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St. Mary
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Main Page    |   Outside Pages:  Outside    Gravestones    |   Inside Pages:  Inside    Altar Rail    Bosses    Corbels    Memorials    South Porch    Stained Glass Windows    Triptych    War Memorial Book    Wall Paintings    |   Monuments:  Golden Cavalier    John & Anne St. John (Rysbrack)    Katherine Mompesson    Nicholas & Elizabeth St. John    St. John Tomb    |   Related Pages:  History Guide    Lydiard Park & House    War Memorial (at Hook)    Wiltshire Collections Entry   


   
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St. Mary, Lydiard Tregoz(e), Wiltshire, England



St. Mary's church in Lydiard Tregoze is difficult to describe without sounding too ambitious!  It might be small compared to city cathedrals, but it is packed with history, majesty and the most splendid monuments.  It has the most impressive Royal Coat of Arms we have seen, wall paintings from the 1400s, a beautifully restored stained glass window, corbels, bosses and even a triptych (polyptych).

Inside the church there is a short guide available, written by D. Attwood, which sums up the atmosphere of St. Mary's in its Introduction with:  "As you step into the little parish church of St. Mary's, Lydiard Tregoze, it seems as if you step back hundreds of years into the past."  The impressive monuments to various members of the St. John (pronounced 'sin jin') family must look as good today as they did when they were erected.  Do pick up a copy of the guide which, in its own words, sets out to attempt to answer some of the most frequent questions that visitors ask about the church, but it also mentions smaller, less obvious things that you might otherwise miss.  We have used this guide, a booklet about Lydiard House and the Wiltshire Collections book as our source for information given on these web pages.

Although it would be easy to view this building as a museum to the St. John family, this is misleading as it still has a thriving worshipping community.  But what a splendid job its current congregation - and the 'Friends of' - do in taking care of its history.  See  St. Mary's website.  You will be welcome to go to church services, but should you want to visit the building just to look round it, try to avoid the service times (which are shown on their website).

The church is usually kept locked when not in use but you can obtain a key from the close-by mansion house main entrance during its open hours (currently 11am to 4pm or 5pm daily, except Mondays, depending on time of year).  You will need to take proof of identity and sign for the key.

St. Mary's church is a Grade I listed building - see details at:  British Listed Buildings  website.  Some of the tombs and railings are also listed, details can be searched for at the same website.
Outside
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Lydiard Tregoze - photo: 0001
The church of St. Mary
Photo: July 1999
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Lydiard Tregoze - photo: 0039
The piers and railings are Grade II listed
info
Photo: June 2000
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Showing the north of the church
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West Door (main entrance)
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West side of tower
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West window
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Figures on the Tower are rather weather worn
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The north side of the church
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St. Mary's Church
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East window
Photo: January 2004
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The south side of the church
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Door into the St. John Chapel
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South Porch
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Sundial located over the South Porch door
Photo: November 2004
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South wall of tower
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Photo: June 2011
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The south side of the church
Photo: November 2004
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Showing the proximity of the church to the St. John home
Photo: January 2013
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The St. John family home in Lydiard Park
More Photographs
Photo: November 2004
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Other side of previous grave, photo 0043
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These stones now form the path
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Taken from Tewkesbury Way in West Swindon
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Photo: November 2004
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This page was last updated on 11th April 2013
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