Description

SS 91 NW WASHFIELD WASHFIELD

9/205 Church of St Mary the Virgin
-
5.4.66
GV II*

Parish church. C12 font, rest of the fabric circa late C15 with a thorough
restoration of 1875 and tower restoration of 1900-1901. Stone rubble, most of the
dresings 1875 Bathstone, slate roof with crested ridge tiles.
Plan and development: West tower, nave, chancel, north aisle, south-east vestry and
organ chamber, south porch. The medieval fabric is Perpendicular as are the details
of the 1875 restoration. The porch, vestry and organ chamber are wholly of 1875.
Exterior: Aisle and chancel windows mostly 3-light 1875 replacements possibly copies
in Perpendicular style. The south side is most strikingly 1875 with 1 and 2-light
trefoil-headed windows to the nave, south side of the chancel and the lean-to vestry
and organ chamber. Unusually large porch with north and south windows and an
ornamental-stone cross on the gable. Replaced Perpendicular windows to aisle,
rectangular rood loft stair turret. 3-stage battlemented west tower with diagonal
buttresses and a 3-sided north-east stair turret. West doorway with cushion stops
and polychromatic arch; deeply recessed 3-light Perpendicular west window; belfry
openings on all faces, bellringers' opening on south face.
Interior: Perpendicular arcade and nave and aisle roofs; fine, rare early C17 chancel
screen; other fittings mostly C19. Whitewashed plastered walls and masonry; C19
timber chancel arch; chamfered 2-centred tower arch with a panelled soffit;
conventional 4-bay Perpendicular north arcade (I½ bays to the chancel); unceiled late
C15 waggon roofs to nave and north aisle; 1875 arched brace roof to chancel with co-
eval painted decoration; 1875 arch into organ chamber on a square abacus with well-
carved foliage capitals; restored doorways to rood loft stairs. The most striking
feature of the interior is the chancel screen, dated 1624 and carved with the name of
Bernard Seridge. Round-headed openings are divided by Corinthian columns, the
cornice is decorated with bold carvings of vine arabesques, putti and Tudor roses.
The screen is crowned with obelisks and 2 achievements, one with the Royal Arms, one
with the Prince of Wales' feathers.
Fittings: include a probably C12 granite font with a square decorated bowl on a
cylindrical stem, corner shafts and base replaced and an 1875 stone pulpit disfigured
by grey and white paint with C17 balusters to the pulpit steps. Low choir stalls of
1875 with bold profiles; plain, probably early C19, box pews to nave and aisle;
communion rails with ornamental iron standards; C19 commandment boards on tin, re-
sited at west end of nave.
Monuments: 3 interesting and rather unusual early C17 wall monuments in the north
chancel chapel: on the north wall an egg and dart stone frame to an inscription on
metal commemorating Alice Steyning, died 1605 with a long, personalised poem
beginning "Alice daughter unto William Frye and Phillip Steynings wife/ (both
squires) with her husband led a long and loving life/ 9 sons and daughters 5 she bare
and then as turtle true/ (he dying first) she lived sole and would not chuse a new/".
Next to this, flanked by Corinthian columns, a wall tablet with memorial date 1606
incorporates high quality brasses showing kneeling figures and armorial bearings.
The original marbling and colour is a rare survival. On the south wall of the
chapel a wall monument to Heny Worth, died 1630 and other members of the family has
Corinthian columns, a swan-necked pediment and good survival of ancient colour. Late
C18 and early C19 wall tablets include 2 signed by Reeves and son of Bath, and a
pretty mid C19 Gothic tablet in the chancel to the Quartley family. 2 large painted
hatchments in north aisle.
Glass: Late C19 and early C20 stained glass includes a 1901 window in the nave
signed by Lavers and Westlake; south-west window in chancel probably by Drake,
memorial date 1876; east window of north chancel chapel probably Beer and Driffield,
west window in north aisle probably Powell.
A brass plaque fixed to the tower records that John Coles Esq. paid for the complete
restoration of the tower in 1900 and 1901,and "rendered valuable assistance" during
the 1875 restoration. "

Listing NGR: SS9353015406

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17548108

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.

Recommended Books

• 
  Wiltshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Old House Care and Repair
• 
  Somerset: North and Bristol: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Somerset: South and West (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Gwent/Monmouthshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Wales)
• 
  Listed Buildings and Other Heritage Assets