Wiltshire contains a remarkable collection of historic buildings, some of which are of national interest. At one end of the scale are the grand country houses such as Bowood, Longleat and Wilton, and the ecclesiastical legacy of Salisbury Cathedral and Malmesbury Abbey, and at the other are the vernacular cottages of the Wiltshire countryside. In between is a wide range of buildings and structures covering some 600 years.
In early buildings there is a close link between the geology of an area and the use of building materials which makes Wiltshire a particularly interesting county.
Stone
In the north-west of the county is the Cotswold influence, predominantly stone with stone tile roofs. In buildings of the 18th and 19th centuries Bath stone becomes more evident especially in proximity to the quarries of Box, Corsham and Bradford on Avon.
Brick and Tile
Moving south and east stone gives way to brick and clay tile with many of the brick buildings of the Georgian period being of high quality.
Timber Frame
To the east and south of the county there is more extensive use of timber frame, often with thatch roofs in the rural areas and a wider choice of building materials in the urban settlements.
The development of canals and railways in the 19th century provided the opportunity for materials to be carried more easily with Welsh slate then much in evidence.
Chilmark Stone
In the south-west corner there are more stone buildings, this time sourced from the quarries in the Chilmark area.
In addition to the individual buildings there are many towns and villages where groups of buildings are of particular interest.This interest may come from the buildings themselves, the way in which they define attractive spaces such as a market place, street or village green, or by their contribution to the wider landscape view.
Buildings are listed for their architectural and historic interest but this does not mean to say that unlisted buildings have no such interest. It will often be the case that the buildings are of a relatively late date and therefore do not qualify as being “historic” or it may simply be that the buildings are typical of the period of their construction but are not identified as “special”. Many buildings are of interest although not listed and this can include buildings up to the present day.