Details
ST 8770
5/31
CORSHAM
CHURCH SQUARE
Church of St Bartholomew
20.12.60
GV
I
Anglican parish church, C12 origins, early C14 north aisle, later C14 south aisle and east end remodelled in C15. Heavily restored 1875-78 by G.E. Street when central tower was removed and south tower and spire added. Chancel restored at same time by C.F. Hansom who added north, Methuen Chapel 1878-79. Ashlar with stone tiled roofs and coped gables.
Nave west end has C15 three-light west window, ashlar stair tower to right and C16 three-light mullion window with hoodmould in gable. South aisle has stepped buttress to west end left and diagonal buttress to right, three-light C14 west window with flowing tracery and south side C14 windows with C15 tracery, two-light and three-light left of porch, three-light right of porch. Three-light windows had unusual battlemented ashlar dormers over, added 1631 to light gallery but removed c1875-78. Large projecting C15 two storey battlemented porch with diagonal buttresses, high plinth, moulded string courses and sundial over centre battlement. Moulded south arch breaking string course and two-light window with hoodmould over flanked by two ornate statue niches with crocketted canopies. Larger west side statue niche with canopy breaking upper string course. Inner tierceron-star vault with carved heads to centre boss and angle corbels. Moulded pointed south doorway, door by Street, 1684 plaque to W. Tasker over. Stone seats and south side C17 Tudor arched moulded doorway with plank door giving access to east side addition to porch containing stairs to former gallery added 1631 by E and M. Hungerford. Addition has ornate battlements with Hungerford arms, initials and date, diagonal buttress and east side stepped buttress and two two-light cusped-head mullion windows.
Transeptal south tower by Street of three stages with clasping buttresses up to second stage and east side stair tower. South west buttress has carved War Memorial rood c1922 by H. Brakspear. Large Perpendicular style south window over narrow door, lancets to second stage south and east, clock to west side, two-light Perpendicular style bell openings to third stage with pierced parapet and pinnacles over. Recessed octagonal spire with pinnacles at diagonal bases and gabled two-light openings at bases of cardinal faces. South chancel aisle rebuilt in C15 with two broad four-centred Perpendicular south windows with carved head stops to hoodmoulds. Similar east window but without head stops. East end of chapel has inserted floor for consistory court room and windows are part infilled with ashlar. Chancel east end is C15 with diagonal buttresses, blocked south window, three-light east and north windows. North chancel aisle was rebuilt c1465-80 for T. Tropenell of Great Chalfield, south east buttress part obscured by chancel, diagonal north-east buttress, three-light east window and two three-light north windows. North aisle is early C14, gabled to east and west with Methuen Chapel added 1878-79 projecting north. Chapel is heavily detailed in coursed rubble with ashlar dressings, north rose window, east three-light window and west ornate doorway with Methuen monogram and two-light window to right. Aisle beyond has two buttresses added 1816 and two early C14 two-light windows flanking restored Norman north doorway with zig-zag arch, presumably resited from a C12 north aisle. At west end C14 three-light window over late Cl7 moulded basket-arched doorway with keystone, imposts and broad curved hood on brackets.
Interior: wagon roofs to nave, aisles and north east chapel, plaster removed except in north east chapel. Panelled C15 roof to south east chapel extending one bay into south aisle. C19 panelled chancel roof. Nave four bay Norman arcades with scallop caps, heavily renewed, west end bay evidently added. Additional east bay added 1878 in place of crossing tower. c1878 glass to west window and one south window. c1850 stone pulpit. C15 octagonal font. North east chapel has C14 arches to north aisle and chancel, arch to north aisle with heavily restored C15 stone screen with fan-vaulting under cornice. East window glass of c1878. South east chapel has matching stone screen of 1929 by H. Brakspear. South window 1906 by Comper. c1878 chancel arch, marble sanctuary paving and Perpendicular style panelling to reredos and side walls. Two c1880 angel statues by Sir J.E. Boehm. C15 panelled pair of arches to south chapel with carved angel corbel. East window of c1892 in style of Kempe. Consistory room at east end of south east chapel has Tudor-arched doorway with plank door, wall above has C15 C15 Perpendicular painted wooden panelled gallery, possibly reset from a rood screen.
Numerous monuments, notably in north east chapel very large C15 carved chest tomb of T. Tropenell of Great Chalfield and small C15 chest tomb of C. Tropenell. In Methuen chapel Alice Cobb alabaster memorial of c1630 removed from Adderbury, Oxon, and reconstructred, and sleeping child effigy of Emma Methuen by J.G. Lough 1860. In north aisle plain neo-Grec memorial to E. Harington, died 1817, by C. Rossi. In chancel fine 1632 memorial to J. and T. Hulbert with similar addition to J. Hulbert, died 1653. Numerous reset C17 and C18 monuments in south tower, notably to R. Lewis died 1706 and N. Handcock died 1693. Further memorials in south east chapel, notably to W. Chapman died 1675 and in chancel, notably to E. Rede, died 1617.
Listing NGR: ST8742470553
This List entry has been amended to add the source for War Memorials Online. This source was not used in the compilation of this List entry but is added here as a guide for further reading, 29 August 2017.
