Description

EAST KNOYLE CHURCH ROAD
ST 83 SE
(north side)
8/8 Church of St Mary
6.1.66
GV I
Anglican parish church. C12, C13, C14, C15, 1845 restoration by
Wyatt and Brandon, 1876 by A.W. Blomfield, tower restored 1893 by
P. Webb. Rubble stone and dressed limestone, stone slate roof to
nave, tiled chancel roof. West tower, nave, chancel, north and
south aisles, south organ chamber, south porch. Gabled south porch
with diagonal buttress, C14 double chamfered pointed opening with
compound pilasters. Nave has C19 three-light Perpendicular-style
window to left, two 2-light square-headed C15 windows to
clerestory. Double gabled aisle, west half added 1845, has two C19
plate tracery windows, coped verges. Organ chamber of 1876 has 2-
light plate tracery windows, Burbridge wall tablet with broken
pediment on east wall. C12 chancel has two C13 lancets on north
and south walls, north wall also has blocked doorway and traces of
C12 round-arched blind arcading, C15 five-light Perpendicular east
window. North aisle, double gabled with west half added 1829, has
pair of C14 cusped lancets and unidentified oval wall tablet on
east wall, two 2-light cusped pointed windows on north and C19
ashlar stack and trefoil to west. Lean-to vestry has square-headed
windows. C15 square-headed clerestory window. Large C15 three-
stage tower has moulded plinth, diagonal buttresses, wide C15
moulded west doorway with lozenge terminals to hoodmould, tall 3-
light Perpendicular window over, bellstage divided into two floors
on west with two 2-light square-headed windows and one square-
headed window to other sides, south side also has two crocketed
image niches, integral polygonal stair turret on south east corner,
string course with gargoyles to battlemented parapet.
Interior. Porch has doorway to aisle, moulded Tudor-arched door to
nave. Nave has 5-bay C19 king-post roof with braced collars.
Tower with stone fan-vaulted ceiling with cusps and bell hatch,
pointed tower arch filled with Cl9 screen. North and south aisles
have 2-bay arcades of continuously chamfered arches, collar rafter
roofs. Neo-Norman chancel arch with zig-zag moulded round arch,
chancel has late C19 three-bay rib-panelled roof, 2-seat sedilia
and piscina with trefoil heads on south wall, Minton tiled reredos,
exceptional plasterwork by Robert Brockway for Dean Christopher
Wren, c1639, depicting biblical scenes such as Jacob's Dream and
the Ascension with texts in panels with strapwork decoration,
strapwork friezes. Fittings: C17 altar table and C17 polygonal
pulpit reset on C19 stone base, C13 octagonal stone font with
foliage carving. Early C19 brass candelabra in chancel. Stained
glass east window to Seymour family. Two benefactions boards on
north wall of nave. Six bells of 1726, 1748, 1794 and 1839, rehung
1933. Monuments: Grey marble table in chancel to Elizabeth
Seymour died 1742 with pediment and urn in keyed oculus. Various
classical tablets to Still family of Clouds, 1701-1832. Classical
C19 marbles in nave, for example to Folliot family of Knoyle Down
by Osmond of Sarum and to Burleton family of Wyken Hall,
Leicestershire by King of London.
Dean Christopher Wren, the father of Sir Christopher Wren was
rector here 1623-1646, he commissioned the plasterwork in the
chancel which was used in evidence against him at a trial at
Longford Castle 1647.
(VCH, Wiltshire, Vol XI, 1980; Wiltshire Archaeological Magazine,
Vol 57, 1960; R. Sherlock, Chandeliers in Wiltshire Churches)

Listing NGR: ST8802030532

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Church of St Mary at Wikipedia
• Wikidata Q17529455

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

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