Holy Trinity Church Old Wolverton Chimera
Posted by: 
Norfolk12
N 52° 03.844 W 000° 49.796
30U E 648754 N 5770386
A Pair of faces either side of the church clock face
Waymark Code: WM31WC
Location: South East England, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 01/27/2008
Views: 33
this church is an Architectural Treasure being the first in England if not Europe to be built in the "Reformed Norman" style. Set in the countryside on the edge of the railway town of Wolverton it offers a haven of peace and tranquility.
overlooking the river ouse
Well it might just look like a small hill now, but...the large mound next to Holy Trinity Church, Old Wolverton marks the site of the Norman Wolverton Castle!
The castle was built around 1100 by the de Wolverton family who made it the centre of their extensive estates. Typical of the early castle of the time, it was a 'motte and bailey style' earth and wooden castle. It consisted of an earth mound (motte) piled high with a ditch round the outside, topped with a timber tower and a courtyard (bailey) defended by a bank topped with a timber palisade. Inside the bailey there would have been living accommodation, stores, barns and stables.
These days you might just miss it - it's the small hill just to the East of the church, covered in trees. There's a badger's sett in it these days and a lot of other wild life.
Holy Trinity Church dates from the Saxon period, so would have been on the site before the castle.
To get to the castle, walk down the gravel drive to the church and follow the footpath into the church grounds, it is on your right hand side.
Water spout is used: no
Condition: Lightly Weathered
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