Just a couple of miles from Stonehenge stands this strange old water tower beside the fast A360 Devizes to Salisbury road.


Water Tower beside A360

It's one of those places that I've often driven past and wondered about - rather like the Spa house in Melksham (see Melkshamspa) where we now live.

Speaking with the gentleman who lives in one of the houses nearby, I learned that the water tower and the pump room that's beside it were there for the light railway that ran from here to Chilmark a few miles to the south west. He told me that there was a first world war airfield just behind the trees, and then during the second world war another airfield just across the road and up a short distance.

You can see some of my photos here - and a couple more pictures of the area just below - but I found myself doubtful about this version of the history of the area; there are a couple of references to an ammunition railway at RAF Chilmark, but that's away across the other side of the Wyle Valley, and a closure date of 1995 I have seen for that feels far too recent. Any clues, anyone? If so, please email me - graham@wellho.net

Map locator - Druids_Lodge

(Name to be filled in when I have permission) who writes:

The railway line at Druid Lodge was the last stop on the on the Larkhill Military Light Railway. Open sometime around the First World War and closed in the 1920s, and it ran from just outside Amesbury where it joined the Amesbury-Bulford line to Larkhill them carried on west to Fargo Woods Military Hospital then south to Druids Lodge.

I found your item while trying find out more on the LMLY. As far as I can find out one of the locomotives may still remain, last known being restored. There are very few photos I have seen, there is one Druids Lodge Airfield showing the tented camp

and the lack of apparently recent remains makes me favour the 1920 rather than 1995 date too.

I was also informed [occupier - Chilmark version] that the big barn-like building was formerly used as an engine shed.


Former engine shed?



If you go down to the woods today ...


Salisbury Plain, near Druid's Lodge


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