Baydon

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Baydon
Wiltshire
StNicBaydon.jpg
St Nicholas' parish church
Location
Grid reference: SU2878
Location: 51°30’0"N, 1°35’53"W
Data
Population: 525  (2001)
Post town: Marlborough
Postcode: SN8
Dialling code: 01672
Local Government
Council: Wiltshire
Parliamentary
constituency:
Devizes
Website: Baydon village website

Baydon is a village in Wiltshire, about 10 miles south-east of Swindon. The eastern boundary of the parish forms part of the county boundary with Berkshire and the village is about seven miles north-west of the Berkshire market town of Hungerford.

The parish church of St Nicholas has a Norman nave and two-bay north arcade.[1] The south aisle and northern clerestory are Early English Gothic.[1] The north aisle was rebuilt in 1857-58 by the Gothic Revival architect GE Street.[1] The south clerestory is Perpendicular Gothic.[1]

History

Baydon is close to the Ridgeway, believed to be a pre-Roman road. The village is on the course of Ermine Street, a Roman Road between Corinium Dobunnorum (Cirencester) and Calleva Atrebatum (Silchester).

Sir Isaac Newton bought an estate in Baydon which he settled on three of his grand-nephews and nieces days before his death in 1727.[2] He later admitted that he had overpaid for it.

The M4 motorway which passes just north of the village was opened on 22 December 1971.

Outside links

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("Wikimedia Commons" has material
about Baydon)

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Pevsner & Cherry, 1975, page 105
  2. Brewster, 1855, page 397

Sources and further reading