The Salisbury Avon rises in the southern slope of the northern chalk district, in the neighbourhood of Devizes, and flows east-south east aloog the Vale of Pewsey. At Salisbury it is joined on the right by the Wily (united with the Nadder): it is joined a little lower down, on the left bank, by the Bourne, and afterwards flows southward by St/wands House to Downton, a little below which it quits the county: its length from the neighbourhood of Devizes to the border of the county is 42 milss. [AVON.) The Ws/y or Willey rises in the downs north of Mere, in the south west part of the county, and flow. first east, then north by the Deverills to IVerminster, near whioh it bends to the east-south-east, and flows past !fay, tesbu ry,Wily, Steeple-Langford, Stapleford, Ditchampton, and West Harnhara, to Fisherton-Anger, a suburb of Salisbury, where it joins the Avon. Its whole course is about 27 miles. Near Quidhamptou it is joined on the right by the Nadder, which rises close to the Dorset shire border near Shaftesbury. The Bourne rises just within the northern boundary of the southern chalk district, and flows southward by Collingbourn-Kingston to Shipton, where it crosses a corner of Itimpshire, Cholderton, Alliugton, Idmiston, the Winterbournes, and Laver-tock, near Salisbury, below which it joins the Avon : its whole length is about 23 miles.
A very small part of the county about Mere, in the south-western corner, to drained by the upper waters of the Dorsetehire Stour, which rises at Stonrhend in this county. The Stour and the Salisbury Avon unite just above their outran into the English Channel at Christchurch.
That part of the county which belongs to the basin of the Severn is drained by the Brieol or Lower Aron, the sources of which are in the Cotswold hills, at Norton near Chipping-Sodbury in Gloucester and iu the hilly district in the northern part of Wiltshire. The united stream Is joined at Mahnesbury by a stream, eight miles long, from Tetbury and Brokenborough. From Melmesbury the Avon flows in a winding channel 15 miles southward to Chippenham, and thence 20 miles In a winding chums' south-west by Laycock, Melksham, Bradford, and Limpley-Stoko, to the border of this county and Somer. setehire, between Bradford anl Bath. The 21farden rises in the green sand lulls (Compton 11111) above Compton-Basset, flows by Caine, and after a coarse in all of about 0 miles, flows into the Avou. The Were and the Frome are also feeders of the Avon. The Were ie formed by the junction of several streams which rise on the escarpment of the chalk downs about Westbury. The Frome belongs to Somersetshire, but some part of its course is on the borders of this county.
Of these numerous rivers but few are navigable, and then only for e abort distance In this county. This is the consequence of its central position and comparative elevation, from which it results that the principal streams have only their sources or the upper part of their courses in it. The navigation of the Thames, the Kennet, and the Bristol Avon does not commence until after those rivers have quitted the county.
The want of river navigation in Wiltshire is partially supplied by canals, of which three lines are connected with this county. The northernmost line is that of the Thames and Severn Canal, which in its course from the Thames at Lechlade in Gloucestershire to the Stroudwator Canal at Stroud iu the same county, connecting the rivers Thames and Severn, crosses the northern part of this county near Castle Eaton and Cricklade. The second line is that of the Kenuot and Avon Canal, which also connects the Thames with the Severn by means of their respective tributaries the Kennet and the Bristol Avon. This canal is 57 miles long : it commences at the head of the navigation of the river Kennet at Newbury in Berkshire, and terminates in the river Avon at Bath. About 41 miles of its course is iu Wiltshire, which county it enters near Hungerford. It passes Great Bedwyn, Devizes, and Trowbridge, and quits the county 4 miles from Bradford, at the Dundas aqueduct, by which it is carried over the Avon. The third line of canal navigation is that of the Wilts and Berk' Canal : it lies between the two lines already noticed, and con nects the Thames near Abingdon with the Kennet and Avon Canal at Semington, between Devizes and Bradford. At Lower Easteott, near Swindoo, is a branch nearly all in Wiltshire 8i miles long, panting the town of Cricklade to the Thames and Severn Canal at Lattou in Gloucestershire, near Cricklade.
The principal coaeh-roads are the former mail-roads from London to Salisbury and Exeter, and to Bath and Bristol. There are several roads from London to Exeter besides tho mail-road. One of these branching from the mail-road at Salisbury passes through Combe Bisset, and enters Doractahire near Woodyatee Inn. Another branch ing from the mail-road at Andover enters the county at Park House, and runs across Salisbury Plain through Amesbury and Wiuterbourne Stoke to Mere, beyond which it enters Somersetshire. The road from London to the Old Passage on the Severn, opposite the mouth of the Wye, branches from the Bath road at Chippenham, and runs by Yatton Keynell, Castle-Combo, and Nettleton into Gloucestershire. There are several roads from Salisbury, the county town : one runs south by west to Cranbourne, Wimbourue-Minster, and Poole iu Dersetshire, branching from the road to Exeter (through Blandford, Dorchester, and Honiton) a little beyond Combo-Bisset ; one southward by Downton to Fordiugbridge, Lyndhurst, and Christchurch in the New Forest in Hampshire ; two south-east to Southampton—one through Bramshasv, the other through Romsey ; two eastward to Wiuchester—one by Romsey, and one (branching from the London and Exeter main-road) through Stockbridge; and two north-east to Bath and Bristol—one through Heytesbury, Warminster, Westbury, and Bradford; the other branching from this at Warminster, and rejoining it at Bath.