Things to do in Castle Combe, Wiltshire
The tranquil village setting was used in the 1960s for the filming of Dr Doolittle by 20th Century Fox and more recently in Spielberg's War Horse.
The By Brook supplied water for washing the fleeces and driving the primitive machines for fulling the wool. At that time the village was owned by Sir John Fastolf, a knight and lord of the manor.
The industry began to decline when the flow of the brook diminished and by the 19th century the production was carried out in larger, more industrial towns.
The castle was built originally as a Roman fort and was replaced by the Normans in 1135 with a stone-built structure.
By the 14th century it had fallen into neglect and the valuable dressed stone was carried off and used for building local housing.
To the south-west of the castle the Manor House was built in the 14th century.
It was dramatically upgraded in Victorian times and is now a beautiful stately home with a gabled roofline, tall chimneys and turrets.
Present Day Castle Combe
Castle Combe is the archetypal English country village with stone cottages lining the gently curving downhill street from the main car park above. Many of the properties are ancient monuments.
The covered Market Cross dates back to well before 1590. Nearby is a mounting block for getting onto horses, and the remains of a buttercross.
Things to Do Around Castle Combe
Castle Combe is the home of a famous motor racing circuit, Castle Combe Circuit which hosts many track days and racing events throughout the year on the former RAF airfield.
[10The Manor House Golf Club has an 18-hole par 72 golf course with a course length of 6,500 yards. It is one of the most challenging in the south of England with spectacular scenery.
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Days Out in Castle Combe
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Castle Combe Circuit (1 Mile)*
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Dyrham Park (6 Miles)*
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Lacock Abbey (7 Miles)*
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Westonbirt The National Arboretum (7 Miles)*
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Great Chalfield Manor and Garden (9 Miles)*
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American Museum in Britain (9 Miles)*
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Holburne Museum of Art (9 Miles)*
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Museum of Bath at Work (9 Miles)*
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Museum of East Asian Art (9 Miles)*
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Bath Postal Museum (9 Miles)*
Places to Visit near Castle Combe
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Chippenham (5 Miles)*
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Bathford (7 Miles)*
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Swainswick (8 Miles)*
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Melksham (9 Miles)*
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Bath (10 Miles)*
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Bradford-on-Avon (11 Miles)*
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Staple Hill (12 Miles)*
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Devizes (14 Miles)*
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Bristol (15 Miles)*
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Chelwood (15 Miles)*
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