It is in the area of Wiltshire Council unitary authority, which is responsible for all significant local government functions.

In the late 16th century, West Hatch appears to have just consisted of a few scattered farms, with there being no discernible village centre as of 1773, as is still the case today.

Settlement at that time was denser in East Hatch, with the presence of a now-unknown site of a medieval chapel and, as of the early 19th century, around 34 houses and cottages.

[6] Pythouse, a Grade II* listed country house, was built near Newtown in about 1725 and then rebuilt in 1805 for the politician John Benett.

[7] Nearby Hatch House, from the 17th century and altered in 1908 by Detmar Blow, is also Grade II* listed.