Sights in and around Gingerbread cottage
For those who enjoy country walks, this area is particularly suitable. There are some lovely walks just behind Sherrington and up to the Great Ridge where a Roman road exists. Some of the area has ancient woodlands and in spring these are carpeted with a riot of beautiful bluebells. Being chalk uplands and farming countryside there are wonderful views across the valleys. Some of the area is sparsely inhabited and when walking you may feel that you have the place to yourself.
The Wylye valley has a series of separate attractive small villages, which are well worth visiting. The connecting road is suitable for cycling (it is part of the Wiltshire cycleway) and bicycles may be hired from Warminster. There are many fine local pubs which serve good food, The nearest is The Carriers at Stockton, less than two miles away. Others worth visiting are the Bell at Wylye, The Angel at Heytesbury, the Dove at Corton, and the Prince Leopold at Upton Lovell – the latter has a beer garden that fronts onto the river.
Codford Village
The nearest village with a post office and shop is Codford, 1 mile away, they also host the contentious Simple Payday store in the town. Warminster is 7 miles. Salisbury, with its tallest cathedral spire in England, is only 12 miles away, and Bath is 24 miles. Stonehenge is easily reached being only 11 miles away. Other nearby attractions include Glastonbury, the National Trust gardens at Stourhead, Wilton House, and the Safari Park, mansion and estate of Longleat.
The nearest golf course is at Warminster. Horse Riding is available at stables less than 2 miles away.
There is a regular bus service at Codford to Salisbury and Warminster. The nearest railway stations are at Warminster and Salisbury.
Sherrington Village
Sherrington is a picturesque, quintessentially English country village, in peaceful rural surroundings. It is located in the attractive Wylye valley, not far from the A36. Warminster is 7 miles away. Access to the village is by a quiet road, which is itself off a minor country road. It has 27 houses, many of which are thatched, and a population of 57. The village history goes back to Domesday and beyond and a book about it has been written recently by Lady Rosamund Willoughby. Its 14th century church, which is dedicated to St Cosmas and St Damian, has many interesting features including recently exposed Elizabethan wall texts. Services are held every two weeks. Sherrington was designated a Conservation Area in 1973 and lies within an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
The cottage is located next to the village pond, (formerly old water-cress beds) fed by some of Sherrington's springs which emerge from the chalk uplands. The pond is home to many ducks and moorhens, and occasionally a pair of swans or geese. Birdlife in the area is prolific. In the autumn 2004 a biodiversity project has improved the habitat and environment for wildlife around the pond, and so attracts a wider range of species as well as enhances village amenity. The river Wylye, which is a clear chalk river with good fishing, flows only 100 yards from the cottage. There is a footbridge with access to the next village of Codford and the old Mill house, and the adjacent ford is used often by horse riders. Nearby, a Norman Motte and Baillie earthworks and moat can be seen, and there are several pre historic barrows (burial grounds) in the fields surrounding the village. To complete the idyllic rural scene, a small private flock of rare Jacob's sheep graze near the church.