AVEBURY – St James
The foundation of the church in Avebury probably goes back to the early days of Saxon Christianity. A Saxon ‘minster’ was built here in about 1000AD for a small community of clerics giving care to the whole district. Some of the Anglo-Saxon stonework, plaster and windows may still be seen. The font, aisles and sough doorway date from the 12th century. The 15th century rood loft parapet is one of the few to survive the Reformation: it had been carefully hidden behind lath and plaster and was only re-discovered in 1810.
(SU099 699 – just West of the stone circle).

FYFIELD – St Nicholas
The church stands close to, possibly on the site of, a Roman villa. Saxon Christianity came to this area in about 630AD and by the late 7th century there were wooden churches at Fyfield, Overton and Kennett. The present flint church with its 13th century chancel and 15th century ashlar-faced tower probably originated in the 12th century.
(SU148 687).

WEST OVERTON – St Michael and All Angels
The present church was built in 1878. The 13th century structure it replaced had become so dilapidated that it was taken down and rebuilt. Some features of the earlier church were incorporated in the new one, eg two consecration crosses, a piscina and the rood loft doorway.
(SU134 682)

A NEW CHURCH FOR OVERTON.. 1878


The story of the new church starts with the birth of Sir Henry Meux, 2nd Baronet, of the well known brewing fami1y. Born in 1817 and succeeding to the title in 1841, he died in 1883. He and his son bought up huge blocks of land and property in North Wiltshire. This included Wootten Bassett, Dauntsey, Christian Malford and Broad Hinton, stretching as far as Berwick Bassett and included West Overton, Lockeridge and Fyfield. These purchases were made during the 1860’s. Sir Henry Meux lived at Dauntsey House and in his London House and in 1858 married Lady Louisa Caroline eldest daughter of Ernest Brudenell—Bruce, who in 1878 succeeded his brother as 3rd Marquess of Ailesbury.

The Meux Estates yard was at Lockerage, the workshops have in recent years been converted into a very attractive residence by Miss P. Clarke who now lives there. In that yard many tradesmen of all trades worked making the necessary fittings for houses and farm buildings, whilst up at Totterdown they made the bricks and cut the Sarcen stones for the exterior and interior walls of the many cottages etc which were built in the parish during that time.

Mr Charles E. Ponting, the Architect who drew the plans and designs of the intended new Church was the Agent and Architect of the Meux Estates and he lived in the house next to the Estates yard. This house is now in the possession of Lady Harford. In those days it was known as Lockeridge Cottage. Later in life Mr Ponting moved to Marlborough to live in Wye House at the foot of Barn Street.

The old church was described in the Post Office Directory of l876 in the following manner. “The Church of St. Micheal stands on a slight aclivity it is an ancient stone structure, with chancel, nave, square tower, surmounted by four pinnacles, and containing three bells, and porch; the roof is of copper. The register dates from l695. “For many years the unsafe nature of the building had been a worry for all concerned and the Marlborough Times of the 4th March 1876 contains the following rather sad news item:— “OVERTON CHURCH. A praiseworthy movement has been made for the restoration of this bui1ding. There is now scarcely a parallel of a Church arrived at such a state of dilapidation and with such need of restoration, and we trust the parishioners and others interested will be sufficient to render the Church worthy of the pretty village in which it is situate, and the beatiful site which it occupies.”

The man onto whose shoulders fell the brunt of the tremendous problem was the Vicar of that time, the The Rev. F.W.. Welburn, he set about the task of raising money for this purpose in a very determined manner. During April of l876 he inserted an advertisement in the Marlborough Times which read: — OVERTON CHURCH. The above Church being in a very dilapidated state, a strong effort is being made to obtain FUNDS for the purpose of restoring it. Subscriptions will be thankfully received by the Rev. F.W. Welburn, Vicar for Overton or The Wilts and Dorset Bank”. On the 22nd of April, 1876 there appeared a very long account of a concert organised by the Vicar at Lockeridge to swell these funds. There were songs, recitations, flute solos and pianoforte solos etc.

By October of that year positive action had been taken because the Marlborough Times of the 7th of that month contained the following article: — “OVERTON—cum—FYFIELD, Many of our friends will be pleased to learn that Lord Ernest Bruce, M.P., a trustee for Sir Henry Meux, Bt., paid a visit to Overton in the early summer for the purpose of inspecting the Church, which is in a very delapidated and unsafe condition. The good people of Overton may confidently hope, ere long, now they have secured his Lordships interest and sympathy in the matter, they will soon have a decent house of prayer to worship in. Mr Ponting, Architect of the Overton Estate has been appointed to draw out “plans” for the restoration”.

During the winter of 1876 and the spring of the following year much headway was made in securing the necessary funds for this great project because by June of 1877 the old building was about to be demolished, and it is known that the Lord Bishop had forbidden this until sufficient funds were guaranteed. The confidence of the Vicar is shown by the advertisement inserted in the Marlborough Times of the 23rd June,1877 by Mr Ponting:— TO BUILDERS. CARPENTERS. DEALERS IN METAL. AND OTHERS. Tenders are required for the purchase of the undermentioned OLD MATERIALS in the existing building of the PARISH CHURCH of OVERTON, WILTS. Lot 1. The Copper covering of the roof of the nave. Lot 2. The Deal Panelled framing and doors to the gallery, Pews, Pulpit and Desks and the seating throughout, together with the iron and timber supports, flooring timber and boarding. “One week after advertising the old materials the announcement in the Mar1borough Times of 30th June, 1877 gave the glad tidings to all concerned:— “ We understand that the Trustees of the Meux Estates have authorised the munificent sum of £3000 towards the rebuilding of Overton Church, and the work will be immediately commenced. The old edifice, which was in a worse condition even than it appeared, is in process of demolition.”

