By Harold Brakspear, A.E.LB.A. 327 



Near the Church and just below the present rectory house is an 

 old house with a two-light fifteenth century window, with cusped 

 heads to the lights and flat label over, the whole is of exceedingly 

 good workmanship and apparently in situ ; but now blocked up. 

 On the same house one of the gables is terminated by an octagonal 

 open-work finial similar to those on the George Inn at Norton St. 

 Philip. 



BiDUESTONE. 



The present parish of Biddestone was formerly divided into two 

 parishes, namely, St. Peter's and St. Nicholas', both of which had 

 a Church of their own. 



St. Peter's. In Aubrey's time this was " lamentably ruined and 

 converted into a barne but was formerly a pretty little Church and, 

 about the beginning or a little before the late warres was [held] not 

 only Prayers but also Communions." ^ This Church was taken down 

 about 1840, and the bell-turret is preserved in the grounds of Castle 

 Combe. Fortunately careful measured drawings were taken just 

 before its demolition and show that it was mostly of fifteenth 

 centiuy work and consisted then of nave and south porch — the 

 chancel and a chapel on the north side having been destroyed 

 previously.^ The present Eector (Eev. J. A. Johnson) has kindly 

 gone to the trouble and expense of endeavouring to find the foun- 

 dations of the Church ; but apparently the demolition was so 

 complete that nothing now remains ; nevertheless the thanks of 

 the Society are due to him, and if anything had been found 

 doubtless the whole would have been opened up for this occasion. 



St. Nicholas. This is a small but interesting building, and 

 consists of nave with south porch and chancel vsrith bell-turret and 

 an addition to the east which is said to have been built with stones 

 fi'om the destroyed St. Peter's. 



The south doorway is the earliest part in situ, and is a good but 



' Jackson's Aubrey, p. 53. 

 - Pugin's Architectural Examples, vol. III. 

 VOL. XXVm. — NO. LXXXV. 2 A 



