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National Gazetteer (1868) - Bremhill

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The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland - 1868

"BREMHILL, a parish in the hundred of Chippenham, in the county of Wilts, 2 miles to the N.W. of Calne, and 4 E. from Chippenham, its post town. It is pleasantly situated near the river Avon, and the Great Western railway, and contains the tythings of Foxham, East Tytherton, Bremhill, Studley, &c. The Berkshire and Wilts canal passes through the parish. The living is a vicarage* in the diocese of Salisbury, value £506, in the patronage of the bishop. The church, which is dedicated to St. Martin, stands on an elevated site, commanding an extensive prospect over the surrounding country. It is an ancient structure, with a square embattled tower, and contains a rood-loft, a stone font, several monumental brasses (the earliest being of the year 1516), and a monument to one of the Hungerford family, who had their seat at Studley. There is an old stone cross in the churchyard.

 

William Lisle Bowles, the poet, formerly held the vicarage of Bremhill, and died here in 1845. He wrote a history of the parish, which was published about 1828, and contains illustrations of several monuments of ancient times existing in the neighbourhood. The vicarage was then conferred by Bishop Denison on the late Archdeacon of Wilts, the Venerable Henry Drury, M.A., Chaplain to the House of Commons, who died in January, 1863. The Wesleyans and Primitive Methodists have chapels here. The parochial charities consist of the produce of an endowment founded in 1478 by Maud Heath, for the maintenance of an old footpath, now amounting to about £105 per annum. The Roman way, Watling Street, passes through Bremhill, and in the vicinity are the ancient Wandsdyke, and the venerable remains of the temple at Avebury. The Moravians have a settlement near East Tytherton. The old seat of the Hungerfords is now a farmhouse. The Marquis of Lansdowne is lord of the manor."

"CHARLCOTT, a tything in the parish of Bremhill, in the county of Wilts, 3 miles N. of Calne."

"EAST TYTHERTON, a tything in the parish of Bremhill, county Wilts, 3 miles N.W. of Calne."

"FOXHAM, a tything and chapelry in the parish of Bremhill, hundred of Chippenham, county Wilts, 4 miles N.E. of Chippenham, its post town, and 8 S.W. of Wootton-Bassett. It includes the tythings of Charlcar and Spirt-hill. The living is a curacy annexed to the vicarage of Bremhill, in the diocese of Salisbury. The chapel is dedicated to St. John the Baptist. The Wesleyans have a chapel, and there is a National school."

"SPIRTHILL, a tything in the parish of Bremhill, county Wilts, 2 miles N.W. of Calne."

"STUDLEY, a tything in the parish of Bremhill, county Wilts, 2 miles W. of Calne, on the Wilts and Berks canal."

[Description(s) from The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland (1868) - Transcribed by Colin Hinson ©2003]