A church has stood in the Lawn, the site of the former Goddard family home, since the 12th century. All that remains standing today is the chancel and three pairs of piers which once flanked the nave. By the 1850s the coming of the railways had seen the population of Swindon increase. The ancient parish church was no longer fit for purpose. In a poor state of repair and inadequate to accommodate the rapidly growing congregation the decision was reached to close it and commission Sir George Gilbert Scott to design a new one. Upon completion of Christ Church in 1851, Holy Rood was partially demolished. But for cemetery enthusiasts like myself even worse was to come. Sometime in the second half of the 20th century it was decided to remove the gravestones, presumably to facilitate the mowing of the churchyard. The headstones were carefully arranged around the perimeter wall, which probably seemed a good idea at the time. Unfortunately, over the years ivy has grown up and over the sto...