Top 5 Things to See and Do in Box, Wiltshire

Box is a village just outside Bath, so has a lot to compete with in terms of culture and art. Having lived here for most of my life however, I think it is definitely worth a trip! Here are the 5 best things to do…

1. Visit St Thomas a Becket Church. A 12^th century church, built on top of the second biggest Roman Villa in the UK, which cannot be excavated. A churchyard where people stopped being buried, because of suddent deaths after a burial in the late 1800s.(Anthrax naturally created in the ground, apparently) And, my personal favourite thing there, the Pyramid shaped grave, designed by a husband whose wife threatened to dance on his grave. So she couldn’t.
2. Stalk some Celebrities. Clive Mantel of Casualty fame, and David Hempleman-Adams live here. Peter Gabriel’s recording studios, Real World, so if you hang outside there long enough you might spot someone worth getting an autograph off.
3. 3.       Look at the Tunnel. Box Tunnel, when it was built, was the longest in the world. The Crown Jewels were hidden there in World War 2, and underneath it is a not-so-secret nuclear bunker where the Royal Family and Government would hide in case of a nuclear attack. Its not used for that anymore, because everyone knows about it.
4. Check out some live music. Possibly because of the influence of Real World, Box hits above its weight in terms of bands performing here. There is a live band almost every Saturday, at The Queen’s Head, which is free to listen to. Also, every 4^th Friday, they hold Shtumm, a live and unsigned night, which costs around £4 to get into. If you fancy a trip on a Bank Holiday Weekend, on the last Bank Holiday Monday in August, there’s Box Rocks, 8 hours of Live Music.
5. Go on a Pub Crawl(and see if you can swing an invite to the Basset’s Arms)There are 4 pubs in Box – The Northey, a gastro-pub, The Bear, a little pub with great deals on house Spirits, the afore-mentioned Queens Head, and The Quarryman’s Arms, right on top of the hill. All the pubs have a range of ciders and real Ales, plus a range of events, from pub quizzes to wine and cheese nights. The Basset’s Arm’s is actually someone’s garage, but don’t let that fool you. If you mention it to enough people, you might get invited along, and you are sure to have an unforgettable night.