Church
land mark
SIR
--- A ceremony will take place on Sunday, Jan. 1, 1984, at St. Mary's
Church, Cricklade in Wiltshire, which will be a unique landmark in the
history of the medieval borough, the Church of England and the Roman
Catholic Church.
On that day, the redundant parish church of the former parish of
Cricklade St Mary will revert from Anglican to Roman use, the first
parish church to make such a change.
A church probably stood on the site of Saint Mary's long before the
Saxon town walls were constructed as part of King Alfred's Burghal
Hidage defence of Wessex.
It was near Cricklade that Saint Augustine met the British bishops early
in the seventh century when the town would have been little more than a
hamlet originating from an error made by Vespasian's engineers who built
part of Ermin Street over the floodplain north of the town.
I am happy that the redundant church has found such suitable occupants
which should ensure that the fabric will be well cared for.
T.
RAMSDEN-BINKS
Cricklade,
Wilts