Description

SHERFORD SHERFORD VILLAGE SX 74 SE 6/78 Church of St. Martin 26.1.67 G.V. I

Parish Church. C14 with C15 porch and fittings, restored late C19 or early C20. Roughly coursed slate stone rubble walls. Gabled slate roof. Plan: nave, chancel, north and south aisles with chapels, south porch and west tower. The main fabric of the church dates from the Decorated period of the C14 although the porch might possibly have been added in the C15. Some of the fittings and windows date from the C15. A restoration in the late C19 or early C20 was fairly restrained resulting in little damage to the historic fabric. Exterior: 3 stage crenellated west tower with diagonal buttresses. 5-sided stair turret on south side. Belfry openings have 4-centred lights. Simple chamfered 2- centred voussoir arch on west side with a completely renewed Perpendicular style window above. North aisle has crenellated parapet. It has 2 stair projections, one at its west end with a quatrefoil light and a shallower one at the east end for the rood stairs. The 4 windows to the aisle are of 3-lights with star tracery in the C14 Decorated style which are largely original although some rendering and restoration has taken place. The north doorway is under a divided buttress which forms a porch to it. 3-light Perpendicular window at east end of aisle has been partly restored and the tall 5-light Perpendicular style east window to the chancel is a complete restoration. The 2 windows on the south of the chancel and east end of the south aisle are also Perpendicular but have had their tracery restored. The south aisle also has a crenellated parapet and a 5-sided rood stair turret. The windows to the south aisle are of the same Decorated style as the north aisle but the one to the west of the stair turret is probably a compelete restoration. Tall crenellated south porch has 4-centred voussoir arch with wide semi-round moulding and early C19 gates with iron railings and decorative finials. Interior: south doorway has simple 2-centred chamfered voussoir arch. Identical north and south C14 arcades with octagonal pillars which have chamfered capitals and double chamfered 4-centred arches. In each arcade the 3rd bay has a much taller arch with higher capitals which might be evidence of previously existing transepts although there is no other evidence. Tall 4-centred tower arch with high imposts. Trefoil-headed piscina in the chancel, and a similar stoup inside the south doorway. Inside the north doorway is an ogee-headed stoup. The internal walls are rendered apart from that at the west end. The roofs are all complete restorations, a wagon roof to the nave and flat beamed roofs to the aisles. The medieval screen survives across the width of the church but somewhat mutilated with the coving removed. The panelling is painted with figures of saints and apostles. The 2 parclose screens are also preserved but quite heavily restored. The pulpit is made up of carved timbers which may have been reused from the screen, or some other early woodwork. On the north wall of the chancel is a wall memorial to Elizabeth Reynell who died in 1662. The memorial has a slate slab with Latin inscription, a marble pilaster to either side with a fluted frieze running across top and bottom surmounted by 3 armorial shields.

Listing NGR: SX7790244248

External Links

• Wikidata Q17527045

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Recommended Books

• 
  Hampshire: South (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Berkshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Liverpool: Pevsner City Guide (Pevsner Architectural Guides: City Guides)
• 
  Development and Design of Heritage Sensitive Sites: Strategies for Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas
• 
  Herefordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Wiltshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)