The civil Parish of Firsdown, covers an area of housing mostly built since World War Two along the road called Firs Road which joins the village of Winterslow.
Although Firsdown is a modern creation, it lies in a very ancient landscape. There are important archaeological sites of prehistoric settlements, notably the Bronze Age farmstead at Thorny Down.
However,. this and other sites are inaccessible because they are north of the A30 and as such are on land surrounding the research establishment at Porton Down.
The first dwellings along Firs Road were erected in the years between the two world wars. Development was very slow and by 1940 there were about a dozen well scattered dwellings, all simple bungalows on very large plots in an open landscape. With no main services, the early settlers needed to be hardy and self-sufficient.
With no main water supply and residents had to rely on rainwater and water pumped from boreholes, initially by wind pumps.
1950s saw a vast increase in new bungalows. Soon there was a continuous row of housing on both sides of Firs Road, whereupon developers opened up side roads. Firs Close was created in the early 1950s, Ilynton Avenue in 1962-63, Great Croft in 1963-66, Juniper Road in 1968 and Maple Drive in 1976. Thus the majority of dwellings were built within a quarter of a century from 1950 onwards.
Some of the original bungalows have been converted to houses and the original open landscape has been extensively covered with trees planted by residents.
The Roman Road from Old Sarum to Winchester runs along the southern boundary of the parish and much of the area was part of the hunting grounds around Clarendon, a favourite country residence of the Plantagenets.
In 1984 the boundary commission agreed that a new independent civil parish should be created and on the 1st April 1986 Firsdown came into existing as a new Parish with its own Council , the first meeting was April 17th 1986.
The boundaries of the new parish were drawn to include the important Iron Age fort of Figsbury Ring within Firsdown and this site is accessible.
Figsbury Ring
Discover an unusually designed Iron Age hill fort, containing a smaller central, possibly Neolithic, enclosure. Enjoy the exceptional views from the ramparts over Salisbury Plain, Old Sarum and Salisbury Cathedral. The ramparts also act as a refuge for unusual plants. In late spring and summer experience, a carpet of wild flowers including orchids, the air filled with insects and the song of skylarks.