Bremilham Church, Norton
What is considered to be one of the smallest churches in Britain is found in the parish; Bremilham Church, in a farmyard in Foxley is just 12 feet square, with a western bellcote, and is part of Cowage Farm. It has only one pew, which seats four or five people, and six people can stand at the back. A service is held once a year for Rogationtide. Prior to the present owners using it as a church, the famer used it to keep turkeys in.
It was either rebuilt in the 1890s or is the unreconstructed chancel of the 15th century church, after the existing church there was demolished c.1874 following an agreement in 1873 to close the church, with Cowage Farm charged with the maintenance of the chapel, which was to be a mortuary chapel, on the site of the chancel of the original church. The last burial in the churchyard took place in 1904. The earlier church was also undedicated and in the 18th century consisted of a nave (25 feet by 13 feet) and a chancel (13 feet by 11 feet). The side walls were 10 feet high and it had two 13th century lancet windows in the south wall, a round-headed south doorway and 16th century windows in the south and west walls. In 1809 it had a western wooden bellcote. It is likely that a church stood here before 1179 when Amesbury Priory had the duty of providing a chaplain to serve it. The first rector is mentioned in 1298 but there is no record of any having lived in the parish.
It was either rebuilt in the 1890s or is the unreconstructed chancel of the 15th century church, after the existing church there was demolished c.1874 following an agreement in 1873 to close the church, with Cowage Farm charged with the maintenance of the chapel, which was to be a mortuary chapel, on the site of the chancel of the original church. The last burial in the churchyard took place in 1904. The earlier church was also undedicated and in the 18th century consisted of a nave (25 feet by 13 feet) and a chancel (13 feet by 11 feet). The side walls were 10 feet high and it had two 13th century lancet windows in the south wall, a round-headed south doorway and 16th century windows in the south and west walls. In 1809 it had a western wooden bellcote. It is likely that a church stood here before 1179 when Amesbury Priory had the duty of providing a chaplain to serve it. The first rector is mentioned in 1298 but there is no record of any having lived in the parish.
The parish registers from 1813 to 1992 (baptisms), 1813 to 1874 (marriages) and 1813 to 1904 (burials) are held in the Wiltshire & Swindon History Centre at Chippenham.