Holy Trinity Church, Fonthill Gifford

Holy Trinity Church at Fonthill Gifford was built for the Marquess of Westminster under the direction of T.H.Wyatt to replace St Nicholas Church and was consecrated in 1866. The church is said to be one of the best examples of Victorian Estate Churches in Wiltshire. It is in Gothic style, with an apsidal chancel, north vestry and south tower with spire.  The single bell which had hung in St Nicholas church was rehung in the new tower. It was recast in 1918.

It is of limestone ashlar construction with a tiled roof and contains a nave with north and south chapels. The chancel has four buttresses. The 3 stage tower to the south east has an octagonal spire. There is a cylindrical stair turret to the east with a conical roof. In the west end is a circular window. The arches of arcades, in the north and south chapels, rest on pink marble piers. It is thought that the polychrome tiled floor in the chancel is possibly by Minton. 

The east stained glass window is in memory of William Redcliffe who died in 1885. Original pews and choir stalls remain, together with a marble font resting on five columns.

The pink and grey marble pulpit has relief of carved heads of four Apostles.  A stone plaque, on the vestry wall, and dated 18th May 1748, records that a building on this site of an 18th century church was demolished in the 1860’s by Alderman William Beckford. 

In the churchyard is the chest tomb of Edward Spencer, a surgeon who died in 1804. The Morrison Monument is also a chest tomb, that of William Morrison who died in 1897. He had been the owner of Fonthill House which had been built in 1848/9 by Wyatt and Brandon.  

Parish registers are available for consultation at the Wiltshire & Swindon History Centre.

Later registers remain with the church as they are still in use.