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Apart from changes to the windows and the 15th-century rebuilding of the chancel arch and addition of a short octagonal stone spire to the bell-turret, the church was unaltered until the mid-19th century. Then the roofs were renewed and stone from the demolition of St Peter's church was used to
628:
The
Cricket Club, based at the village hall, plays in the Gloucestershire & Wiltshire division. It was established in 1949 and in 2024 is celebrating its 75th year. It has three senior league teams, a senior team named "The Swingers", women's and girls' teams, as well as a junior section.
444:
Manor House (at the southeast entrance to the village) and Manor
Farmhouse are from the 17th century, as are Pool Farmhouse and Elm Cottage (both south of the village green). Willow House, north of the green, is dated 1730: a three-storey house with a formal five-bay south front.
475:. On 1 April 1934, the parish of Slaughterford was abolished and its area added to Biddestone; at the 1931 census, a population of 67 had been recorded for Slaughterford and 420 for Biddestone. On 1 July 2022, the merged parish was renamed "Biddestone and Slaughterford".
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The stone font with zigzag decoration is from the 12th century, and the eroded or defaced heads at the corners of its base may be 13th-century. The panelled west gallery on thin iron columns is from the late 17th century, and the
511:) and two windows in the chancel survive from that period, while the rest of the building dates from the 13th and 14th centuries. The east gable of the nave has a 13th-century bell-turret described as "remarkable" by
1305:
610:. The school at Biddestone, which also served Slaughterford, was built in 1844 and enlarged in 1875, and took children of all ages until 1945. It was closed in 1998 owing to falling pupil numbers.
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and Gordon
Stanley, and is held at the village playing fields. The festival raised over £27,000 for local good causes from the first four biannual events. The 2024 edition is on 6 July.
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A small
Methodist chapel stands at the northern extreme of the village, at the junction with Slaughterford Road. By 2009 this too was disused; records survive for the period 1960–1979.
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The Tennis Club has four floodlit courts. They play in the
Chippenham and District tennis league, entering both men's and women's A, B and C teams.
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It was built in the 12th century in rubble stone, on the foundations of an older church; the south door (with a pair of columns, and a cross in the
635:
The newest sports club in the village is
Biddestone Boules. Following years of running the September Biddy Boules competition, in 2023 a permanent
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Sometime before 1953, the benefice was united with
Slaughterford. Today the parish is part of the Bybrook Benefice, a group of ten rural parishes.
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forms the western boundary of the parish, while the northern boundary follows approximately the
Bristol to Chippenham road, now the
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chapel, dated 1832 and formerly known as
Ebenezer Chapel, is Grade II listed. By 2009 it had fallen into disuse.
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A traditional
English fete is held on The Green in Biddestone, every year on the third Saturday in June.
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There is no primary school; most children travel to By Brook Valley CE Primary School in nearby
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origin and larger than St Nicholas', it had been rebuilt in 1430. Its bell-cote was acquired by
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A church of St Peter, on the eastern side of the village, was demolished in 1846. Possibly of
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Duncan & Mandy Ball's Wiltshire churches website: St Nicholas, Biddestone
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Slaughterford has its own church, also dedicated to St Nicholas, and had a
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1255:"Biddestone Methodist Chapel - 1960-1979: trustees' meeting minute book"
1204:"Bellcote to east side of Italian Garden of Manor House Hotel (1283574)"
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765:"The Manor House and barn, Chippenham Lane, Biddestone (1363596)"
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The parish of Biddestone was formed on 25 March 1885 from
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The Corpus of Romanesque Sculpture in Britain and Ireland
650:
A music festival called Biddstock was founded in 2015 by
616:, in the Bybrook valley in the west of the parish, is a
1097:. The Buildings Of England. New Haven, US and London:
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The parish is just inside the eastern boundary of the
793:"Manor Farmhouse, Corsham Road, Biddestone (1198858)"
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670:Biddestone was a filming location for the TV film
819:"Pool Farmhouse, The Green, Biddestone (1022837)"
639:pitch was built at the rear of the village hall.
383:. The parish includes the smaller settlement of
1470:"Village of Biddestone enjoys Hollywood moment"
413:. Sites of Special Scientific Interest include
845:"Elm Cottage, The Green, Biddestone (1283626)"
618:biological Site of Special Scientific Interest
1503:Biddestone & Slaughterford Parish Council
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1001:"Church of St Nicholas, Biddestone (1198839)"
661:Biddstock 6th July 2024 music festival poster
375:, England, about 3 miles (5 km) west of
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1384:Biddestone and Slaughterford Parish Council
921:"Biddestone CP: Relationships and changes"
558:and made into a garden seat at his house,
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1420:"Biddstock music festival 6th July 2024"
595:on the A420 is just outside the parish.
