The Church of St Nicholas is an

Anglican Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of the ...

parish church in

Bathampton Bathampton () is a village and civil parish east of Bath, England on the south bank of the River Avon. The parish has a population of 1,603. The Kennet and Avon Canal passes through the village and a toll bridge links Bathampton to Batheas ...

Somerset Somerset ( , ; Archaism, archaically Somersetshire , , ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, county in South West England which borders Gloucestershire and Bristol to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east and Devon to the so ...

, standing between the River Avon and the Kennet and Avon Canal. Built in the 13th century, with a 15th-century tower and 18th and 19th century restorations, it has been designated as a Grade II* listed building. The church is particularly noted for its ''Australia Chapel'', which celebrates Admiral

Arthur Phillip Admiral Arthur Phillip (11 October 1738 – 31 August 1814) was a British Royal Navy officer who served as the first governor of the Colony of New South Wales. Phillip was educated at Greenwich Hospital School from June 1751 until ...

, the first Governor of New South Wales who was buried there in 1814, while the churchyard contains several other significant tombs. The parish is part of the benefice of Bathampton with Claverton.

History

The church has its origins in the 13th-century, with John Stafford serving as one of its first vicars. During the 15th century it was altered with a chapel being added in 1500 and tower added in 1532. This three stage tower contains six bells, two of which date from the 1540s. In the mid 18th century Ralph Allen added

Gothic Gothic or Gothics may refer to: People and languages *Goths or Gothic people, the ethnonym of a group of East Germanic tribes **Gothic language, an extinct East Germanic language spoken by the Goths **Crimean Gothic, the Gothic language spoken b ...

components after he acquired Bathampton Manor in 1731. These features were mostly replaced by the rebuilding of the north aisle in 1858 by

Henry Goodridge Henry Edmund Goodridge (1797, Bath – 26 October 1864) was an English architect based in Bath. He worked from the early 1820s until the 1850s, using Classical, Italianate and Gothic styles. Life He was born in Bath in 1797 the son of James Goo ...

and the

restoration Restoration is the act of restoring something to its original state and may refer to: * Conservation and restoration of cultural heritage ** Audio restoration ** Film restoration ** Image restoration ** Textile restoration *Restoration ecology * ...

of the chancel in 1882 by Charles Edward Davis. On either side of the main door are brass plaques which serve as War Memorials to those from the village who died in World War I and World War II. Next to the porch is a medieval bowl which was used as the

font In metal typesetting, a font is a particular size, weight and style of a typeface. Each font is a matched set of type, with a piece (a "sort") for each glyph. A typeface consists of a range of such fonts that shared an overall design. In mod ...

Australia Chapel

The "Australia Chapel" in the south aisle contains memorials to the Allen family and to Admiral

, the first Governor of New South Wales. Phillip was buried in the church after his death in 1814 and although it was unnoticed for many years, the grave was discovered in 1897 and the Premier of New South Wales,

Sir Henry Parkes Sir Henry Parkes, (27 May 1815 – 27 April 1896) was a colonial Australian politician and longest non-consecutive Premier of the Colony of New South Wales, the present-day state of New South Wales in the Commonwealth of Australia. He has b ...

, had it restored. However, in 2007,

Geoffrey Robertson QC Geoffrey Ronald Robertson (born 30 September 1946) is a human rights barrister, academic, author and broadcaster. He holds dual Australian and British citizenship.

alleged that Phillip's remains may no longer be in St Nicholas': "...Captain Arthur Phillip is not where the ledger stone says he is: it may be that he is buried somewhere outside, it may simply be that he is simply lost. But he is not where Australians have been led to believe that he now lies." The windows of the sanctuary carry the coat of arms of the Federal Government and the six Australian States.

Churchyard

Buried in the churchyard is the body of Adolphe, Viscount du Barry, a French aristocrat and close friend of

Madame du Barry Jeanne Bécu, Comtesse du Barry (19 August 1743 – 8 December 1793) was the last '' maîtresse-en-titre'' of King Louis XV of France. She was executed, by guillotine, during the French Revolution due to accounts of treason—particularly bein ...

, Louis XV's mistress. The Vicomte was living in

Bath Bath may refer to: * Bathing, immersion in a fluid ** Bathtub, a large open container for water, in which a person may wash their body ** Public bathing, a public place where people bathe * Thermae, ancient Roman public bathing facilities Plac ...

when he was killed in a duel with Captain Rice, an Irish adventurer. Other notable local figures, such as Walter Sickert, are also buried in the churchyard, with many of the other chest tombs designated as listed buildings.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Bathampton, Church of Saint Nicholas 13th-century church buildings in England Church of England church buildings in Bath and North East Somerset Grade II* listed churches in Somerset Grade II* listed buildings in Bath and North East Somerset

History

Australia Chapel

Churchyard

See also

References

External links