Details
MAIDEN BRADLEY CHURCH STREET
ST 83 NW
(east side)
4/84 Church of All Saints
6.1.66
GV I
Anglican parish church. C12, early C14, C15, 1845 restoration.
Rubble stone and dressed limestone, stone slate roof. West tower,
nave with north and south aisles, chancel and Lady Chapel, south
vestry and porch. C15 gabled porch with original ledged door in
Tudor-arched doorway with carved spandrels and hoodmould, cornice
with gargoyles, coped verge with lozenge block sundial. Nave has
2-light C19 geometric-style window to left and two to right, plain
stone C15 parapet, but walls rebuilt Cl9. South vestry attached to
chancel has C19 door with ornamental hinges and two cusped lancets.
Chancel has cusped C19 lancet to south and north, flanking
buttresses and C18 moulded east window with clear leaded glass.
Lady Chapel to north has C19 two-light east window, large tablet on
north wall to Seymour family. Restored north aisle has four Cl9 2-
light windows and buttresses, plain parapet, 2-light Perpendicular
window to west. Three-stage tower has moulded plinth, diagonal
buttresses, 3-light west window with reticulated tracery, octagonal
clock face over, bellstage has string course, 2-light Perpendicular
windows with louvres, cornice to plain parapet with corner
gargoyles, polygonal stair turret to north east Tudor arched
doorway, parapet with open quatrefoils.
Interior of porch has ovolo-moulded segmental-headed doorway to
nave. Nave has stone floors, 4-bay roof with chamfered tie-beams,
collar rafter trusses, formerly plastered. Four-bay north arcade
has three pointed arches to west on chamfered square piers,
possibly late C12, east arch is C14 ovolo-moulded, south arcade has
similar arch to east, to west are continuously double chamfered
arches, probably C14; north and south-west arches are smaller.
Cl9 roof to north aisle, C15 south-aisle roof with moulded cross
beams, C14 mask corbels retained at lower level. Tower arch on
mask corbels, organ moved here from Lady Chapel 1967. Continuously
double chamfered chancel arch with doorway to former rood loft
above to left, reached by stone stairs from Lady Chapel. Chancel
has Cl9 collar rafter roof, fittings removed C20, including
replacement of early Cl9 pictorial stained glass with clear glass
in 1959. Nave retains fine C17 pews throughout with shell head
bench ends and strapwork friezes, polygonal pulpit and reading desk
to match, similar to those in Church of Michael, Mere (q.v.).
Square C12 Purbeck marble font bowl on central pier with four
smaller shafts to corners, good C17 cover. Carved wooden Royal
Arms over south door. Stained glass in north aisle by Whall to
Fifteenth Duke of Somerset died 1923. Fine large monument in south
aisle to Sir Edward Seymour died 1707, erected 1728 by Rysbrack;
white marble reclining figure in front of tablet with pediment with
cherubs, scrolled pediment with arms over. Prayer boards at west
end of north aisle. Six bells dating from 1613 to 1895, the
earlier ones recast 1895.
(N. Pevsner, The Buildings of England, Wiltshire, 1975; H.K.
Kitching, Church Guide, 1970; R. Gunnis, Dictionary of British
Sculptors, 1951).
Listing NGR: ST8036238658
