Another church that fits the estate agents mantra about location. But here at Rushall, St Matthews church stands replete in its own isolation. Just where is the village? Of course the visitor to this Wiltshire church will have solved that question; but still, it is all a bit of a puzzle.
Or would be if the history were not known. Back in 1749 one Edward Poore purchased the manor and set about improvements, little hindrance being provided by the existence of the village. Roads were closed and cottages raised, landscape gardening in all its aristocratic glory. And all for such temporary gain, by 1838 the Poores were gone, the land split by inheritance and the great house a mound in the ground.
St Matthew's church, first recorded in 1086, though the earliest surviving structure dates from a rebuilding in 1332 and can be seen in the Chancel arch and part of the North wall. The Church was again rebuilt by the Poores, mainly in brick (except where it faced the manor). Further building took place in the 1870's and at the start of the 20th century.
The result is an impressively situated structure, partly surrounded by a Ha-Ha (steep bricked ditch to exclude sheep and cattle), with a welcoming well maintained interior, albeit lacking some of the character of other local churches.
This church is normally open and was photographed in June 2010 by Nick Temple-Fry for theChurchPhotographer
