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:
Location And Topography
Warminster is one of the five market towns within the district. Located in the south west of the district on the western edge of Salisbury Plain, Warminster is within the upper reaches of the River Wylye where the River Were joins it. It is well contained within a rural location, which is attractive and gives the town a sense of isolation, particularly since the construction of the by-pass (the A36). The A350 (M4 to Poole) and the A36 Bristol to Southampton roads meet just to the west of Warminster.
Map 2 illustrates the town’s context.
The steeply rising landscape to the north-east and east of the town of Salisbury Plain gives the perception of it being in a valley, though, the surrounding landscape levels out to the south and west. The topography within the town centre is relatively flat, affording a number of attractive views of the surrounding landscape.
Directly to the north and west of the town are wooded scarps of the Plain, which present a backdrop to the town, known as Arn Hill and Cop Heap. This attractive setting for the town has a strong presence within the centre with views northbound along routes such as Portway and Station Road showing open fields and green woodland. This gives the town a rural feel.
The River Were runs to the north west of the town centre, creating a number of water meadows adjacent to Warminster School’s playing fields, and the Minster Church before entering the town from the north. It passes underneath the town centre and emerges south of the town centre, in the Lake Pleasure Park, between the town centre and Warminster Common. Further south the River Were joins the River Wylye.
In terms of geology the main part of the historic town centre lies on greensand although there are some pockets of chalk underneath the town. The scarp slopes of the Plain are also formed on large expanses of chalkland.