Details
ST 8032-8132 MERE CHURCH STREET
(south side)
6/37
Church of St Michael the
6.1.66 Archangel
GV I
Anglican Parish Church. Some remnants from c.ll9O, Chancel C13, north and
south chantries C14, aisles rebuilt late C14,remainder C15. Large squared
coursed limestone blocks, slate roofs, lead to south aisle. West tower, nave
with clerestorey, north and south aisles, north and south porches, deep chancel,
south and north chantry chapels. Tower in 3 stages with moulded plinth, 2
string courses, octagonal buttresses to prominent pinnacles, embattled parapet.
West face has pair Cl9 doors in 4-centre double wave mould surround, no hood;
above 2-light perpendicular lights with deep casement mould, and 3-light belfrey
window with wooden louvres; north side has similar tobelfry stage, south the
same. North aisle west window is 3-light perpendicular in square hood and
panelled corners, south aisle has 3-light C14 reticulated, then diagonal
buttress, plain parapet over string, saddle back coping; 1+2 reticulated 3-light
windows separated by 2 storey porch with stair turret. Porch has flat parapet,
over a flush 2-light casement above decorated doorway with hoodmould, containing
splendid wide plank studded gate to early strap hinges. Inner doorway also
decorated. South chantry has diagonal buttresses dying into south aisle,
prominent octagonal stair turret rising above main parapet, as aisle, but with
series of 'dumb-bell' slits. C14 windows,left in square hood, right pointed
with unusual tracery East return has 5 light perpendicular windows with 5
large projecting carved heads, two as stops, on hoodmould under parapet raised
at centre over window head. South clerestory has five 3-light perpendicular
windows, to eaves. East end of chancel has 2-stage corner buttress, left, and
5-light perpendicular window without hood; south face of chancel has 3-light
perpendicular to square hood, and a baroque wall tablet. In same plane as east
chancel wall is east wall of north chantry, separated from it by 2-stage
buttress, and with 5-light perpendicular window with super-transome; diagonal
3-stage buttress, right. North side has three 4-light square headed reticulated
windows with two 3-stage buttresses, then diagonal buttress dying into north
aisle which has porch between 4-light square headed decorated windows to hoods.
Porch in 2 storeys has diagonal 2-stage buttresses and a stair turret; decorated
doorway with pair of wide plank doors to strap hinges, beneath statue niche with
rich canopy, containing image, and an upswept parapet to saddle-back-coping,
pinnacles and small central cross. Porch islierne vaulted and has fine C15
inner door with perpendicular tracery, beneath an image niche with headless
figure. Interior: Walls generallly plastered except in chancel; floor with
ledger slabs. Nave is 4 ½ bays with standard 4-colonnette and 4-hollows piers on
high bases, clerestory, which is blind on the north side, barrel roof with
series of 11 angels each side and half-bay celure over rood. North aisle has
arch-braced collar rafters; south aisle flat cusped wind-braced roof. Lofty
tower arch of C15 with panelled intrados, and the wall here is exposed rubble.
Chancel arch also has panelled intrados, chancel barrel vault roof to brattished
plate. South side has two broad arches cut through the C13 fabric under three
2-light clerestory windows; to the north a lofty segmental pointed arch, to
organ gallery, and a lower recut arch carried on an octagonal C15 pier with
moulded cap. The door to the north chapel is under an unglazed 2-light window.
Piscina with projecting bracketted bowl and credence shelf; further large
opening, perhaps for an aumbry. Stone floor. South chantry, the Bettesthorne
Chapel, has C20 low pitched traceried trusses, stone floor, 2-stage
piscina/aumbry, priests door. North chantry, the Still Chapel, barrel roof
plastered, with thin exposed rib, in 20 compartments. Good parvise screen to
chancel and to north aisle, which also has large organ gallery. Ledger slab
floor.
Furnishings and Fittings: complete set of pews, somewhat modified,by William
Walter of Maiden Bradley, 1638-1641; substantial remains of C15 rood screen with
C20 gallery and rood; similar screens to two chantries. Cl9 openwork pulpit by
C E Ponting. In south chapel on chancel side a good C15 chest tomb,also good
baroque wall monument of 1712 to William Chafin; 1398 floor brass to
J.Bettesthorne royal Arms, 1684. Some misericords.recut in 1948; octagonal
Purbeck bowl font on Cl9 granite base. Stained glass mainly Victorian, but west
window in Bettesthorne Chapel has four mediaeval panels,and some fragments in
central window to Still Chapel. Window to right of south porch in south aisle
Clayton and Bell; south window of chancel, 1933, Christopher Webb. Outside the
north porch is an unfixed cast-iron foot-scraper with raised inscription: MERE
CHURCH: 1819 on base.
(Buildings of England; Wiltshire, 1963; also notes by Revd.W. H V Elliott, n.d.)
Listing NGR: ST8111532253
