Wiltshire is a lovely and historical village in Southwest England. Two famous sites come to mind when you visit the area. They are Stonehenge and The Avebury Circles. Wiltshire is steeped in history, some of which will be covered in this article. Along with the famed information of the region, we hope to share with you information that is not widely known.
A Bit Lucky
To understand life in Wiltshire, you have to know its people. Wiltshire is the kind of town where neighbors help each other, people take pride in their heritage, and a few folks have gotten rich. This is where you can play the Irish Lotto and be in good company.
On May 19th, a couple from the Gloucester area won a record-breaking £184,262,899.10 playing EuroMillions. This huge win makes Joe & Jess Thwaite the become the UK’s biggest-ever National Lottery winners. Other wins have been known in the area.
In December, a Wiltshire man who identifies himself as Mr. G won £51,956,30 playing the EuroMillions lottery. In the spring of 2022, Sandy Doyle from Salisbury bought two scratch cards. To her surprise, one of the cards was worth £10, and the other was worth £1million.
Millions of people play EuroMillions weekly. Many play online at quality sites like Lottoland. Lottoland is a fixed-odds betting site where you bet on the results of national lotteries. Because they are a fixed-odds site, they offer dozens of lotteries in more than 30 countries. EuroMillions is one of the most popular. More than 8-million people are players of the Irish Lottery. When the Lottoland numbers are added, the rise is significant.
Stonehenge Mystery
Very few people in the world would not recognize the photographs of Stonehenge. People have been baffled for centuries about how this stone circle of rocks was made. The stones weigh from the smallest, about 3,600kg, to the bigger sarsen stones, each weighing a whopping 22 tons. Stonehenge is estimated to be more than 4,000 years old. It is unexplainable how the people of that era could have carved, moved, and stacked the circle. We do not know of any tools they would have used to accomplish this. Stonehenge is a must-see adventure if you holiday anywhere near.
Interesting Historical facts that you may not know
- Amesbury is known to be linked to the Arthurian legend. The legend explains that Guinevere retired to the convent at Amesbury after leaving Arthur. It is speculated that she is buried on the grounds of the former Abbey.
- In North Bradley parish, Scotland and Ireland are only .5 miles apart. allows visitors to visit both countries on the same day.
- Oxygen was discovered in Wiltshire. Joseph Priestley discovered oxygen in 1772 while at Bowood House. He was a teacher for the sons of the Earl of Shelbourne and their librarian. He was provided a small room off the library which he used as a laboratory and made his important discovery.
- During the filming of the 1968 Doctor Dolittle film in Castle Combe, Sir Ranulph Fiennes became enraged because the filmmakers’ were trying to enlarge a pond for a scene in the movie. A member of the SAS at the time, Fiennes set charges in the dam they had built in an attempt to destroy it. He did this using Army explosives. He faced dismissal from the regiment and was required to pay £500.
- In Lacock, in December 1981 temperatures fell to a low -18.2 º C. This is the coldest temperature recorded in history for the area.
- George Washington’s family crest was used as the basis for the US flag which originates in Garsdon, near Malmesbury. George Washington was the first President of the United States. A mural monument was created in a tiny parish church in the 1680s by Sir Lawrence Washington. Today It is fully restored and sits in the original location on the north wall of the Chancel. The majority of the stonework has survived the ages. This includes the (repainted) Washington coat of arms The coat of arms is depicted by the family crest of an eagle rising, and is once again painted in red, white, and blue.
- The mud springs of Royal Wootton Bassett in Wiltshire are amazingly unusual. The natural phenomenon disgorges exquisite fossils. Unfortunately, they also release a gray ooze unique to that location. This is the only mud-spring with these features known in the world.
- The spire of Malmesbury Abbey is famous. It was once more than 30ft higher than Salisbury. Legend has it that in the 16th century, the water in the masonry on which the spire stood turned into steam due to a strike of lightning. The stone exploded bringing the spire down, and the grand golden ball on the pinnacle fell into the High Street about halfway down where the George Inn stood.
- It is believed that Avebury Stone Circle dates back to 2800 BC. Originally, there was over 500 stones making up the original stone circle. The avenue of stones, and the circle’s circumference is almost a mile in length.
Wiltshire has a fascinating past, and it is an awesome place to live today. When you visit, allow plenty of time. You won’t be able to experience everything in a few days. This year is a great time to plan your adventure.
Source: Visitwiltshire.co.uk