Church of St. Michael and All Angels, Melksham
In 1086 Romuld was the priest of Melksham but there is no evidence for a Saxon church, although this could well have been a wooden building of which no trace has been found. The Saxon settlement was certainly around the site of the present church and it seems reasonable to suppose that there was a place of worship here then. The foundation of the present church dates from the Norman period with the earliest part of the fabric to be found in the chancel walls. A Norman string course of c.1130 indicates that the present church, less the tower, is the same length as the Norman one. In the 14th century the church was widened by the addition of the south aisle, but the major rebuilding occurred in the 15th century when, as in neighbouring communities, the town was expanding and becoming more prosperous. A chapel, Lady Chapel, clerestory and north and south porches were added, all in the Perpendicular style. In the 16th century a central tower was added, perhaps indicating the greater wealth and importance of the town brought about by the cloth industry. This tower was taken down and rebuilt at the western end of the church in the 1845 restoration by T.H. Wyatt. He also added a vestry and removed the galleries and the south porch. This was the last major restoration and the most drastic considering what was destroyed. There is a peal of eight bells, which were recast in 1924 and on a south east buttress is a medieval sundial or scratch dial.