St Swithin's, Old Weston

St Swithin is situated at the far western end of the village. In days long gone plague decimated the village and houses were pulled down and burned. The village was re-built on a "clean" site away from the church, leaving it isolated. The area around the church appears to have had a torrid history. Houses were re-built again close to the church but a huge fire in 1701 destroyed the houses surrounding the church.   Today, St Swithin stands isolated in a peaceful and picturesque backroad. The church wall to the east side is a mass of plants and with the late season daffodils still in bloom this was a glorious setting.   There was a church mentioned here in the Domesday Survey of 1086, although the earliest part of the present structure dates from the late 13th century. The church was largely re-built in the 14th century, and much restoration was completed here in the late 19th century.    Four bells hang in the tower. The oldest is Elizabethan, dating from the 16th century, and was made by a Leicester foundry. Two bells are dated 1612, with both being made by Tobias Norris I, of the Stamford bellfoundry. It is thought that the fourth bell might also be from the Stamford bellfoundry, but this is unconfirmed. See Peterborough Churchcrawler for further information.

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