical land-use records list 525 acres of meadowland and 320 acres of arable land in Marston.
Marston was known as “Marston in the Mud” because the paths became very muddy: seven herds of cows were driven between farm and field four times a day. The nickname connects a specific everyday activity with the condition of the paths, adding another facet to the village’s agricultural and land-use history.
Planning your visit
The Faresaver 76 bus to Devizes stops at the bus stop on The Green in Marston in the morning; the return journey is in the early afternoon. Check the service times before travelling. Together with the footpath to Plough Lane and information on footpaths, bridleways and minor roads available through the Rights of Way Explorer, this offers several ways to explore Marston’s paths and surroundings.
Discover more destinations: Trowbridge, Lyneham, Temple, Salisbury, Crudwell, Devizes, Shaw, Christian Malford.
Return to the main travel overview: Wiltshire.
