Compton Bassett
| Compton Bassett | |
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 Village Hall, Compton Bassett |
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 Compton Bassett
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| Compton Bassett shown within Wiltshire | |
| Population | 227 (in 2011) |
| OS grid reference | SU037720 |
| Civil parish |
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| Unitary authority | |
| Ceremonial county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | Calne |
| Postcode district | SN11 |
| Dialling code | 01249 |
| Police | Wiltshire |
| Fire | Dorset and Wiltshire |
| Ambulance | South Western |
| EU Parliament | South West England |
| UK Parliament | |
| Website | http://www.comptonbassett.com/ |
Compton Bassett is a village and rural civil parish in Wiltshire, England, with a population of approximately 250. The village lies about 1 mile (1.6 km) north of Cherhill and 2 1⁄2 miles (4.0 km) east of the town of Calne.
The Church of England parish church of St Swithin, in the southwest of the village, is from the late 12th century, when it belonged to Bicester priory. Work from the 12th and 13th centuries survives in the nave while the tower and clerestory are from the 15th. The finely-carved stone screen is also 15th-century and is described by Pevsner as "what remains in one's memory". In 1865 Henry Woodyer added the north porch and rebuilt the chancel with its side-chapels; the east window by Hardman is from the same time.
The church was designated as Grade I listed in 1960. Today it forms part of the Oldbury Benefice, a group of five rural parishes.
The rectory built c. 1840 was sold in 1968.
In 1997, Compton Bassett church gained notoriety when a local resident, 65-year-old Midge Mather, broke into the church and cut through the bell ropes because she could not stand the noise of the bells. It took her upwards of two hours after breaking down the doors to cut the ropes and when she got home she rang the police and told them what she had done. She was given a Conditional Discharge for her actions.
A manor house stood at Compton Bassett in 1553. A later house with a courtyard, standing in 1659, was later called Compton Bassett House. In 1672 the courtyard was built over to form a rectangular house with corner towers, having white stone walls. The house was encased in brick in the 19th century, probably by George Heneage Walker-Heneage, Member of Parliament for Devizes 1838-1857. Its parkland extended south and west into Cherhill parish, and in 1830 a half-timbered lodge was built at the western entrance.
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Wikipedia