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



145 



made a parish Church, and 4234 acres of land cut off as a 

 separate parish, in 1405. 



The erection of the Church preceded by a few years the re-building 

 of the nave of Great Bedwyn. The nave arcade here may be put 

 at about 1160; it consists of three bays of semicircular arches of 

 two square orders with billet-mould label, supported by cylindrical 

 columns with carved capitals. The abaci of the western respond 

 and the column next to it are canted off at the angles, but the rest 

 are square. The south arcade is a little later, and is divided into four 

 bays ; the arches are pointed and the orders chamfered, but the labels 

 are like those on the north. The western respond and the adjoining 

 column have capitals with circular abaci, and the respond capital is 

 carved ; the next column eastward has an octagonal abacus, and the 

 capital is carved with heads. The arch at the easternmost respond 

 is carried on a fluted corbel (possibly to admit of a better view of 

 the altar from the aisle) . The archway into the western tower is 

 probably a little later still — say 1200, and consists of three orders 

 of chamfers carried on arch and jambs with plain chamfered abacus 

 and base. The chancel arch is poor, and consists of two orders of 

 small chamfers — probably thirteenth century in date. 



The Church as then built was doubtless the same in plan as at 

 present, and no alteration appears to have taken place until the 

 middle of the fifteenth century (soon after this became a parish 

 Church), when the tower, the north and south aisles, and chancel 

 were re-built from the ground and the south porch erected. Tee 

 tower is of four stages in height with diagonal buttresses and stone 

 spire. A parapet must have existed at the base of the spire, but this 

 has disappeared. The west window and the four belfry windows 

 are each of two lights with square head. 



This is the only instance of a spire in this neighbourhood, 

 the next instance westward is Bishops Cannings, at the end of the 

 Pewsey Vale. Both of these are in the valley, and the spires might 

 have been added on that account to give prominence to the Churches. 



The chancel has a three-light pointed east window, and one two- 

 light and one single-light window in each side ; also a piscina, in 

 the south wall. The aisles have north and south doorways (with a 



