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In 1887, John Bartholomew's Gazetteer of the British Isles described Wilton like this:
Wilton.-- market town and par. with ry. sta., Wilts, on river Wiley, 2½ miles NW. of Salisbury, 1852 ac., pop. 1826; P.O., T.O., 1 Bank. Market-day, Wednesday. The entire parish forms a local government district. Wilton has been celebrated for its carpets since the time of Elizabeth. ...
It takes its name from its position on the Wiley, and gives name to the county, Wilts. It was the capital of Wessex, had an abbey of about 800 (the site of which is now occupied by Wilton House, seat of the Earl of Pembroke), and was the seat of a diocese from 906 until 1050. It was a borough by prescription, first chartered by Henry I. It returned 2 members to Parliament from Edward I. until 1832, and 1 member from 1832 (when its parliamentary limits were extended) until 1885.
Wilton is now part of WILTSHIRE Unitary Authority. Click here for graphs and data of how WILTSHIRE has changed over two centuries. For statistics about Wilton itself, go to Statistics.
How to reference this page:
GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth, History of Wilton in Wiltshire | Map and description, A Vision of Ireland through Time.
URL: https://www.visionofireland.org/place/143
Date accessed: 22nd January 2026
Click here for more detailed advice on finding places within A Vision of Ireland through Time, and maybe some references to other places called "Wilton".
