As its name suggests, it is on the upper portion of the River Avon which runs from north to south through the village.

The first mention of Upavon is in the 1086 Domesday Book as Oppavrene;[2] although no population was recorded, it can be estimated that the village supported some 200 to 250 people.

[4] Council houses were built in the Avon Square area, about half a mile southeast of the village centre, in stages from c.1920.

[4] Upavon village lies in the valley where the headwaters of the Avon leave the Vale of Pewsey and cut through the north scarp of Salisbury Plain.

[4] All significant local government services are provided by Wiltshire Council, a unitary authority with its headquarters in Trowbridge, and the parish is represented there by Paul Oatway.

622 Volunteer Gliding Squadron, providing glider training to members of the Air Cadet Organisation.

[15] Upavon Baptist Chapel, named for the Cave of Adullam, was built in 1838 of rendered brick, with a slate roof.

A school was built at Avon Square in 1957, replacing a 19th-century building next to the church, to cater for children of RAF personnel; up to 200 pupils could be accommodated.

[22] Pupil numbers declined as RAF activity reduced and fell further after 1993 when the station was transferred to the Army, leading to closure of the school in 2009.

[24] The nearest mainline railway station, with links to London Paddington, is Pewsey, about 3+1⁄2 miles (6 km) away.