Stratford-sub-Castle
Stratford-sub-Castle in Wiltshire, England was anciently a separate village [1] and civil parish but since 1954 has been a northern suburb of the city of Salisbury. At approximately 170 ft above sea level, it is dominated to the east by the remains of an Iron Age Hill Fort within the boundaries of which a Norman castle was built. This now ruined castle led to the village taking the name Stratford-under-Castle,[2] later changing to Stratford sub Castle. Stratford lies south-west of the abandoned medieval settlement of Old Sarum which was also built within the area of the hill fort. It is approximately twenty one miles from Southampton.
Stratford is within the current city boundaries. Inside the modern Stratford-sub-castle there is a primary school, the church, and of course some houses. The nearest secondary school to the village is South Wilts Grammar School for Girls, situated a five-minute walk away.
The oldest building in the area is the Church of St Lawrence. Dating back to the 13th century, it was restored by Thomas Pitt in 1711 and is still used as a church today. Before his conversion to Roman Catholicism, the hymnist Edward Caswall served as its curate.
Stratford-sub-Castle cannot expand to the east or the west, being bounded by Old Sarum on one side and the River Avon on the other: it has thus become a linear settlement.
References
External links
Media related to Stratford-sub-Castle at Wikimedia Commons
- Village website
- Further details, concentrating on its history
- Map sources for Stratford-sub-Castle
Coordinates: 51°05′01″N 1°48′16″W / 51.08355°N 1.80436°W