Whitley

Whitley is an attractive village, very close to Shaw, with a population of about 1,000, with many beautiful old stone dwellings. It comprises a number of residential lanes which link the main road between Corsham and Melksham to Top Lane which runs to Atworth. Whitley is a very popular place to live as it is within easy reach of Melksham and Corsham for shopping, and for commuting to Bath and Swindon, coupled with an excellent local primary school.The primary school is fortunate to have extensive well equipped playing fields; it also has a wonderful large school hall and covered outside area which is available for hire and use by all of the community and has been supported via grant funding by the Parish Council.

There are a number of valuable amenities. The refurbished Post Office and Café provides a popular meeting point, situated in Top Lane. This is close to a quality restaurant/ public house, The Pear Tree, well-known for its excellent cuisine for miles around. Top Lane also has a thriving Methodist Chapel which dates from 1867 and was refurbished to a high standard in 2010. The 1990s saw the creation of a 9 hole golf club, well supported by both locals and visitors.

Whitley Reading Rooms	New disabled access ramp, completed in March 2005

The Whitley Reading Rooms, another late Victorian building from 1904, has been enhanced since 2000, with disabled access, new toilet facilities, internet access and picnic tables in the garden area. Of particular interest with the centenary of the 1914/18 war, the Roll of Honour for WW1 has been completely restored and prominently displayed in the main hall. The Reading Rooms now provide a central location for a defibrillator and acts as a base for a new group who provide support in the event of major incidents, such as flooding.


Methodist Chapel at Whitley
Whitley residents with its friends from the nearby Shaw village, work together on a number of activities for their mutual good. In addition to support of the Parish church situated between the two villages, a joint Village Magazine, "Connect" is published bi-monthly. An active team has also been set up to enhance facilities - 'Community Action for Whitley and Shaw (CAWS)'. There is also a Methodist Chapel in Top Lane Whiltley and the very popular and well used Village Hall in the Beeches in Shaw. This is next to the Shaw Recreational Playing Field, with childrens play area, MUGA (Multi Use Games Area) and football pitches. The Football pitches and associated changing rooms located in the Village Hall are available for hire.

The rural setting of Whitley provides many attractive walks. A network of footpaths link the village to its neighbours, notably that to Neston crosses the site of an ancient Roman road by way of a long abandoned quarry.  Within the village itself, walking is encouraged with new pavements on several roads, and drop kerbs have been provided for the less mobile.

Click Here for a brief history of Whitley