Great Cheverell is another of the long thin strip parishes with which Wiltshire abounds, the village sits towards the north of the parish on the descent from the downs and to the west of the village, on an elbow of the falling hill, is the church of St Peter.
Nowadays we tend to forget geography, or diminish it to mere distance and place, but in a time when transport was by foot and portage most often by pack animal then geography achieves a prominence unfamiliar to us. The southern end of this parish is high on northern marches of Salisbury plain, whilst the north is in the fertile lowlands of the valleys with their infant streams. For a community to encompass such a variety of resource within the distance of a stiff afternoon walk represents considerable 'wealth' so it is no wonder that this area has been settled since early times and good evidence exists of substantial Romano-British settlement on the rising hills of the downs to the South of the current village.
(Great Cheverell, Wiltshire, the church of St Peter from the East)
Great Cheverell itself can be found in the doomsday book and evidence of a church here goes back to the 12'th century. The current structure is largely of 13'th and 14'th century origin though much rebuilt by a local family in the late 15'th century at which time the north arcade was added. The North arcade (sometimes called the Townsend Chapel) boasts a large memorial to James Townsend (d. 1730). From 1704 until the mid 19'th century there was a small west gallery to the nave and this area was marked out in the 19'th century restoration by a roof painting of cherubs. This restoration left the body of the church relatively unchanged though the current form of the chancel owes much to its ministration.
(Great Cheverell, Wiltshire, the church of St Peter, nave and north arcade)
(Great Cheverell, Wiltshire, the church of St Peter, chancel demonstrating its 19'th century form)
The tower clock is reputed to date originally from 1629 and its face demonstrates that it is of an early form. The graveyard extend to the south of the church and is gently sloping.
(Great Cheverell, Wiltshire, the church of St Peter from the South showing the graveyard)
Photographed in August 2010 for theChurchPhotographer by Nick Temple-Fry. This church is usually open.
