Country Churches

104. St Swithuns, Nateley Scures

Nateley Scures lies just south of the busy A30 road a few miles east of Basingstoke. This small Norman church can only be approached by a muddy farm track full of pot holes. The north doorway, c.1200 has an arch of zig-zags and one capital with a mermaid carving. Red and black tiles form the floor of the nave, the roof is timbered and a narrow staircase leads up to a gallery at the west end where the organ is situated. The little bell cote with its two bells dates from the restoration of 1865. The furnishings are Victorian apart from the circular Norman font.

The rounded chancel apse is most pleasing to the eye. The small lancet window above the altar shows a crucifixion scene whilst two deep splayed side lancets have Victorian glass depicting Christ.

The church is full of memorials relating to the Carleton family. Together they form a commentary on 18th and 19th century military and naval history. Especially interesting is a large brass on the north wall near the pulpit. This commemorates General Guy Carleton C.B. (1722-1808) who was created 1st Baron Dorchester for his distinguished military service as a colonel in the 4th Regiment Queens Own Dragoons. He saw service at the Battle of Fontenoy in 1749 and later served as Q.M.G. under General Wolfe at Quebec in 1759. The inscription then mentions his marriage and then lists all his eleven children. One son Richard was Rector of Nateley Scures for 50 years before his death in 1869 and the window in the south apse was placed there in his memory. Four other sons were killed in the French and Napoleonic Wars. Thomas was killed at Cateau in 1794, Christopher died in Madras in 1806, George was wounded at the siege of Badajoz and later slain at Bergen-op-zoom in 1814, whilst Charles joined the Royal Navy only to be killed on board H.M.S. Phoebe in 1799.

Opposite on the south wall another brass, erected by the Legislature of New Brunswick, honours General Thomas Carleton the first Governor of New Brunswick from 1784-1817. Alongside another memorial relates to Captain William Carleton (1789-1874) stating that he was ‘one of the last survivors of Trafalgar... A brave ofcer, an upright gentleman and a true friend’.

The fourth Baron Dorchester, Colonel Dudley Carleton (1825-97) served with the Coldstream Guards in the Crimea and is described as ‘distinguished, talented, brave and kind’. All these memorials serve as a fine tribute to a remarkable family.

One other memorial - easily missed - must be mentioned. It is a rare brass of the 17th century and is on the west wall under the belfrey. It commemorates a village yeoman, John Parmer and his wife Mary. He died aged 61 on May 15 1661. Part of the touching inscription reads as follows:

‘Mary make room
To thee I come
And my last home
Till the day of doom’.
--------------------------
Twice sixteene yeares we lived together
In sunshine and stormy weather
And ten times changed our habitation
And here at last we fixed our station
Where after 10 years spent we have
Obtained at length a quiet grave.

A fitting epitaph to a small country church close to a large farmyard which seems a million miles away from the busy modern town of Basingstoke and the thousands of noisy cars on the M3 motorway less than a mile to the south.

John Symonds