the site to Larkhill Camp, further north. The airfield's six hangars and other buildings were removed and the railway was dismantled, but a water tower, engine shed and workshop survive. Parish church There was a church in the mid 12th century, and by c.1191 it was dedicated to St James. It was appropriated in 1406 or 1407 by Mottisfont Priory (Hampshire). The flint and limestone building, described by Orbach as an "endearing church of disparate parts", was designated as Grade I listed in 1960. Its oldest feature is the Norman (12th-century) north doorway, flanked by columns, with shallow decoration to the lintel and chevron carving in the arch. The tympanum has undecorated blocks, as if some painted or carved decoration is missing. The chancel with its lancet windows is mid-13th century, although the chancel arch and tower arch are probably a century later. The early north chapel was rebuilt in the 15th century, and around then or in the next century, work to the nave included the addition of a clerestory and a south porch, and the rebuilding of the south chapel. The squat west tower fell c.1655 and was rebuilt in 1670, in a plain style similar to Stapleford. The church was restored in 1871; the chancel roof was replaced and the three-bay nave roof, probably 16th-century, was restored. The font, a plain cylindrical bowl, is 12th-century. The 15th-century stone pulpit is a rare survival. The four bells are from the 17th and 18th centuries and are said to be unringable. The benefice was united with that of Stapleford in 1924, and in 1992 the parish became part of the Lower Wylye and Till Valley benefice, which today covers eight rural churches. Local government The civil parish does not elect a parish council. Instead the first tier of local government is a parish meeting, which all electors are entitled to attend. The parish is in the area of Wiltshire Council unitary authority, which is responsible for all significant local government functions. Amenities The village has a pub, the Boot Inn, which is a 17th-century building altered in the 1890s. A National School was built north-west of the church in 1856 and was in use until 1936 when a new school was built in Stapleford parish to serve both parishes; this school closed in 1992. References External links Villages in Wiltshire Civil parishes in Wiltshire