Church of St Michael and All Angels

Details

URCHFONT CHURCH LANE SU 0457 (south side) 11/188 Church of St Michael and All Angels 19.3.62 GV I Anglican parish church. Late C13-early C14, C15, restored 1864 and 1900. Limestone and greensand rubble with ashlar dressings. Chancel of ashlar. South transept with flint infill, north with malmstone. Lead roofs, but stone tiles to chancel and porch. Nave with north and south aisles, south porch, transepts and chancel, all of building period late C13 through early C14. Late C15 west tower. C19 vestry at right angles to chancel. South porch with gables and pinnacles over angle buttresses. Stone slab roof with stone imbrices and copings, side walls crenellated. Four centred door with label and square stops. South aisle has 2-light square headed windows, north aisle with ogee tracery and one 2-light window. Two-light windows to clerestory. Three and 5-light intersecting traceried gable windows to transepts. Chancel has 2- light windows with deep casement reveals between wide buttresses, gabled above eaves. C19 three-light east window. West tower of 2 stages, angle buttresses to lower stage and south-west stair tower rising up to bell stage. Latter with 2-light openings. Crenellated parapet with crocketed pinnacles. Three-light west window and door under, and ogee headed cult niche to left. Bench mark on buttress and 2 mass dials on transept quoins. Interior: Porch has exceptional 4-centred stone vault with trefoiled panelling. Inner door has tendril trail and dog tooth ornament, the hood terminating in C19 heads. Niche over with vault on columns and traces of red paint. Nave arcade of 3 bays, hollow chamfered arches on round columns. Walls plastered. Door and upper opening to former rood screen, the lower door enlarged as squint for transept. Squint also on south side. Floor flagged. C19 roof of 6 bays with tie-beam and collar trusses. Tall tower arch on part octagonal imposts. Chancel arch 4 centred, early C13, with billet moulding to outer order on square responds with nook shafts carved with stiff leaf foliage. Chancel has very fine vaulting of 6 close spaced bays with quadripartite panes either side of central ridge (c.f. Bristol Cathedral - Pevsner), 1320-25. Bosses at intersections carved with St Michael, Abraham, pelican, mermaid etc. Foliage on side bosses. Vault springs from stilted corbels with masks. Priest's door on north through buttress. Simple ogee piscina. Tiled floor. South aisle has simple roof dated 1791, and blocked arch at south-west end. North aisle roof 1631 with curious pendants, hammerbeam brackets and billet wall plate. North transept now vestry and organ chamber. South transept has tie-beam roof dated 1787. Trefoiled piscina, partly painted, and remains of moulded opening, perhaps a frame for a painted reredos, between east windows. These and south window have nook shaft and rere-arches, partly coloured in black and red. Wave moulded part arches between transepts and aisles. Under tower, a C15 door with tracery head to stair tower. Glass to chancel by Wailes and others. East window 1889. Heads of east side windows have C14 angels holding crowns. Monuments: Chancel, south side, wall monument, C18, by R. Scheemakers. Black and white marbles. A black sarcophagus on table, with tall pyramid to rear. Two busts in Roman dress on lid, solemn angels stand by side bearing hourglass and upturned torch. Cushioned and mantled arms with crest on pyramid. To Robert and Olive Tothill, senior clerk of the Privy Seal to George II, died 1758 and 1731 respectively. Erected by Sir William Pynsent. Three wall tablets from east: a) Framed and corniced panel with urn over, on slate field, arms on small bracket below, to Daniel and Hamet Compton, died 1817, and 1827. (b) Similar by King of Bath, to Richard Compton, died 1825. North side: White tablet on slate, arms on bracket, to John Compton, and William, died 1852. In nave: Seven wall monuments over arcade piers. North side, from east: a) Marble table with urn over against black marble arch. To Jacob Giddings, died 1808. b) Tablet with cornice and draped urns against slate oval, to John Mundy, died 1856. c) Pilastered tablet with urn on curved gable, apron below, to William Keech and family, died 1806. d) Tablet with fluted pilasters. Urn against grey marble pyramid, to Charles Giddings, died 1815. e) Similar, without pilasters. Not read. f) Shouldered tablet with cornice, to Joseph Mundy, died 1817. g) Pilastered tablet, urn against grey marble over. To Jane Jackman, child, died 1823. North transept, 6 wall monuments, on south: h) Limestone tablet on shaped brecchia background. Open cornice over, arms below, to William Wroughton of Eastcott, died 1777. i) Corniced tablet, urn over against grey pyramid, to Seymour Wroughton, died 1787. North wall: j) Limestone. Panelled inscription with pediment and gadrooned base with apron, to Rev George Jaques, died 1772. On east wall three early-mid C19 white marble tablets on slate, 1841, 1837 and 1832, and one early C19 white marble tablet with urn over, to Ann Halliday, died 1819. South transept: Four monuments. East wall, a handsome wall monument, red and orange marbles with white marble dressings. Bellied sarcophagus with white marble cornice. Pyramid over, hung with garlands and bearing mantled arms. Inscription within wreath to James Long of Wedhampton, (c.f. monument in Etchilhampton CP) died 1768. South wall: marble tablet with raised gable carrying arms and garland. To Daniel Compton, died 1780. West wall: Fine limestone aedicule with fluted columns carrying entablature and broken pediment enclosing arms. Flames on corners. Supporting scrolls and carved apron over putto. Inscription on buckler shield to Thomas Ernle of Wedhampton, died 1725. Restored and gilded. North wall: Tablet with urn. To John Compton, died 1801. (Pevsner: Buildings of England: Wiltshire; Leaflet in Church; Bony, J. The English Decorated Style' 51, 86 and Pt 294)

Listing NGR: SU0407257306

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:

312093

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Church of St Michael and All Angels Urchfont Church Guide, ()
Bony, J, The English Decorated Style, (1979), 51, 86
Bony, J, The English Decorated Style, (1979), 294
Pevsner, N, The Buildings of England: Wiltshire, (1975)

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