– which had previously hung in a wooden bell turret. At present they are unringable. The church escaped Victorian restoration, but was repaired in 1898; the vestry was added in that century. In 1916, the church was badly damaged in a fire which destroyed the nave roof and the furnishings; repairs were not complete until 1925. The oak pulpit is a copy of the 17th-century original which was lost in the fire. In 1962 the church was designated as Grade II* listed. The benefice was united with that of Worton in 1931, with the incumbent to live at Worton and the parsonage house at Poulshot to be sold; but the two parishes remained distinct. The union was severed in 1967, and today the parish is part of the Wellsprings benefice, a group of five neighbouring parishes. Others A half-timbered chapel of ease dedicated to St Paul was built in 1897, in a more accessible position in the centre of the village next to the rectory. The initiative was instigated by Archdeacon Buchanan, who provided the land. From 1929 the building became a church hall; it is no longer in use. A Wesleyan Methodist chapel was built in 1886, to designs by C.E. Ponting, north of the Raven Inn. It is now a private home. Notable people Isaac Walton, son of the author Izaak Walton, was rector of Poulshot from 1680 until his death in 1719. Other distinguished rectors of Poulshot include Thomas Rundle (c. 1688–1743), who became bishop of Derry; Benjamin Blayney (1728–1801), scholar of Hebrew; and Thomas Buchanan, who was rector from 1891 to 1905 and at the same time Archdeacon of Wilts. William Fisher was rector from 1823 until his death in 1874. His eldest son Herbert (1826–1903) was a historian. In 1775 Thomas Boulter, the village miller, was sentenced to 14 years transportation for theft. His son (also named Thomas), tried to run the mill but gave it up and became an infamous highwayman, committing many robberies in an area stretching from the south coast as far north as Cheshire and as far west as Bristol, before being hanged at Winchester on 19 August 1778. It is said that for many years afterwards, fierce guard dogs in the area were generally called "Boulter" after him. Amenities Poulshot has a pub, the Raven. The Kennet and Avon Canal passes through the northwest corner of the parish and the