Christchurch, Fosbury
Christchurch at Fosbury was built in 1854-56 to designs by the Gothic Revival architect Samuel Teulon and was consecrated, with a perpetual curate licensed to serve it, in 1856. The building itself is of flint, with dressings of Bath stone in the Decorated style. The church has a tower and a combined nave and chancel, but otherwise little of what Pevsner called Teulon’s “obstinate originality”. The vicarage attached to the church was also built by Teulon, of flint and red brick in the Tudor Gothic style, and which unlike the church Pevsner felt displayed Teulon’s originality to the full. This house was sold in 1956.
The church holds a chalice, paten and an alms dish, all hallmarked 1856, as well as a pair of chalices and a silver-mounted glass flagon (both hallmarked 1889). The 1856 plate bears an inscription on the underside of “presented to Christ Church Fosbury by H. R. and F. R. sons of the late Charles Henry Randall of Oxenwood”. The 1889 plate is inscribed “In memory of their late father R. C. Z. Bevan, from F. A. and M.
There is one bell at the church, with no distinguishing markings or history.
The living at the church was £250 in 1885 according to Kelly’s Directory, though this decreased to £237 by 1903, remaining at this level until 1923. After the merger with Tidcombe, the joint living was worth £392 in 1927, rising to £450 by 1935.
By at least 1864 there was a service at Christchurch twice each Sunday and once each on Christmas Day and Good Friday, though the average attendance was below 100 for these services, whilst communion was celebrated at Christmas and Easter where the number of communicants was around 25.
Administratively, from the church’s founding the ecclesiastical district consisted of Fosbury and Oxenwood, and from 1926 the vicarage was united to the Tidcombe vicarage. From 1962, this was joined to East Grafton vicarage, and in 1979 this was further united with other vicarages to form the Wexcombe United Benefice.
Other than those currently in use, the parish registers for baptisms, marriages and burials survive from 1856 and can be accessed at the Wiltshire and Swindon History Centre, Chippenham.