Their marriage, in 1864, is said never to have been consummated. He was 46 and she was 17. Watts Chapel was the project of his second wife, Mary, who designed this Celtic, Byzantine, art nouveau masterpiece without previous architectural or building experience, inspired by the Home Arts and Industries Association, and with the help of local villagers. Every interior surface is covered with what Mrs Watts called 'glorified wallpaper' - angels and seraphs made out of gesso, a material which her husband used when rheumatism meant he could no longer handle wet clay. He is buried in the cloister behind the chapel.
Admission is free, and it's open dawn to dusk daily.
It was a coaching town between London and Portsmouth, and a centre of trade in wool, stone-quarrying, timber, leather, paper, corn and brewing. The High Street has many half-timbered and projecting buildings. Phillips was the chief wireless operator of the Titanic, who went down at his post on the ship. Worth the detour. Eat there early if possible, before looking around Watts Gallery, as there tend to be queues by lunchtime.