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Wilton

Wilton – the 9th burh to be cited in the Burghal Hidage

Kingdom Type of Burh No. of Hides O.S. Grid Ref
Wessex Burghal Town 1400 SU09503121

“References to Anglo-Saxon Wilton, scanty though they are, reveal all the more important attributes of an early borough in government and trade. It was a minting place of more than passing importance; of the six mints of Wiltshire, the earliest known coins were minted at Wilton and Malmesbury; these were the small cross coins of Edgar; moreover the Wilton mint remained in operation with only short periods of inactivity, longer than any other mint in Wiltshire, and it was not finally closed until 1250. (fn. 8) The continued existence of this provincial mint indicates something of the nature of the borough itself, for a law of Athelstan stated that ‘there shall be no minting except in a port’ (town) and this shows that at least by the reign of Edgar, Wilton must have been a recognized trading centre with some kind of fortifications.” Text from Victoria County History – Wiltshire

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