Church of St. George, Preshute, Marlborough

There was a Saxon church here serving the now vanished settlement of Preshute. A Norman church was known to have existed in the 12th century and the dedication to St. George is first mentioned in 1232. In the 12th century the church had a chancel, nave with south aisle and a west tower. In the 14th century the south aisle and chancel were rebuilt while the tower was rebuilt in the 15th century. In 1726 the Earl of Hertford built a west gallery as a family pew, which from 1783 was reserved for guests staying at the Castle Inn. In 1854 the church, except for the tower was rebuilt to the designs of T.H. Wyatt who preserved the outline of the medieval church but not the 12th century chancel arch. The present church has a tower of dressed stone and a chancel with north vestry, and a nave with south aisle and porch in flint with stone dressings. There is a 12th century font of black Tounia (stone from Belgium) which is believed to have come from the old chapel of St. Nicholas in Marlborough Castle when the castle fell into disrepair.