Colston Bassett

A large Conservation Area but with a population of just 230 people, Colston Bassett is a village of exceptional quality. Parkland, wooded  lanes and numerous fine brick and pantile barns and cottages form an intrinsic part of the rural character. The village itself lies along a ridge, the centre being a meeting place of three lanes and marked by a cross erected in 1831 which is said to stand on the same place as the original cross of 1257.

Glimpsed through the trees and across the valley, the church ruin of St Mary stands outside the village and is both Grade I Listed and a Scheduled Ancient Monument. The church built to replace it is a sober Victorian building dated 1892.

The most prominent building is Colston Hall, one of 20 Listed Buildings or structures, and benefits from a disciplined design and a striking setting.

Throughout the village there are Georgian and Victorian houses of quality, particularly the Martin's Arms, Manor Farmhouse (part 1625) and the Vicarage (1834).

The boundary of the Colston Bassett Conservation Area was reviewed and formally extended on the 10 March 2009.