Thank you juamei for that info. Peter, however, makes a valid point when he says, "Alton Priors is much younger, but that doesn't mean that an earlier church never existed on the same site."

Interestingly, the Wiltshire County Council Community History Site* has the following to say, "Alton Barnes, on the other hand, was a separate parish, but it remained small and poor, and consequently never replaced its Saxon church." which perhaps implies that a Saxon church did stand at Alton Priors before being replaced by a Norman one. Who knows; an older and possibly larger Saxon church may have been built on, or in, a stone circle at Alton Priors before the smaller Saxon church at Alton Barnes was built. One thing's for sure; this small area which encompasses two churches, sarsen stones, ancient yew trees, a spring, the Ridgeway and other prehistoric sites is a microcosm of British history and well worth a visit.**

* http://www.wiltshire.gov.uk/community/getconcise.php?id=5

** Forgot the Barge Inn at Honey Street :-)