St Nicholas Chippenham

 

 This week the Church Explorer visits St Nicholas Chippenham, it was the village of  Hardenhuish but Chippenham expanded and it became a suburb of the town. I stopped off here after Langley Burrell but found the church locked so it's a shorter blog than normal. The reson for coming here was because this is the first church that Robert Kilvert was vicar of and where his son Frances was born

" St. Nicholas church was built in 1779 and replaced an older medieval church that had previously stood on the same Hardenhuish site. The church was designed by John Wood, the Younger of Bath. The church registers date from 1730." there is a more in depth history here on the Church website 

South west view of the church

Walking along the path towards the entrance

A lot of tombs in this part of the churchyard

Looking east towards the modern part of the churchyard

Steps leading up to the church entrance, it was locked

North side

Going around the east end of the church you are face with this large vault

It really is impressive to look at

From the front you see three naked maidens, not sure of the significance 

South side

which is where you find this little seat attached to the church, I presume this is where the young Francis Kilvert sat reading

Back looking at the south east

North side of the church from the north east corner of the churchyard

The old rectory which is across the road from the church and where I presume the Kilverts lived

Till Next time may I wish you all a peaceful week

St Peter Langley Burrell

This week the Church Explorer visits St Peter Langley Burrell the church where Francis Kilvert's father was Vicar and where he lived for a time. I managed to stop off on my way to Wales to close up my Caravan for the winter. The Sunday service had just finished when I arrive so I was taking photos so not to have them in the picture, while at the church I met someone from the Kilvert Society 

"The Church of England parish church of St Peter dates from the early 13th century; the earliest part is the three-bay north arcade. The west end, south porch, chancel and chancel arch are c. 1300. From the same century are the three-stage tower and a pair of sedilia. In the 15th century the church was re-roofed and a small southeast chapel was added.

Interior improvements were made in the 1860s and 70s while Robert Kilvert was rector: an ornate font was added, the gallery removed, and the pews replaced. Careful restoration was supervised by C.E. Ponting (chancel, 1890) and H.W. Brakspear (nave and north aisle, 1898). Pevsner writes "... a delightful church, not neglected, but also not over-restored."

The tower has six bells, four from the 17th century and one from the 18th. The church was designated as Grade I listed in 1960. Today the church is part of the Greenways group, alongside two Chippenham churches – St Paul's and St Nicholas'."

The church is surrounded by trees and not easy to see from the road

Going around the back

 

 

 Round towards the south side

 

 

North side of the church

 

 

East end

 

 

South east

 

 

I suspect the building was a Morgue but now had been made into a restroom

 

 The tower is on the south side of the church

 

 

At the base is a tomb recess with tomb and worn effigy

 

 

On the way up the path you pass these three chest tombs

 

 

Looking west across the churchyard

 

 

Commonwealth war grave of Driver W.J.Clark

 

 

Around the north side of the church are more graves and chest tombs

 

 

Another part of the churchyard

 

 

Around the east end of the church

 

 

Looking over towards the the south west are a lot of chest tombs

 

 

These are near the tower
 

The grave of  Rev R Kilvert and his wife the parents of Rev Francis Kilvert, I would have though through the connection it would be looked after better

 Entrance porch

 

 

Good to see doors open
 

 

Look up at the ceiling as you go in

 

On the wall is this plaque with points of interest

 

 

The nave, I took the photo after most people had left
 

 

The chancel arch

 

 

Inside the chancel

 

 

Wider view of the chancel

 

 

Altar & East window

 

The east window which which is in memory of Queen Victoria

 

 

Looking to the west end of the nave

 

 

This is the south east chapel

 

 

With quite a few memorials to view

 

 

Funerary Hatchments
 

 

Lancet window

 

 

Scripture tablets

 

 

There are a few really old memorials to see 

 

 

A tomb in the floor

 

 

Margaret White who died in 1640

 

 

The memorial is beneath another 

 

 

Pair of sidilia 

 

 Not sure what this was but looks like it's bee restored to a plinth

 

 

Memorial to Robert Edward Lesley Scott

 

 

One to Susanna Ponting 

 

 

The roll of honour for the village

 

 

Memorial in Latin 

 

 

Edward and Sarah Speke 

 

 

Ashe Memorial

 

 

Plaque to Elizabeth Knight
 

 

The organ looks quite new

 

 

Stained glass window

 

 

Another Stained glass window in the church

 

 

Arch inside and arch, I suspect the larger one was a window before the chapel was added 

 

 

The pulpit, sorry I did not get a photo from it but you can see Francis Kilvert giving a sermon from it while his father watched 

 

 

I'm wondering if the doorway here used to go to the gallery that Kilvert had removed

 

This fellow watched you from it 

If you look around you will also see a lot of carved heads on the corbels

 

 

North aisle now used for meetings and such

 

 

There as still a few pews in the north aisle
 

 

The font which Roberd Kilvert had placed in the church

 

 I will leave you with this photo of |Robert Kilverts grave with his church behind.

Till next time I wish you all a peaceful weekend