Church of St. Mary the Virgin, Limpley Stoke
Edith, the daughter of King Edgar, born to Wulfthryn in 962 A.D. and Abbess of Wilton, was canonised after her death aged 22 years, and was the patron saint of Limpley Stoke church for the first 500 years of its existence.
From as early as 1349 the chapelry of Limpley Stoke was annexed to Bradford on Avon. Changes were proposed in 1656, although no permanent change was made until the 19th century. This chapel was held by the Crown until granted by the Queen to John Mersche and John Turpyn in 1578, and known as 'Our Lady of Limpley's Chapel'. In 1608 there was a house annexed to it and an acre of adjoining land.
The Church of St. Mary the Virgin at Limpley Stoke comprises a nave, chancel, south aisle, west tower and north porch. Dating from pre-conquest times it was rebuilt in the 12th and 13th centuries, and the west tower was added in the 15th century. The chancel was restored and the nave re roofed in 1870, and in 1921 an aisle and vestry were added on the south side, retaining a tall pre-conquest round headed doorway.
From as early as 1349 the chapelry of Limpley Stoke was annexed to Bradford on Avon. Changes were proposed in 1656, although no permanent change was made until the 19th century. This chapel was held by the Crown until granted by the Queen to John Mersche and John Turpyn in 1578, and known as 'Our Lady of Limpley's Chapel'. In 1608 there was a house annexed to it and an acre of adjoining land.
The Church of St. Mary the Virgin at Limpley Stoke comprises a nave, chancel, south aisle, west tower and north porch. Dating from pre-conquest times it was rebuilt in the 12th and 13th centuries, and the west tower was added in the 15th century. The chancel was restored and the nave re roofed in 1870, and in 1921 an aisle and vestry were added on the south side, retaining a tall pre-conquest round headed doorway.
Drawings by a Bath Architect, James Irvine, dating from the 1860s suggest that one stepped down from the church path into the porch and then again into the nave. The nave is built of random rubble stone, the chancel in ashlar and the tower in squared and coursed masonry. The stained glass windows of the chancel and the rounded porch entrance date from the 15th century. The tower has a plain parapet and a short octagonal spire and the east end of the nave has a bell-cote. The organ loft is situated across the west end of the nave and is constructed of earlier 17th century panels, while the font is modern. The wall pulpit is situated in the north wall at the east end of the nave, and is of 15th century carved stone.
The churchyard contains twelve coffin shaped stone slabs of the 13th and 14th centuries which are badly weathered. The plate comprises an Elizabethan chalice with paten cover c.1577, one of the oldest in Wiltshire, a silver gilt paten c.1884, a glass flagon, a second chalice presented in 1922, a paten given in 1950 and a wafer box dating from1935. In 1553 there were three bells, but two were sold in 1788 to provide funds for a font, a reading desk and a wooden pulpit. The existing bell dates from 1596 and the registers date from 1707.
The churchyard contains twelve coffin shaped stone slabs of the 13th and 14th centuries which are badly weathered. The plate comprises an Elizabethan chalice with paten cover c.1577, one of the oldest in Wiltshire, a silver gilt paten c.1884, a glass flagon, a second chalice presented in 1922, a paten given in 1950 and a wafer box dating from1935. In 1553 there were three bells, but two were sold in 1788 to provide funds for a font, a reading desk and a wooden pulpit. The existing bell dates from 1596 and the registers date from 1707.