anti-tank trench also ran, between Ballards Ash near Royal Wootton Bassett and the River Ray near Blunsdon railway station. RAF Blakehill Farm, north of Purton Stoke, was a RAF Transport Command station that operated from 1944 until 1946; its site, mostly in Cricklade parish, has returned to farmland. United States troops were stationed in Braydon Wood, and attended dances at the Angel Hotel. Anti-tank devices (chains across the road, set in concrete blocks) were installed on the parish boundary across Tadpole Bridge that spans the River Ray. The Cenotaph on Purton High Street is a memorial to those who died in both world wars. Local studies Volume 18 of the Wiltshire Victoria County History, published in 2011, covers Purton. Governance Purton Parish Council is the first tier of local government and is responsible for public open spaces, footpaths, and the upkeep of the cemetery; the council is a consultee on planning applications within the parish. All other local services are provided by the Wiltshire Council unitary authority. For Westminster elections, the parish falls within the North Wiltshire constituency. Purton electoral ward covers the parishes of Purton and Braydon. The population of the ward taken at the 2011 census was 4,271. Geography The River Key, a tributary of the Thames, crosses the parish near Purton Stoke. The village is a linear settlement along the old road between the historic market towns of Cricklade, to the north, and Royal Wootton Bassett, to the south. It is now on a minor road, from junction 16 of the M4 motorway. The village is on the brow of a hill, with views across to Cricklade and the Thames floodplain. Nearby, the area once covered by Braydon Forest stretches out to Minety in the west. Ridgeway Farm, a 700-house development of the early 21st century which extends Swindon's western suburbs, is in the east of the parish. Religious sites The Church of England parish church of St Mary the Virgin appears at one time to have been dedicated to Saint Nicholas. The building is from the 13th, 14th and 15th centuries and was restored by William Butterfield in 1872. In 1955 it was designated as Grade I listed. There was a Friends' meeting house at Purton Stoke during the late 17th century and early 18th century. There was a Congregational chapel, licensed in 1829, where the Scout Hut is now in Purton High Street. Congregational use