Highworth Histories

Highworth, the highest town in Wiltshire at 133 meters, is an ancient hilltop market town with a 4,000-year history of occupation. Granted a market charter in 1206 (later 1262), it became a major cattle market by the 17th century. A key Royalist stronghold, it was captured by Parliamentarian Sir Thomas Fairfax in 1645, a cannonball mark is still visible on St. Michael’s Church. In the 19th century, the expansion of the Great Western Railway in nearby Swindon caused Highworth’s population to drop from a peak of 4,000 in 1841 to around 2,000 in the 1920s, this stagnation preserved many of its Georgian buildings. During World War II, the town was crucial to the British Resistance Movement. It remains a distinct, preserved market town just north of Swindon. It is certainly a Town with a fascinating past, and in keeping with this, there is a thriving Historical Society dedicated to preserving our archives and educating residents and visitors alike about our history …

At the Visit Highworth Centre on the High Street you can discover more in the Museum housed in the old bank vault, perhaps pick up one of the Highworth Historical Society books on sale on our shop.