Description

SWINDON THE LAWN
SU 18 SE
4/116 Church of the Holy Rood
2.10.51 II

Chapel, formerly Anglican parish church. C13 and 1736. Rubble limestone, ashlar
piers and dressings. Stone slate roof. Chancel blocked at west end and former north
porch reset as west door. Three bays of ruined nave arcade, reset at lower level.
The north wall of the chapel has 3 blocked arches of former arcade of 2 chamfered
orders on a circular column with nailhead ornament on the capital. Chancel arch also
of 2 orders on bold C13-C14 corbels of a king and queen. The nave piers are hexagonal
with keel on intrados carried round the arches without intervening capitals.
Blocked north chancel door. South and east windows of C18, round headed, and a
blocked south door with bracketed cornice and inscription recording the restoration
by John Vilett, knight and lay rector, in 1736. Numerous C18-early C19 tombstone
form paving in former nave. The nave, north and south aisles and the west tower
were demolished in 1852. Interior: open timber roof of 4 bays, the trusses re-
modlled in C18. Walls plastered and colourwashed. There is a fine collection of
memorials refixed to the walls in the C19, and some unfixed slabs. Significant are
those of Elenor Huchens, coloured and gilded chalk, 1610; Rev. John Neate, died
1719, with broken pediment and flanking pilasters; Mrs Millicent Neate, died 1764,
marble urns on pyramid over a sarcophagus; Mary Wayt, died 1724, aedicule with
broken pediment, putto below; William Horne, died 1730, Latin inscription within
aedicule with broken pediment. There are also a C19 font and pulpit. The grave-
slabs laid in the former nave, now externally, are also of interest, including
John Alexander, died 1697 aged 117 years. (Bird D. The Story of Holy Rood, 1975.)

Listing NGR: SU1605983651

External Links

• Historic England Listing

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Historic Environment Law: Planning, Listed Buildings, Monuments, Conservation Areas and Objects by Harwood, Richard (2012) Paperback
• 
  Hampshire: South (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Kent: West and the Weald: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Gwent/Monmouthshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Wales)
• 
  Bedfordshire, Huntingdonshire, and Peterborough (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  [(Bedfordshire, Huntingdon and Peterborough)] [By (author) Nikolaus Pevsner] published on (January, 1968)