Sister Cities of the World

Sister cities of Purton

Purton is a village and civil parish in Wiltshire, England, 4 miles (6.4 km) north-west of the centre of Swindon. The civil parish includes the village of Purton Stoke and the hamlets of Bentham, Hayes Knoll, Restrop and Widham.

The village is a linear settlement along the old road between the historic market towns of Cricklade 4 miles (6.4 km) to the north and Royal Wootton Bassett 3 miles (4.8 km) to the south. Purton is on a minor road 1 mile (1.6 km) from the B4553 and 3 miles (4.8 km) from junction 16 of the M4 motorway.

The village is on the brow of a hill, with views across to Cricklade and the Thames floodplain. Nearby, Bradon Forest stretches out to Minety in the west.

Village amenities include several shops, a sub-post office, a library, public houses and restaurants, a GP's practice, dentist, and veterinary surgery. The village has grown such that its retailers are not all concentrated in one centre. A few shops are on the main road at the junction with Pavenhill, and a few are around the bend in the road near the Village Hall.

The Church of England parish church of Saint Mary the Virgin is unusual in having a tower at each end, one of which has a spire. It is one of only three parish churches in England with both a spire and another tower. The other two are at Wanborough and Ormskirk.
