West Wiltshire District Council’s Warminster Town Centre Conservation Area Character Assessment, Informative Document, Consultation Draft/Cabinet Draft, of December 2006, includes the following notes:
Summary table of important historic events that have impacted upon the towns’ evolution –
Date followed by Event
1086 Domesday Book identifies the Royal Manor of Warminster.
Early 13th Century Warminster identified as having Market Status.
1575 People of Warminster bought The Chapel of St Lawrence.
1707 Founding of Lord Weymouth Grammar School on Church Street. Financed by the Longleat Estate. This became Warminster School in 1973.
1711 Completion of Warminster Town Hall in the middle of High Street. Demolished in 1832, as it obstructed the free flow of traffic.
1727 Warminster Turnpike Trust established by an Act of Parliament on 24th June.
1720-1750 Peak of the malting industry with approximately 36 malthouses across Warminster.
1784 Parliament agreed to have the Royal Mail sent by coach from Bristol to London via Warminster due to improved road conditions speed of travel. The principle Post House was The Angel Inn.
1820 Lord Bath bought Portway Manor and Estate.
1831 Opening of Weymouth Street to form link to Christ Church.
1830 Construction began on the New Town Hall that was commissioned by Lord Bath.
1838 Opening of the Literary and Scientific Institute.
1851 Arrival of the railway.
1851 Creation of the Warminster Athenaeum Trust.
1855 Construction of the Corn Exchange building commissioned by Lord Bath. Previously trade had taken place on the streets.
1856 Extension of the Westbury to Warminster railway to link with Salisbury.
1857 Opening of the Athenaeum, following the completion of the first stage. Comprising a lecture theatre and waiting room to the rear of the site.
1859 Athenaeum building work completed (designed by William Stent).
1870 The Warminster Turnpike Trust ceased to operate.
1890 Closure of three malthouses, leaving one in Pound Street and a small overflow facility.
1894 Creation of the Warminster Urban and Rural District Councils.
1912 Palace Cinema opened at the Athenaeum.
1919-1920 Closure of the corn market. The building was then demolished in 1923.
1924 Opening of the Lake Pleasure Grounds (Town Park).
1938 Construction of first permanent army barracks.
1955 Warminster Urban District Council brought Portway House as its offices and turned the ground floor into a new library.
1960s Residential development led to a considerable expansion of the town.
1964 Gates to Portway House restored after an appeal raised £950.
1966 Longleat Estate added the Longleat Safari Park.
1974 Creation of West Wiltshire District Council as an amalgamation of the 7 existing Urban and Rural District Councils.
1981 Dewey House converted from a school to the Town Council Offices.
1982 Opening of new library and museum to the rear of Market Place.
1988 Construction of the A36 Warminster By-pass.
1901-1991 The population of the town soared in the 20th century from 5,547 to 16,276.
1994 Center Parcs was opened adjacent to Longleat.
2005 Wiltshire County Council estimate the population of Warminster to be 23,790.