Pictures of Inglesham

About Inglesham

Hidden in Wiltshire's northern reaches, the quiet hamlet of Inglesham is known for its fine church dedicated to St.John the Baptist and for its well established Polo centre.

Redundant now, the church was much loved by William Morris who lived a short distance away at Kelmscott House, Lechlade. Saxon in origin, St.John the Baptist's is a are gem of a church that can only be fully appreciated by personal visit. Gathered under one hallowed roof there is detail and work from the 13th-century to the present day. There is visible restoration work carried out in 1888 by the Society for Ancient Buildings, under the direction of William Morris and a Jacobean pulpit and reading desk remain as relics from the past.

Charming, glowing honey coloured Cotswold stone cottages and substantial houses are interspersed along leafy lanes reaching down to the reeded banks of the Thames. Of interest is the 18th-century round house set beside a stone bridge at the meeting point of the rivers Colne and Thames. Covering three storeys, this quaint property was once the home of the Thames and Severn Canal's maintenance official but now belongs to British Waterways.

Summer sees a spate of youngsters enjoying the river in canoes and rowing boats. This stretch of the river is still quite shallow and unsuitable for large craft. Occasional motor boats do venture as far as Inglesham but these are usually of the smaller type.

The incredibly busy Polo centre has an impressive number of 'ponies' and receives visitors from far flung corners of the earth. They come to learn the skill of a sport which was once the sole province of Royalty, the aristocracy and the wealthy. Now-a-days, Polo is just as likely to be played and enjoyed by the man next door, as it is by King or Prince.

Enjoyment in Inglesham ranges from Polo on the polo field to fishing from small craft or the banks of the Colne or Thames. But there is not much to beat a quiet summer evening stroll along the Thames path to Lechlade and beyond.