Church of St. Birinus, Morgan';s Vale, Redlynch

When the school was built at Morgan's Vale a classroom was consecrated and used for worship to save local people travelling to the church of St. Laurence at Downton. The church was built as a chapel of ease to Downton church in 1894-6 and was served from the church of St.Laurence. In 1915 a perpetual curacy was established and an ecclesiastical district assigned out of Downton parish. The church is of local red brick with stone dressings and the roof tiles were also made in the parish. There is a chancel, with a north vestry and organ chamber, and a nave with a west baptistry, south porch and north vestry. It is a commanding building, designed by C.E. Ponting, in the Italianate style. From 1950 the curate from Redlynch was in charge and it became a plural benefice from 1953 to 1968 when Morgan's Vale was united with Redlynch. The marriage registers from 1915, other than the one in current use, are held in the Wiltshire and Swindon History Centre at Chippenham. Records from 1838 will be found in the Redlynch registers, and earlier ones in the Downton registers.