Wilton is a town and civil parish in Wiltshire, England, with a rich heritage dating back to the Anglo-Saxons. It lies about west of the city of Salisbury, and until 1889 was the county town of Wiltshire. Carpets have been manufactured at Wilton since the 18th century. The town is home to Wilton House and has a large Romanesque parish church. The rivers Wylye and Nadder meet at Wilton. History The history of Wilton dates back to the Anglo-Saxons in the 8th century, and by the late 9th century it was the capital of Wiltunscire, a shire of the Kingdom of Wessex. It remained the administrative centre of Wiltshire until the 11th century. Wilton was of significant importance to the church, with the founding of Wilton Abbey in 771 amongst other establishments. In 871 Alfred the Great fought and lost an important battle here against the Danish armies, leaving him in retreat for several years. Despite further attacks, Wilton remained a prosperous town, as recorded in the 11th-century Domesday Book. The building of Salisbury Cathedral nearby, however, caused Wilton's decline, as the new site of Salisbury, with a new bridge over the River Avon, provided a convenient bypass around Wilton on the trade routes. Wilton Abbey was surrendered to Henry VIII in 1539 during the Dissolution of the Monasteries, and in 1541 much of the estate was granted to William Herbert, 1st Earl of Pembroke, who began to build Wilton House. An outbreak of smallpox in 1737 killed 132 people. The Old Town Hall was completed in 1738. Wilton had two railway stations. One (later known as ) was opened by the Great Western Railway in 1856 on their line from Westbury to Salisbury, and another (later known as ) was opened by the Salisbury and Yeovil Railway in 1859 on the West of England Main Line from London to Exeter. The arrival of the railways led to increased prosperity. The stations closed in 1955 and 1966 respectively; the nearest is now at . On the formation of Wiltshire County Council in 1889, Wilton lost its role as county town to Trowbridge, which could be more easily reached by rail from all parts of the county. Economy By the 17th century, weaving had become a busy trade, and the carpet industry began in 1741 when two French weavers were brought in by Henry Herbert, 9th Earl of Pembroke to teach