STEPHEN Ings gave the Society a guided tour of Bramshaw Church in early June.

The church dates from the 12th century and originally belonged to a priory at Britford, but in 1158 it was given to Salisbury Cathedral.

The church and the older part of the churchyard is situated on a hillock and the road outside is part of the Sarum to Eling Turnpike; part of the old churchyard was lost when the road was built around 1756.

The oldest part of the existing church is the west end of the nave, which dates from the 13th century, but the rest of the church was rebuilt in the early part of the 19th century.

The south transept of the church has a gallery pew that was built for the girls’ school by the Eyre family.

The north transept was the Eyre family pew until the 1920s, and the family vault is under the floor.

On the arch above the transept are two hatchments dating from 1820 and 1837 for George Eyre and his wife who was a member of the Hulse family from Breamore House.

The hatchments were traditionally carried on the hearse at the funeral, hung in the house for a year and then placed in the church.

Bramshaw is unusual in having two royal coats of arms displayed.

The first has William IV’s arms, which have been painted over those of George III.

The second are the arms of the current Queen dated 1975 and donated by Revd Ben Elliot.

The next meeting of the society is Tuesday, September 3 at 7.30pm at Morgan’s Vale and Woodfalls Village Hall when the talk will be Folklore of Archaeological Sites in Hampshire by Alan Godden.