St Swithins Church, Old Weston
St Swithins Church Services
Holy Communion September 25th at 10am--------
Harvest Festival and Lunch
You are invited to St Swithin's Harvest Festival and Lunch on the 23rd of October 2011
Service at the Church at 11am, lunch (2 courses with wine) at the Village Hall at 12 noon.
Please bring all harvest donations to the Church before 11 am and these will be auctioned after lunch.
If you are planning to attend please let Julie (juliechob@aol.com or 293185) know the following...
Number of adults (at £7.50)
Number of children at (£3.50)
Dietary requirements (such as gluten free diet or diabetic)
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Group Service October 31st at 10.30am
| Priest in charge | Brenda Stewart, appointed by Bishop Stephen in April 2011 and joining in early 2012 |
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| Church Warden | Julie Chobrzynska |
01832 293185 |
| Church Warden | Philip Slane |
01832 293571 |
History of St Swithins Church
Originally built in the late 13th century St Swithin's church is situated at the far west of the village, away from the rest of the homes and farms of Old Weston. This is thought to be because the original village, which was built near the church, was burnt and abandoned following an outbreak of the plague. It was later rebuilt on a "clean" site which was away from the church.A short history can be found inside the church and the interested visitor can be rewarded by the sight of many original and historically important features such as the remaining fragments of medieval paintings on the wall of the South aisle. These depict the enthronement of one bishop by two other bishops, the beheading of St John the Baptist, St Margaret and St Catherine, and other fragments including a Wheel of Fortune.
Curious Church Custom
With reference to the strewing of the Parish church floor with new mown hay on St Swithin's Day a correspondent, Mr John Smithson traces the custom to squeaking boots."The villagers," he writes, "once had the strange propensity for buying their new boots in July, and wearing them for the first time on St Swithin's Day. This developed into a practice that became universal in the district and accordingly there was a terrible amount of squeaking made by these boots when the people trooped into Church on the Saint's day. This creaking noise much irritated a wealthy gentleman who lived at Old Weston, and who was rather eccentric. This man therefore left in his will a sum of money, to be spent each year in providing a large quantity of new-mown hay, to be spread over the floor of the Church as a preventive of the noise caused by the squeaking boots."
Some accounts say it was an old lady who did not like the squeaky boots.
The custom is over 300 years old.
A rood of land was in the custody of the Parish Clerk to to grow hay on condition that it was mown for strewing purposes immediately before the feast of St Swithin.
As with all old stories one can not be absolutely sure that this is the only explanation!
One story I know to be true, however! Read about the deathwatch beetle incident while the church was being renovated.
