Idmiston

The Port Way, a Roman road towards Sorviodunum (Old Sarum), followed the Bourne valley and passed close to the present settlements.{{cite book|last1=Codrington|first1=Thomas|title=Roman Roads in Britain|date=1903|publisher=The Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge|location=London|page=302|url=https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Gazetteer/Periods/Roman/Topics/Engineering/roads/Britain/_Texts/CODROM/9*.html#p302|access-date=19 December 2015}}

The Domesday survey in 1086 recorded 15 households at Eunestetone (Idmiston), on land held by Glastonbury Abbey;{{OpenDomesday|SU1937|idmiston|Idmiston}} and eight at Poertone or Portone, on land held by Edward of Salisbury and Wulfric the hunter.{{OpenDomesday|SU1936|porton|Porton}}

Idmiston Manor is a house from c. 1600 with 17th-century interior features{{National Heritage List for England|num=1355682|desc=Idmiston Manor|access-date=17 December 2015}} and an arched gateway from the same period;{{National Heritage List for England|num=Idmiston|desc=Front gateway to Idmiston Manor and abutting walls|access-date=17 December 2015|fewer-links=yes}} both house and gateway are Grade II* listed. The Old Rectory, opposite the church, also dates from the early 17th century and is also Grade II*.{{National Heritage List for England|num=1135690|desc=Old Rectory|access-date=17 December 2015|fewer-links=yes}}

A small grass-runway aerodrome was opened in 1917 on farmland at Boscombe Down in the north of the parish for the Royal Flying Corps, and continued in use until 1920.{{Cite web |last= |date=2011-04-28 |title=MoD Boscombe Down: 1917–2007 |url=https://boscombedownraes.org/mod-boscombe-down-1917-2007/ |access-date=2022-09-25 |website=RAeS Boscombe Down Branch |language=en-GB}} The site was reopened and enlarged to form RAF Boscombe Down in 1930, then repurposed in 1939 as an aircraft research and testing station. The first hard runway was built in 1945. Now called MoD Boscombe Down and extending into Amesbury and Allington parishes, its research and testing role continues.

The Grade I listed All Saints Church, Idmiston was built in the 12th century as the parish church.{{National Heritage List for England |num=1023956 |desc=Church of All Saints |access-date=19 September 2022 |fewer-links=yes}} In 1977 it was declared redundant, and St Nicholas' at Porton became the parish church;{{London Gazette

| issue = 47187

| date = 1 April 1977

| page = 4501

}} All Saints is now in the care of the Churches Conservation Trust.{{cite web|title=All Saints, Idmiston|url=https://www.visitchurches.org.uk/visit/church-listing/all-saints-idmiston.html|publisher=Churches Conservation Trust|access-date=19 September 2022}}

In 1977, the name of the ecclesiastical parish was 'Idmiston with Porton and Gomeldon'. Today the parish of 'St Nicholas Porton and District' is within the area of the Bourne Valley benefice, a group of six rural parishes.{{Cite web |title=Bourne Valley Churches |url=https://www.bournevalleychurches.org.uk/ |access-date=2022-09-25 |website= |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Porton: St Nicholas |url=https://www.achurchnearyou.com/church/9476/more-information/ |access-date=25 September 2022 |website=A Church Near You |publisher=The Archbishops' Council}}

In 1857, the London and South Western Railway company opened its line from Andover to Milford station at Salisbury, following the Bourne valley through the parish. There was a station at Porton from the beginning; between 1943 and 1968 a halt at Idmiston served Porton Down military camp.{{cite book|last1=Oakley|first1=Mike|title=Wiltshire Railway Stations|date=2004|publisher=The Dovecote Press|location=Wimborne|isbn=1904349331|page=72}} The railway remains in use as part of the West of England Main Line but there are no local stations.

There are two primary schools in the parish. St Nicholas' CofE (VA) Primary School was built in 1972 between Idmiston and Porton. Idmiston village had its own school from 1833, replaced by a new building in 1869, opposite the church; it closed after the new school was opened to cater for the increased local population.{{cite web|website=Wiltshire Community History|title=Idmiston C. of E. Aided Primary School|url=https://apps.wiltshire.gov.uk/communityhistory/School/Details/1034|publisher=Wiltshire Council|access-date=17 December 2015}} The second school is at Gomeldon, built in 1912 and later extended, then modernised in 1972.{{cite web|title=Gomeldon Primary School, Idmiston|url=https://apps.wiltshire.gov.uk/communityhistory/School/Details/1030|access-date=12 February 2021|website=Wiltshire Community History|publisher=Wiltshire Council}}

John Bowle (1725–1788), known for his scholarly annotated edition of Don Quixote, was vicar of Idmiston for some years until his death.{{alox2|title=Bowle, John (1)}}

{{Reflist}}

• [https://idmiston-pc.gov.uk/ Idmiston Parish Council]
• {{cite web|website=Wiltshire Community History|title=Idmiston|url=https://apps.wiltshire.gov.uk/communityhistory/Community/Index/124|publisher=Wiltshire Council|access-date=15 December 2015}}

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Category:Civil parishes in Wiltshire

Category:Villages in Wiltshire