Tower and Town, June 2026

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St John The Baptist Church

Why are churches so important to so many of us? Is it the worship, the people we meet there or the stories they tell by the building itself? The Church of St John the Baptist, at the bottom of Church Lane, is part of the Marlborough Team in the Diocese of Salisbury; and who better to talk about this than David Sherratt, our historian and Sacristan.

"Glastonbury Abbey, in a 9th Century summary of land held, includes a parcel of land held in Minal since 804A.D. This would have contributed to the income of the Abbey along with other land gained in Somerset, Dorset, Wiltshire and other counties. The first visible evidence of a permanent building on the site is a two-storey stone Saxon tower, which, by the thickness of its walls may also have served as a refuge in those restless times.

"The first solid evidence of a church is the Norman nave with its typical Romanesque round arches. This has been dated to about 1100. Later, the arch into the tower and the arch into the chancel replaced their Norman originals about 12OO marking a new style, 'Early English'. Henry VIII's reign saw the upper storey of the tower built; and the clerestory may have been added then, making the church much lighter. The chief glory of the church is the exquisite carved woodwork in the nave box pews installed in 1814-16 and the chancel 'Strawberry Hill Gothic' built in the late 1700s. D.S."

The three original bells dating from 1596 were removed and recast by James Wells of Aldbourne into a ring of five in 1801. A sixth was added and the bells were tuned and rehung by Whitechapel Foundry in 1958, in memory of the Rev. Edward Courtman, last Rector-Patron, who ministered for 43 years in this Parish. The challenging but fulfilling art of bell-ringing is alive and well at Minal. The present organ was built by Jones of Kensington and installed in 1894 as a memorial to Charles Soames, a former Rector of the Parish.

Alongside the building itself, our church continues to be the body of people who come together to support and encourage one another in our faith. It's also a place to share in the joys and sadnesses of life, with others, through baptisms, weddings and funerals. Everyone is welcome, and we hope that you'll drop in to see us, to find out more.

Sarah Musgrave

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