B
y the 19th century, Filkins was much the larger and more important of the two villages. In 1851, just before Filkins joined Broughton Poggs, the respective populations were 606 in Filkins, and 127 in Broughton. Billings directory lists eight "gentry, professionals and tradesman" in Broughton, but 68 in Filkins.
Nevertheless in many matters the two villages acted as one unit. Witness the fact that one time the two village mills were jointly operated. Broughton Mill ran in the morning while the water was impounded at Filkins for afternoon milling.
After the parishes were split up again in 1864, Broughton undoubtedly suffered just as Broadwell had done when William Hervey dismembered it. During the 1860s the Vicar of Broughton got himself into hot water with the Diocese over alteration work for which a faculty had not been obtained. Like many incumbents and churchwardens before and since, the Rev. Farmer was trying to react to changes in his parish faster than officialdom condoned. He wrote to Mr Dodd, the Diocesan secretary explaining that formerly, heavy box pews had seated 90 at ground level and that a gallery had been installed to seat another 42, mainly worshippers from Filkins. This had been very dark and anyway no longer required once Filkins had built its own church. The population of Broughton, he said had never exceeded 136. In these circumstances he had felt quite justified in removing the gallery (of which there is now no trace) and reseating the ground floor with open pews.
He accepted that he had jumped the gun, but protested that "most of the work that I have done eg. repairs to the lead roof, plastering, repairs to stonework I was compelled to begin without further delay." He pointed out that much of the work had been paid for out of his own pocket. No doubt he would happily have passed on the bills if Mr Dodd had been awkward about the faculty. The Diocese does not appear to have raised any objection.
St Peter's, Filkins and St Peter's, Broughton Poggs are in many ways very different, and yet both reflect the integrity of their builders and those who have cared for them. Next door to Broughton Church is the old Manor farmyard, which with changing agricultural practice, like farmyards everywhere, is largely redundant. Most buildings eventually lose their original purpose. It is a tribute to Christianity's eternal values that our parish churches, the one ancient the other modern, continue to be loved and looked after and have a continuing role as principal public buildings in our villages.
Whatever the changes wrought in the parishes, a thousand years of worshippers would feel pretty much at home in either church.
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