415 



THE CHURCH OF S. JOHN THE BAPTIST AND S. HELEN, 

 WROUGHTON. 



By C. E. Ponting, F.S.A. 



I have been asked to write a few notes on this Church to ac- 

 company Mrs. Story Maskelyne's interesting Notes on the History 

 of the Parish in Wilts Arch. Mag., xxxvii., 400, and I am indebted 

 to her for much information. 



The plan of the Church consists of a chancel with, on the north 

 side, a chapel formed by the continuation of the N aisle and east- 

 ward of this a sacristy; nave, with N and S. aisles ; S. porch and 

 western tower. Although much alteration has taken place from 

 time to time there has been no post-Reformation extension of the 

 plan. 



Aubrey's impressions of the Church are very briefly recorded : — 

 " The old windowes in the Church are all spoiled." x 



This impression appears to have been formed with a very im- 

 perfect knowledge of what had been done, and from a view 

 of the south side when standing against the south porch, where 

 he could see nothing but two debased windows of the aisle, 2 

 for all the other windows of the Church are pre-Reformation work. 

 Probably there had been little alteration in the fabric of the Church 

 from the time when Aubrey saw it, cir. 1660 — 70, down to 1835, 

 when a very careful wooden model of it was made which is now 

 in the possession of Mr. Thomas Codrington, Of this model, in- 

 terior and exterior views are here given, and it will be seen that 

 it is of extraordinary interest {Figs. I. & II.). Its comparative 

 accuracy is proved by a callotype photograph of the south side of 

 the Church, which I have been allowed to see, taken in 1846 by 



1 Wiltshire Collections, p. 368. 

 1 There are still to be found people who ought to know better, and who are 

 ready to condemn without taking the trouble to make themselves acquainted 

 with facts. 



