Description

URCHFONT CHURCH LANE
SU 0457
(south side)
11/188 Church of St Michael and All Angels
19.3.62
GV I
Anglican parish church. Late C13-early C14, C15, restored 1864 and
1900. Limestone and greensand rubble with ashlar dressings.
Chancel of ashlar. South transept with flint infill, north with
malmstone. Lead roofs, but stone tiles to chancel and porch. Nave
with north and south aisles, south porch, transepts and chancel,
all of building period late C13 through early C14. Late C15 west
tower. C19 vestry at right angles to chancel. South porch with
gables and pinnacles over angle buttresses. Stone slab roof with
stone imbrices and copings, side walls crenellated. Four centred
door with label and square stops. South aisle has 2-light square
headed windows, north aisle with ogee tracery and one 2-light
window. Two-light windows to clerestory. Three and 5-light
intersecting traceried gable windows to transepts. Chancel has 2-
light windows with deep casement reveals between wide buttresses,
gabled above eaves. C19 three-light east window. West tower of 2
stages, angle buttresses to lower stage and south-west stair tower
rising up to bell stage. Latter with 2-light openings.
Crenellated parapet with crocketed pinnacles. Three-light west
window and door under, and ogee headed cult niche to left. Bench
mark on buttress and 2 mass dials on transept quoins.
Interior: Porch has exceptional 4-centred stone vault with
trefoiled panelling. Inner door has tendril trail and dog tooth
ornament, the hood terminating in C19 heads. Niche over with vault
on columns and traces of red paint. Nave arcade of 3 bays, hollow
chamfered arches on round columns. Walls plastered. Door and
upper opening to former rood screen, the lower door enlarged as
squint for transept. Squint also on south side. Floor flagged.
C19 roof of 6 bays with tie-beam and collar trusses. Tall tower
arch on part octagonal imposts. Chancel arch 4 centred, early C13,
with billet moulding to outer order on square responds with nook
shafts carved with stiff leaf foliage. Chancel has very fine
vaulting of 6 close spaced bays with quadripartite panes either
side of central ridge (c.f. Bristol Cathedral - Pevsner), 1320-25.
Bosses at intersections carved with St Michael, Abraham, pelican,
mermaid etc. Foliage on side bosses. Vault springs from stilted
corbels with masks. Priest's door on north through buttress.
Simple ogee piscina. Tiled floor. South aisle has simple roof
dated 1791, and blocked arch at south-west end. North aisle roof
1631 with curious pendants, hammerbeam brackets and billet wall
plate. North transept now vestry and organ chamber. South
transept has tie-beam roof dated 1787. Trefoiled piscina, partly
painted, and remains of moulded opening, perhaps a frame for a
painted reredos, between east windows. These and south window have
nook shaft and rere-arches, partly coloured in black and red. Wave
moulded part arches between transepts and aisles. Under tower, a
C15 door with tracery head to stair tower. Glass to chancel by
Wailes and others. East window 1889. Heads of east side windows
have C14 angels holding crowns. Monuments: Chancel, south side,
wall monument, C18, by R. Scheemakers. Black and white marbles. A
black sarcophagus on table, with tall pyramid to rear. Two busts
in Roman dress on lid, solemn angels stand by side bearing
hourglass and upturned torch. Cushioned and mantled arms with
crest on pyramid. To Robert and Olive Tothill, senior clerk of the
Privy Seal to George II, died 1758 and 1731 respectively. Erected
by Sir William Pynsent. Three wall tablets from east: a) Framed
and corniced panel with urn over, on slate field, arms on small
bracket below, to Daniel and Hamet Compton, died 1817, and 1827.
(b) Similar by King of Bath, to Richard Compton, died 1825. North
side: White tablet on slate, arms on bracket, to John Compton, and
William, died 1852. In nave: Seven wall monuments over arcade
piers. North side, from east:
a) Marble table with urn over against black marble arch. To Jacob
Giddings, died 1808.
b) Tablet with cornice and draped urns against slate oval, to John
Mundy, died 1856.
c) Pilastered tablet with urn on curved gable, apron below, to
William Keech and family, died 1806.
d) Tablet with fluted pilasters. Urn against grey marble pyramid,
to Charles Giddings, died 1815.
e) Similar, without pilasters. Not read.
f) Shouldered tablet with cornice, to Joseph Mundy, died 1817.
g) Pilastered tablet, urn against grey marble over. To Jane
Jackman, child, died 1823.
North transept, 6 wall monuments, on south:
h) Limestone tablet on shaped brecchia background. Open cornice
over, arms below, to William Wroughton of Eastcott, died 1777.
i) Corniced tablet, urn over against grey pyramid, to Seymour
Wroughton, died 1787.
North wall:
j) Limestone. Panelled inscription with pediment and gadrooned
base with apron, to Rev George Jaques, died 1772.
On east wall three early-mid C19 white marble tablets on slate,
1841, 1837 and 1832, and one early C19 white marble tablet with urn
over, to Ann Halliday, died 1819.
South transept: Four monuments. East wall, a handsome wall
monument, red and orange marbles with white marble dressings.
Bellied sarcophagus with white marble cornice. Pyramid over, hung
with garlands and bearing mantled arms. Inscription within wreath
to James Long of Wedhampton, (c.f. monument in Etchilhampton CP)
died 1768. South wall: marble tablet with raised gable carrying
arms and garland. To Daniel Compton, died 1780. West wall: Fine
limestone aedicule with fluted columns carrying entablature and
broken pediment enclosing arms. Flames on corners. Supporting
scrolls and carved apron over putto. Inscription on buckler shield
to Thomas Ernle of Wedhampton, died 1725. Restored and gilded.
North wall: Tablet with urn. To John Compton, died 1801.
(Pevsner: Buildings of England: Wiltshire; Leaflet in Church;
Bony, J. The English Decorated Style' 51, 86 and Pt 294)

Listing NGR: SU0407257306

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17530103

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

• 
  Pevsner's Architectural Glossary (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Introductions)
• 
  Somerset: South and West (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  London 6: Westminster (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England): Westminster v. 6
• 
  Worcestershire Revised Edition (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Nottinghamshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  London 4: North: North v. 4 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)