Church of St Andrew, Chippenham, Wiltshire

Description

CHIPPENHAM

ST9273SW MARKET PLACE
930-1/10/115 (East side)
25/04/50 Church of St Andrew

GV II*

Parish church. C12 origins; mostly rebuilt in C15, including
the ornate south (or Hungerford) chapel built in 1442 for
Walter, Lord Hungerford, Lord High Treasurer to Henry VI; C14
base to tower, which was rebuilt in Gothic Survival style in
1633; restored and enlarged 1875-78 by R Darley.
MATERIALS: limestone ashlar and coursed rubblestone with a
slate roof.
PLAN: 5-bay aisled nave with west tower, south (Hungerford)
chapel and 1907 vestry to the north-east.
EXTERIOR: the church is surrounded by a coved string course
below the castellated parapet and a moulded plinth (except the
chancel). The C19 rubblestone chancel has a 5-light
Perpendicular-style east window above 3 plain off-set
buttresses up to the weathered sill and plain eaves. The C19
vestry to the north-east corner, has finely-detailed leading
to 3-light windows to east and north; the west front has a
crocketed niche to the gable over a projecting rectangular
porch with a swept, hipped stone slate roof supported by
C13-style engaged columns below curved corbelling to a cornice
and oak gutter. The planked door, set in a 2-centred
basket-arched architrave, has Art nouveau-style ornamented
wrought-iron hinges.
The C19 5-bay north aisle has a castellated parapet, off-set
buttresses articulating pointed-arched 4-light windows and a
gabled doorcase to the west end.
The tower to the west end of the C19 nave is in 3-stages,
rebuilt except for the C14 lower stage in 1633. It has
clasping buttresses, lancet windows to the returns of the
lower stages, 2-light pointed-arched louvred bell openings, a
pierced parapet with crocketed finials and an octagonal spire
with gablets to the centre of each facet.
The 3-bay C15 Hungerford Chapel (baptistry) has a richly
moulded plinth and string course; 4-light Perpendicular
windows; 2 to the south and one to each return; diagonal and
central buttresses each with 2 elaborately panelled and
crocketed finials to the weatherings and tops. The
planked-and-studded south door is set in a shallow
pointed-arched architrave in a flat-arched moulded surround.
The sill of the window to the east of the door was lowered in
C19 to accommodate a large memorial window.
The right return has a flat-arched 3-light window with label
mould and diagonal square stops which would have lit the area
below the former gallery.To the south-east corner is a head
gargoyle.
The 3-bay C15 south-east chapel (Lady Chapel) has a richly carved parapet of square quatrefoiled panels with foliate
bosses to the centres and carved heads to the string course.
Each merlon to the castellation has a similar larger panel,
the finial to east gable end is a lion 'sejant affronte'. In
the angle with the chancel is a small pointed-arched door.
INTERIOR: the roof was raised and the clerestorey inserted in
1875-8 and church was re-roofed in 1902. To the north chapel
is a repositioned Norman chancel arch with chevron moulding
and scalloped capitals to paired engaged columns; to the east
of the arch is a reset C12 window, from the north wall of the
nave. To the south wall is an arched recess, the moulding
articulated by bosses, possibly housing a former tomb. The
early C18 altar rail has barley-sugar-twist balusters, moulded
rail and plinth; diagonally-laid slate and limestone flagged
floor, possibly early C18.
5-bay nave arcades in Perpendicular style with thin piers;
arch-braced king-post roofs on head corbels. The 1752 organ by
Seede of Bristol, repositioned to the east end of the north
aisle, has a fine carved oak Baroque case with crowned
trumpeting angels flanking a segmental pediment and pulvinated
frieze. Leaded windows to the north aisle.
C19 stained glass to the south aisle; the 1902 screen to the
east end was carved from timber of the former roof.
The square baptistry at the centre of the south aisle, rebuilt
in 1442 by Walter, Lord Hungerford, has a 4-centred arch
higher than the wallplate of the aisle. A plan of 1787 shows
it to have been formerly floored to form the women's gallery.
The sill of the window to the east of the south door was
lowered in the late C19 to accomodate a large stained-glass
memorial window. It houses the chest tomb, dated 1570, of
Andrew and Sir Edward Baynton of Rowden who for a time
commanded the Parliamentary forces in Wiltshire during the
Civil War. On the east wall are 6 inscribed marble panels
dating from 1631 to 1689.
Fronting the chancel arch is an elaborate c1920 medieval-style
wooden rood screen of 3 semicircular arches below ribbed
vaulting, framed by slender reeded columns and lintel. It is a
memorial to parishioners who died in the 1914-18 war. To the
east end the pitch of the former roof is visible in the
stonework.
MEMORIALS: include a fine memorial at the west end of the
south aisle to Sir Gilbert Pryn Knight d1627 who married Mary,
the eldest daughter of Jayne Davies. 2 kneeling figures face
each other; the lower section has 5 kneeling children carrying
skulls; 2 daughters with ruffs kneel on a projecting platform.
The monument is flanked by pilasters and obelisks supported by
putti. An entablature is crowned by a shield and helmets
flanked by urns. 2 long inscriptions below. 4 memorial panels
in the tower date from 1664 to 1718. In the south-east corner
is a repositioned medieval relief carving of figure (origin
unknown) approx 2m high.
HISTORY: the restoration of 1875-78 included extending the
chancel 6m, adding a clerestory, rebuilding the nave and repositioning the Norman arch and the organ.
(The Buildings of England: Pevsner N & Cherry B: Wiltshire:
London: 1967-1975: 167-8).

Listing NGR: ST9228273223

External Links

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Church of St Andrew

A Grade II* Listed Building in Chippenham, Wiltshire

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