Details
ST52NW CHARLTON MACKRELL CP CHURCH HILL (East side)
CHARLTON ADAM
5/25 Church of St Peter and St Paul
17.4.59
GV I
Parish Church. C14 origins, mostly C15, restored by H. Wilson 1892. Local lias stone cut and squared, Ham stone
dressings; stone slate roofs between coped gables. 3 cell plan of 2-bay chancel, 3 bay nave and single-bay south
chantry chapel, with west tower and south porch. Chancel has plinth, angled corner buttress with moulded offsets,
gabletted cross finial at east end; 3-light C15 cinquefoil cusped east window set in hollowed recesss; 2 small cusped
lancets on north side, buttress between, and on south side early C15 traceried 2-light window in hollowed recess, the
cill having been raised; to left angled projection forming link between chantry chapel and chancel, having small
moulded arched doorway and 2-light C16 window. Chantry chapel has plinth, angled corner buttresses, with 4-light
flat-headed square labelled windows in both east and south walls. Nave mostly rendered; plinth and plain offset-bay
buttresses; in north wall projection with small C14 window for former rood stair, then two 2-light C15 traceried
windows with arched labels and square stops; on south wall a smaller 2-light C15 window set in hollowed recess south
porch has angled corner buttress, and moulded pointed arched doorway with arched label with square stops; inside a
plainer possibly C14 arch, but with ovolo mould to runouts and C18 door; two cinquefoil niches, one over door and one
in east wall, both with statues. Small C20 boiler house set low on north east corner. Tower has 3 stages: tall plinth,
angled offset buttress to near-full height, string courses with gargoyles to top, slightly battlemented parapet and
pyramidal roof; square plan stair turret north east corner, full height, with small slit windows and a small drilled
window at base: moulded pointed arch west door, with 3-light C15 traceried window above set into hollowed recess,
breaking into string course which forms label; on stage 2 stall 2-light window on west face, and similar windows with
wood baffles to each face stage 3; clockface under south window. Inside, the chancel has timber rib and plaster-panel
segmental vault ceiling, small C15 moulded chancel arch, C19 squint in south wall; plain piscina possibly C14, fittings
Cl9 and C20. Nave has timber ribbed barrel vault with moulded principals, formerly with plastered-panels; C16/C17
moulded 3 centre arch into chantry chapel, C15 tower arch; former rood loft stair in north wall. Chantry chapel has
vaulted ribbed roof, formerly plastered. Fittings include simple tulip bowl font on turned base, probably early C14; a
pulpit of early C17, 3-panelled on each face with moulded top, on C19 base; several paintings. Monuments include that
to Thomas Basket, died 1592, a standing wall monument in Ham stone with strap cartouche with inscription between two
Doric columns carrying pedimented hood with finials and shields; over squint two black painted Keinton slabs to Anne
Bonham, died 1638, and silos Strangways, died 1677, the latter having pedimented hood on Doric columns with ball
finials, distinctly rural; several other C18 painted Keinton stone-panels. Reredos a copy of a fresco by Perugino by
late Mrs C Neville, of The Abbey (qv). A few fragments of C15 stained glass in west window (Hamilton and Long, Some
Account of the Parishes of Charlton Adam and Charlton Mackrell, 1961).
Listing NGR: ST5351128664
