WILTSHIRE’S new High Sheriff was officially sworn in at a ceremony last Friday (April 4).

Around 80 people attended the ceremony, which dates back to Saxon times, as Martin Nye made his declaration at St Martin’s Church, Bremhill, near Calne, taking over from Dr Olivia Chapple.

As ceremonial officials, High Sheriffs were originally tasked with maintaining law and order within a county as well as collecting and returning taxes to the Crown.

While the role has evolved over time to provide support to crime prevention agencies, the emergency services and the volunteer sector, supporting the Crown and judiciary remains central to the role.

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New Wiltshire High Sheriff Martin Nye has had a broad-ranging business career, including several chief executive roles in private and public companies, and now has a portfolio of non-executive and chair positions.

He is chair of the Soil Association and a council member of the National Trust.

He was chair of the Wiltshire Museum until 2024 and continues to be a trustee of the Devizes Assize Court Trust which aims to revitalise the Assize Court as a new home for the museum.

He is a trustee of Worldreader and the World of Books Foundation, both of which support literacy. He read history at the University of Cambridge.

Martin lives on a farm in Foxham near Chippenham, where his wife Victoria breeds organic grass-fed beef shorthorn cattle and opens their garden for the National Gardens Scheme and to support local charities.

After a career in financial services, Victoria is active with charities and community projects in the county as a deputy lieutenant, a trustee of the Wiltshire Gardens Trust, the chair of the local farm cluster and a school governor.

They have three adult children.

In addition to the customary role of supporting the judiciary, police, emergency services and the voluntary sector, Martin has chosen food as his theme for the year to encompass all aspects of food from farm to fork.

He is reportedly looking forward to meeting charities and other organisations working across the food sector.