West Lavington, Wiltshire

Description
Lavington, West, a village and a parish in Wilts. The village stands under the Ridge Way, 1 mile SW of Market Lavington, and 6 1/2 miles S by W of Devizes station on the G.W.R. It suffered much from a fire in 1689, is still a considerable place, and has a post office under Devizes; money order office, Littleton Pannell; telegraph office, Market Lavington. The parish contains also the tithing of Littleton Pannell, and is sometimes called Bishops Lavington. It comprises 5906 acres; population of the civil parish, 1088; of the ecclesiastical, 1093. A seat of the Danvers family was here, passed to the Dauntseys and the Montagues, and was sold to the late Duke of Marlborough. A considerable area is disposed in market gardens, for sending produce to Salisbury and Bath. Tumuli and traces of ancient camps are on the downs. The living is a vicarage in the diocese of Salisbury; gross value, £360 with residence. Patron, the Bishop of Salisbury. The church is good, has an embattled tower, and contains monuments of the Danverses, and a brass of 1550. There are an endowed school, alms-houses for ten persons, and other charities, also a Baptist chapel. At Littleton a large agricultural college was erected in 1894-95.