Church of St Peter and St Paul, Heytesbury

A church was mentioned at Hestrebe in the Domesday Book of 1086. The church was given to Salisbury Cathedral by Henry I in about 1115, together with the church of Godalming, Surrey, and lands lying beside the two churches, to form a prebend. Shortly after this the church became collegiate, with the head of the college the canon who held the prebend at the cathedral. A charter granted by bishop Josceline (or Jocelin) between 1150 and 1160 established four canons at Heytesbury. Their income included tithes from Tytherington, where there was a chapel, and from Horningsham; the churches of Hill Deverill and Swallowcliffe; and land at Wilton.

The large cruciform church dates from the 13th century, although a fragment of earlier work survives: one pier of the north aisle, with a scalloped capital, is partly from the late 12th century. The low tower over the crossing was completed in the 14th century The vestry and the gabled south porch are from the 19th century. Restoration in 1864-7 was by William Butterfield and included rebuilding of the north and south aisles; interior work included the addition of a coloured marble font in the south aisle, new pews, a polychrome tiled floor, and stained glass by Alexander Gibbs. The organ was installed in 1854 by J.W. Walker, having been moved from St Mary's, Bermondsey, London. It was…