demolished in 1975. In 1904 a new house was designed by Detmar Blow for Hugh Morrison on land to the east in the parish of Chilmark; at first known as Little Ridge, it was enlarged in 1921 and became known as Fonthill House. In 1972 it was replaced by a smaller house, still the seat of the Morrison family. As of 2013 the estate amounted to . Fonthill Abbey Fonthill Abbey was an enormous mansion southwest of the village, in the style of a medieval abbey. Built by William Beckford between 1796 and 1813, the rest of the building was damaged by the collapse of the main tower in 1825, and almost wholly demolished by 1845; a habitable fragment remains. The site is marked on maps as Old Fonthill Abbey. The western part of Beckford's estate was later acquired by the 2nd Marquess of Westminster, who had a new Fonthill Abbey built in 1846-52 (Pevsner) or 1856-59 (VCH), some 500 metres southeast of the site of Beckford's abbey. This mansion, designed by William Burn in Scottish Baronial style, was demolished in 1955. Local government The civil parish elects a parish council. It is in the area of Wiltshire Council unitary authority, which is responsible for all significant local government functions. In 1934 the northwest portion of the parish, about one-fifth of its area, was transferred to Hindon parish. References Sources External links Has images of the houses and abbeys. A Visit to Fonthill by Rictor Norton Villages in Wiltshire Civil parishes in Wiltshire