Wiltshire

Wiltshire (wĭlt`shĭr, –shər) or Wilts, county (1991 pop. 553,300), 1,345 sq mi (3,484 sq km), S central England. The county seat is Salisbury. More than half of Wiltshire is occupied by the chalky Salisbury Plain and by the Marlborough Downs. Primarily an agricultural county, Wiltshire affords large areas for sheep grazing in the uplands, and the fertile valleys of the Lower Avon, the East Avon, and the Kennet rivers have extensive dairy farming. Pigs are also raised and grains cultivated. Textiles, metal products, processed foods, farm machinery, and electrical goods are manufactured. Swindon, the leading industrial center, is known for its locomotive works. The county is rich in historical associations. At Stonehenge, Avebury, and Silbury Hill are the largest and oldest monuments of the early British, dating back 4,000 years. Old Sarum was a bishopric until the 13th cent., when the office was transferred to Salisbury, famous since then for its cathedral. Wilton, known for its carpets, was once the capital of the powerful Saxon kingdom of Wessex, where in the 9th cent. many of King Alfred's battles against the Danes were fought. His grandson, Athelstan, is buried at Malmesbury Abbey, and according to legend, Queen Guinevere spent her last days in the nunnery at Amesbury. Notable Wiltshire residents of the past include Joseph Addison, John Dryden, John Gay, George Herbert, and Christopher Wren.

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Wiltshire

Administrative (pop., 2001: 432,973), geographic, and historic county, southern England. It is located in a watershed separating the basins of the Bristol Channel, the English Channel, and the River Thames; its administrative centre is Trowbridge. Chalk uplands constitute much of the county, and in prehistoric times they were the most heavily populated parts of England; Wiltshire has many prehistoric monuments, including Stonehenge and Iron Age hill forts. The town of Salisbury, long an ecclesiastical centre, is renowned for its cathedral. There is an industrial centre at Swindon; otherwise, agriculture is the most important economic activity.

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Wiltshire

a county of S England, consisting mainly of chalk uplands, with Salisbury Plain in the south and the Marlborough Downs in the north; prehistoric remains (at Stonehenge and Avebury): the geographical and ceremonial county includes Swindon unitary authority (established in 1997). Administrative centre: Trowbridge. Pop. (excluding Swindon): 440 800 (2003 est.). Area (excluding Swindon): 3481 sq. km (1344 sq. miles)