the local people new skills. Carpet weaving prospered until 1815, when peace following the Napoleonic Wars introduced European competition. Machinery to produce Axminster carpets was installed in 1835. The Wilton Royal Carpet Factory was founded at the turn of the century, with the help of the then Lord Pembroke, to rescue the previous carpet factory that had fallen into financial difficulty. The factory continued to operate until 1995, when it closed temporarily after a takeover. The factory re-opened, although it was unable to retain the Wilton Royal prefix. Military connections The headquarters of Land Forces (and predecessors) was at Erskine Barracks, northeast of Wilton, from 1949 to 2010. After the headquarters moved to Marlborough Lines near Andover the site was sold for housing. Governance The boundaries of the modern civil parish originate with the Borough of Wilton, defined in 1885. The parish includes the villages of Bulbridge and Ditchampton. In 1894 Wilton absorbed the western part of the neighbouring parish of Fugglestone St Peter, the rest going into a new parish of Bemerton. The parish elects a town council. It is in the area of Wiltshire Council unitary authority, which is responsible for all significant local government functions. As of 2021, Wilton is in the 'Wilton' electoral division, which also includes nearby Quidhampton and Netherhampton. The total division population taken at the 2011 census was 4,806. Parish church The Grade I listed Church of St Mary and St Nicholas was built as a replacement for St Mary's Church between 1841 and 1844 at the instigation of Catherine Herbert, Countess of Pembroke (the daughter of Semyon Vorontsov, Russian ambassador to Britain) and her younger son Sidney Herbert. It was designed by the architect Thomas Henry Wyatt in Romanesque Revival style, with considerable Byzantine influences. For a small town, the church is enormous, representing the wealth of its benefactors. The church has a campanile. Many of the materials used in the church's construction were imported from continental Europe, including marble columns from Italy and 12th and 13th century stained glass from France. Bordering areas Notable people Dudley Cockle (1907–1986), cricketer Edith Olivier (1872–1948), first woman mayor of Wilton, writer Sydney Olivier (1870–1932), cricketer Edward Slow (1841–1925), poet and carriage builder A. G. Street, country author, farmed at Ditchampton Farm References External links Wilton Town Council Historic Wilton photos at BBC Wiltshire Towns in Wiltshire Civil parishes in Wiltshire British rugs and carpets