433:, with four households, was recorded in
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700:"Wiltshire Community History – Census"
1445:"Agatha Raisin filming in Biddestone"
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1230:"Biddestone Baptist Chapel (1363601)"
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1060:"St Nicholas, Biddestone, Wiltshire"
591:, the White Horse. The Crown Inn at
1480:from the original on 6 January 2019
379:and 2 miles (3.2 km) north of
1544:Former civil parishes in Wiltshire
1508:Stiles family website – Biddestone
1234:National Heritage List for England
1208:National Heritage List for England
1005:National Heritage List for England
896:"Chippenham Registration District"
875:National Heritage List for England
849:National Heritage List for England
823:National Heritage List for England
797:National Heritage List for England
770:National Heritage List for England
411:Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
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1031:"St Nicholas' Church, Biddestone"
973:"Wiltshire Registration District"
947:"Biddestone CP: Total Population"
546:South door of St Nicholas' Church
523:. The nave was restored in 1900.
1449:The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald
951:A Vision of Britain through Time
925:A Vision of Britain through Time
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1177:"St Peter's Church, Biddestone"
498:Church of England parish church
1139:. 6 January 1953. p. 171.
722:"Biddestone and Slaughterford"
1:
519:extend the chancel to form a
419:Colerne Park and Monk's Wood
113:Biddestone and Slaughterford
1335:biddestone.play-cricket.com
1284:Wiltshire Community History
1181:Wiltshire Community History
1035:Wiltshire Community History
421:, both near Slaughterford.
90:OS grid reference
18:Human settlement in England
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953:. University of Portsmouth
927:. University of Portsmouth
453:The civil parish elects a
1151:"St Nicholas, Biddestone"
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1356:"Biddestone Tennis Club"
367:is a village and former
1524:Biddestone Cricket Club
1386:. March 2023. p. 7
1377:"Biddestone Broadsheet"
1066:. King's College London
457:. It is in the area of
1519:Biddestone Tennis Club
1306:"Honeybrook Farm SSSI"
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473:Biddestone St Nicholas
210:Postcode district
140:Ceremonial county
122:Unitary authority
1539:Villages in Wiltshire
1259:The National Archives
1099:Yale University Press
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679:The Christmas Candle
587:The village has one
253:Dorset and Wiltshire
190:Sovereign state
1286:. Wiltshire Council
1183:. Wiltshire Council
1037:. Wiltshire Council
702:. Wiltshire Council
492:St Nicholas' Church
469:Biddestone St Peter
343: /
35:Biddestone's large
1510:, archived in 2002
1408:. 5 February 2017.
1228:Historic England.
1202:Historic England.
1157:. 28 February 2015
1136:The London Gazette
999:Historic England.
869:Historic England.
843:Historic England.
817:Historic England.
791:Historic England.
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560:Castle Combe Manor
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500:of St Nicholas is
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276:UK Parliament
222:Dialling code
84:498 (in 2011)
1476:. 15 March 2013.
1108:978-0-300-25120-3
1087:Pevsner, Nikolaus
531:are from c.1800.
462:unitary authority
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1533:Categories
1484:7 December
1454:7 December
1315:7 December
1213:7 December
1161:7 December
1117:1201298091
1070:7 December
880:7 December
743:Biddestone
686:References
593:Giddeahall
377:Chippenham
365:Biddestone
335:51°27′36″N
204:CHIPPENHAM
166:South West
81:Population
63:Biddestone
24:Biddestone
1406:"Gallery"
1095:Wiltshire
979:28 August
957:29 August
931:29 August
608:Nettleton
583:Amenities
521:sanctuary
437:in 1086.
431:Bedestone
408:Cotswolds
391:Geography
373:Wiltshire
338:2°11′53″W
324:Wiltshire
260:Ambulance
241:Wiltshire
200:Post town
148:Wiltshire
130:Wiltshire
71:Wiltshire
1478:Archived
1429:23 April
1390:23 April
1361:23 April
1340:23 April
1093:(2021).
854:23 April
682:(2013).
529:box pews
509:tympanum
97:ST863735
975:. UKBMD
898:. UKBMD
745:in the
724:. Mapit
567:Baptist
425:History
381:Corsham
319:England
293:Website
182:England
176:Country
1115:
1105:
902:6 July
728:4 July
643:Events
637:boules
577:Quaker
538:Others
236:Police
158:Region
1380:(PDF)
552:Saxon
226:01249
1486:2021
1456:2021
1431:2024
1392:2024
1363:2024
1342:2024
1317:2021
1292:2015
1266:2015
1241:2015
1215:2021
1189:2015
1163:2021
1113:OCLC
1103:ISBN
1072:2021
1043:2015
1012:2015
981:2023
959:2023
933:2023
904:2023
882:2021
856:2016
830:2015
804:2015
778:2015
730:2023
708:2015
606:and
496:The
471:and
440:The
417:and
401:A420
395:The
248:Fire
215:SN14
589:pub
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