West Wiltshire District Council’s Warminster Town Centre Conservation Area Character Assessment Informative Document, adopted in April 2007, noted:
The Close [Warminster] is a narrow one-way street; consequently cars do not dominate it. Buildings directly abut the road, although many are orientated north and south, rather than fronting The Close. Buildings are often very spaced out with side gardens bound by high walls. The overall effect is a high sense of enclosure and an intimate feel.
The Close, previously known as Common Close, has a narrow entrance off High Street. This historically, was only a pedestrian alleyway with a building terminating at the street. With the demolition of The Ship in 1901, The Close became a one-way street from Portway to High Street.
http://www.wiltshire.gov.uk/warminster_conservation_area_character_assessment_april_2007.pdf