Seagry is an esteemed civil parish situated in Wiltshire, England, positioned approximately 4.5 miles southeast of Malmesbury and 5.5 miles northeast of Chippenham. The primary settlements within the parish include the village of Upper Seagry, which was initially recorded in official documents as "Over Seagry" in 1317, and the hamlet of Lower Seagry, which was first documented as "Nether Seagry" in 1218. The toponym "Seagry" is believed to have originated from the Old English term for "sedge stream." The term "sedge" refers to plants belonging to the Cyperaceae family, and "stream" in this context may allude to the presence of the River Avon, which traverses the area. Historical evidence suggests that the region was inhabited during the Upper Paleolithic period, and there are also indications of Saxon settlement.The Domesday Book of 1086 provides a record of Seagry, noting the existence of 21 households and two manors: Segrete held by Durand of Gloucester, and Segrie by Drogo Fitz Ponz. Segrete eventually became part of the Earl of Hereford's estates and later came under the ownership of Bradenstoke Abbey until the Dissolution of the Monasteries. A grange farm located in Lower Seagry was associated with the abbey. Notably, Seagry is mentioned multiple times in the diary of Francis Kilvert, who resided in the nearby Langley Burrell and visited the Awdry family at Seagry vicarage.At Upper Seagry, there stands Seagry House, an elegant five-bay mansion constructed in the 18th century by Nathaniel Stratton. The house underwent expansion according to the designs of Harold Brakspear in 1915. Although the structure was rebuilt following a fire in 1949, the original 18th-century gatepiers at the east and south entrances have been preserved.
The Seagry House estate was acquired in 1785 by Sir James Tylney-Long of Draycot Cerne. Through inheritance and marriage, it passed down to William, the 5th Earl of Mornington (1813–1863), and subsequently to Henry Wellesley, the 1st Earl Cowley (1804–1884). Christian Wellesley, the 4th Earl Cowley, sold the majority of the land in 1920, although the house remained in the possession of the Cowley family until 1949. This camera was installed and is maintained by the Environment Agency and can be viewed
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