ðə vˈɪlɪdʒ fˈɜːst ɐpˈɪɹz ɪn ɹˈaɪɾɪŋ ɪn ˌeɪdˈiː sˈɪkshˈʌndɹɪd ˈeɪɾi fˈaɪv, ɪn ɐ tʃˈɑːɹɾɚ kənfˈɜːmɪŋ ɐ ɡˈɪft ʌv fˈoːɹɾi hˈaɪdz ʌv lˈænd baɪ kˈɪŋ ˈɛθɛlɹɪdz nˈɛfjuː bˈɜːtwəld tə sənt ˈɔːldhɛlm, fˈɜːst ˈæbət ʌv mˈælmzbɛɹi.
The village first appears in writing in AD 685, in a charter confirming a gift of 40 hides of land by King Ethelred's nephew Bertwald to St Aldhelm, first abbot of Malmesbury.