Details
KINGTON ST MICHAEL KINGTON ST MICHAEL VILLAGE
ST 9077
13/129 Church of St Michael
20.12.60
GV II*
Parish Church, C12 and C13 with west tower of 1725 and north aisle
of 1755, restored 1857-8 by J.H. Hakewill. Rubble stone with stone
slate roofs and coped gables. West tower, gabled nave and aisles,
south porch, chancel and vestry. 1725 tower is ashlar, 3-stage
with stopped, curved-fronted diagonal buttresses up to bell-stage,
2-light Y-tracery bell-openings, infilled in pierced ashlar,
pierced parapet and pinnacles to angles and centre each side. C18
lead hopper-head on south side. South side has ground floor
depressed-arch door with hoodmould and cusped 2-light over. Nave
east gable has small sanctus bellcote. South aisle has corbel
table and ashlar corners, apparently C12 but late C13 fenestration,
C19 three-light west window, original 2-light south windows with
cinquefoil over, one each side of porch, and 3-light east window.
with large cinquefoiled circle head, probably C19. Large stone-
slated porch is ashlar-fronted with thin neo-Norman arch, mid C19,
plastered within with c1700 plaque, stone seats and jambs of C12
door, two tall shafts with carved caps. Door and door head are C15
or C16. Chancel has corner flat buttressings, south side cusped
lancet and C15 two-light flat-headed window, east end large 3-light
C19 window and north cusped lancet. C19 vestry in angle to north
aisle. North aisle has large 3-light windows, long lights, pointed
centre, arched each side under Tudor-arched head with hoodmould,
more C17 than 1755 in appearance. One window each end, 2 to north
side and blocked Tudor-arched centre door.
Interior: Nave has 3-bay arcades of pointed arches, circular
columns with spurred circular bases and moulded circular caps to
north, circular columns with octagonal caps to south. C19 roof.
Bead-moulded pointed C18 tower arch. South aisle has C19 roof,
cusped piscina and circular font. North aisle has king-post and
angle strut roof. Chancel arch is much-restored Norman, very wide
with zig-zag meeting at angle in lozenge pattern. Nook-shafts.
Chancel has c1874 wind-braced roof, cusped rear arches to north
openings, one south with dog-tooth ornament. Cusped piscina. C19
arcaded reredos. Stained glass: east window 1875 by Cox and Sons,
one south lancet of 1857 by Gibbs, south aisle east window brightly
coloured glass of 1857 to the antiquarians John Aubrey and John
Britton, one south window of 1891 and west window of 1894.
Monuments: in north aisle, north east angle fine marble plaque to
F. White died 1707, on north wall marble plaque to I. Gale died
1795 by Tyley of Bath, plaques to J. Gastrell died 1678, N.
Gastrell died 1662, and to J. Gilpin died 1766. On west wall,
plaques to William Coleman of Kington Langley died 1738, R. Glenn
died 1775 and Israel Lyte of Easton Piers died 1661. In south
aisle, plaque to J. Hitchcock died 1820, signed S. King of Castle
Combe and Baroque plaque to D. Yealfe, died 1779.
(W. Lewis The Church Rambler 1878 2 501-16; Wilts. Arch. Mag. 4
1857 36-134; N. Pevsner', Wiltshire 1975 281; W. Plomer ed
Kilvert's Diaries 1969 3 89, 150)
Listing NGR: ST9038377196