Many men and much equipment was employed in the demolition work of the old Church, the proof of this is that only three weeks after the announcement that part of the work had started the following progress report appeared in the Marlborough Times of the 2lst July, 1877. OVERTON. The Parish Church of Overton is in process of demolition and only the tower remains standing. As an instance of the lamentable condition to which the old building arrived, a clergyman mentions that recently on inspecting the building he found the sexton very busy endeavouring to hide the frogs under the floor. Shortly before its demolition, a monument fell from the walls. The handsome sum contributed by the Meux Trustees, which enables the entire rebuilding of The Church to be at once proceeded with, was therefore greatly needed, and Overton Church will be only one more instance of the happy revolution effected in the neighbournood when the bulk of the property passed into the hands of the present owners. On every side signs of improvement are visible: handsome cottages, commodious homesteads, ranges of farm buildings are springing up on every side, and the villages of Lockeridge and Overton have particular reason to be thankful for this improved state of things. A correspondent says that the whole of the bricks used in the construction of the new Church are being hauled from Totterdown by means of a steam engine and hauling tackle belonging to Mr G. Washbourn of Wroughton; 3000 bricks being taken at every journey, thereby saving a great deal of manual labour. It is surprising how easily the sharpest corners are turned by the engine and waggons.”

The above report not only tells of the demolition of the old Church but pinpoints the building of many cottages in the parish. These “handsome cottages and commodious homesteads can be seen at Overton as “The Grange”, a pair of solidly built cottages in Lockeridge High Street and the stone and brick semi—detached cottages at Fyfield. Many of the farm buildings in the district were also built at that time.

The following long report published in the Marlborough Times on 4th August, 1877 tells of the exciting finds during the demolition and also reveals that the Meux Trustees donated the new Churchyard at that time. It will be easily seen that this new piece of ground was very necessary at that time in the history of the Church:-
THE REBUIDING OF OVERTON CHURCH, from The Marlborough Times, 4th August, l877.
During the past month workmen have been engaged in taking down the building forming the old parish Church of Overton, until all but the tower is now level with the ground. The nave and chancel, the high pews and heavy gallery have been dismantled, and with the exception of the historical architectural features which it is deemed desirable to preserve in the new Church, demolished. These remains of the old building will be a link with the past by which the Church at Overton which probable existed in the twelfth century, will find its characteristic features retained in the future. Several of these have been discovered during the work of demolition, for instance various fragments of windows, capitols, crosses etc of abouth the l2th century have been found, which were used in the filling of the of the walls and which tend to prove that, though the old Church was erected in the debased style of gothic architecure early in the 17th century, it stood on the site of a previous stucture, possessing as it did several characteristics of the early English, with some additions of the decorated period. The work which have been carried on have also shown the crowded state of the Churchyard, the result of successive internments of many gencrations, for example, during excavations of the heating vault and the foundations of part only of the building, nearly 200 human skulls were removed; but all the human remains which it is found necessary to disturb are being re—intered in the Churchyard. There is no space for a single decent internment in the burial ground, but to remedy this The Trustees of Sir Henry Meux have most generously given the quarter of an acre as an addition to the Curchyard, which would have been ere this consecrated by the Bishop but for the agitation respecting the Burials Bill. Now the measure is withdrawn, the consecration will doubtlessly shortly take place. The new building is to rise on the foundations of the old and will give considerable accommodation, being about 12 feet longer, and an additional bay being erected on the north side, otherwise the present foundations will be built upon. 293 persons wiil be comfortably seated, whereas, inclusive of the gallery, the old Church only accommadated 250. The style will Early Decorated, in harmony with the earlier of the old features which are found capable of retention:
these include the east window, to be placed in the organ chamber and the chancel; while the old perpendicular windows will re—occupy their former position on the south side. The Chancel will be rebuilt at the entire cost of the Meux Trustees, who are the Impropriate Rectors, and the plans embrace a very fine coloured east window, with a flooring of Minton tiles to an exceedingly tasteful design, and oak choir seats. The nave and aisle will contain open seats of pine, and the old pulpit of the “three decker” type will be replaced by an oak pulpit on a stone base. The cost of the work now in hand is estimated at about £3000. Besides defraying the cost of the Chancel, the Meux Trustees have subscribed £1000 to the restoration fund, leaving only £400 to be raised by public subscription. The above cost does not include the restoration of the tower, but it is hoped that funds may be forthcoming to enable this to be carried out on the completion of the other portions. The Architect is Mr C.E. Ponting agent to the Meux Estates in the district, and his plans, of which we have been favoured with an inspection, promise a hansome Church for Overton, of which the estimated expense is extreemly moderate. This may be accounted for by the fact that the works will be carried out by a staff of workmen employed on the Estate under his immediate supervision, and the bulk of the materials for the walls will be of local production, the bricks, sarcen stones and flint used for them being all made or produced on the estate”.

The Marlborough Times of the 13th October, 1877 reports that the “piece of ground lately given by the Trustees of Sir H. Meux, Bt., to this parish for an additional churchyard, was on Friday 5th October consecrated by the Bishop of Salisbury”.

The size of the workforce can be estimated by the speed at which the new building was erected. With no modern equipment such as present day scaffolding, mechanical hoists and other labour and time saving devices the new Church was ready for use within one year from the date of the commencement of demolition. The tower however was not complete at the time of the reopening and had been temporarily roofed in. The Marlborough Times of the 28th September, 1878 carried a half page report on the reopening of the new Church and below is an edited report on that event.

EAST KENNETT – Christ Church
There has been a settlement here since pre-historic times. A stone church was built in the 12th century. It fell into disrepair and was rebuilt in 1864. Some 18th century monuments and a coat of arms have been retained from the old church.
(SU117 674)