St Mary’s Swainswick
Valued at 30 shillings (£1.50) in the Domesday Book, Swainswick was a wooded settlement.
It is possible that a wooden building for worship existed here before the first simple stone church was built towards the end of the 12th C. After the death of Edmund Forde in 1439, the church suffered financially and was listed as one of the churches in Somerset too poor to pay the 15th century equivalent of the quota, to the Bishop.
The title of Swainswick Manor, its lands and the patronage of the church, came into the ownership of Oriel College, Oxford in 1530.
At this time, there were other changes going on in England, beginning with the separation from the Roman Catholic Church and the assumption of religious leadership by King Henry VIII in 1534.
With the accession of Henrys son, Edward, in 1547 the removal of all symbols of ‘Popery’ was vigorously enforced. This coincided with the appointment at Swainswick of a new Minister, Thomas Ireland.
There have been several structural developments and restorations carried out over the centuries and detailed on the Church website see link
The village is a quiet corner with little to disturb it. The through roads are very narrow and only lead to other small villages and there is no hotel or pub that would otherwise attract visitors.
If anybody would like to expand to this series please do, we would just ask that you could let Sadexploration know first so he can keep track of the Church numbers and names to avoid duplication
To view the church micro stats page, please click here
Refreshments are now available in the Church. See noticeboard in the churchyard.
