The village of Lydiard Tregoz disappeared over 300 years ago and
all that remains of it is the church. Lydiard Manor House was built
adjacent to the church - guide books state a house could have been
here from the Middle Ages, although the earliest record dates from
the 1700s.
Today, what is left of the estate is run by Swindon's Borough
Council. Inside the Church are many beautiful and amazing things,
please take time to have a wander round.
The painted triptych, dated 1615, was commissioned by Sir John St.
John (the 1st Baronet, is one of three commissions he undertook) to
commemorate his parents, Sir John (d.1594) and Lucy (Hungerford)
(d.1598). It is quite extraordinary to view - its size and quality
are the first noticeable points, followed by amazement at the
genealogical detail recorded on the front panels. When the panels
are opened (they are normally kept closed) the St. John family is
revealed. It shows Sir John and Lucy knelt on a tomb; to their left
is their son Sir John (1st Baronet) and his wife Anne (Leighton),
and to the right are the six daughters of Sir John. There is a
short guide available inside the church (written by D. Attwood)
which sums up the atmosphere in its Introduction with: "As you step
into the little parish church of St. Mary's, Lydiard Tregoz, 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-gin') family must look as good today as they did when they
were erected.
The painted ceiling with its stars and Angels is really
beautiful
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.
For more details about the monuments in the church, as well as its
stained glass windows, please refer to their web site.
The cache is hidden in an area that unfortunately doesn’t have
the best view of the church so please take a few moments to wander
round and have a better look at it.
Please take a few moments to look around the Church, this series is
about the destination, not just a smiley!!
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If any body would like to expand to this series please do, I would
just ask that you could let Sadexploration know first so he can
keep track of the Church numbers and names to avoid duplication
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