 Its nearest town is Stockbridge, which lies approximately 1.8 miles (3 km) to the north-east.The village is a dispersed linear settlement, mostly strung out along the single road through the village, which broadly follows the course of the River Test north-south.Houghton is dominated by substantial agricultural/sporting estates at each end, the Houghton Lodge estate  to the north and the Bossington estate  to the south.