Many of Bath’s iconic Georgian setpieces are the work of two architects bearing the name John Wood.
They were a father and son and gave us the Circus, Queen Square, and the Royal Crescent – to name but a few.
I doubt if many know that John Wood the Elder – and members of his family – were laid to rest in a pretty Grade 2* listed church – dating from the 12th century.
It’s the church of St Mary the Virgin at Upper Swainswick, on the A46 side of the city.
From there Susanna Watson – who is a churchwarden – writes:
‘Happy New Year! We have, at last, got permission to go ahead with the restoration of the lettering on the graves for John Wood and his family.
The work will be done by Iaian Cotton and he is hoping to do it in mid-February. It’s being funded by Bath World Heritage Enhancement Fund.
Do explore the links to artist Iain Cotton and the World Heritage Enhancement Fund below.
https://www.bathworldheritage.org.uk/enhancement-fund
https://www.iaincotton.co.uk/
It is hoped that – at some point in the near future – some sort of non-invasive investigation can be done by experts – using ground-penetrating radar – to try and discover how many burials there may be under the two ledges stones.
They bear the names of John Wood the Elder and Anna – daughter of John Wood the Younger. However, it is thought that John Wood junior may also be buried there.
l’ll keep you up to date on that.
As Charles Curnock points out – in the comments section below – Iain was responsible for carving the Cotswold Way marker installed in the paving outside the West Front of Bath Abbey.
I found this photograph from 2018!
Thank you for that Richard,
I have fond memories of visiting Iain Cotton’s studio when he was designing and making the Cotswold Way Marker now installed in the paving outside the west front of the Abbey. Iain described winning that contract as the highlight of his career.
Best wishes,
Charles
Sent from my iPhone