Church of St Mary the Virgin
CHURCH OF ST MARY THE VIRGIN, CHURCH STREET
Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places
Overview
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- I
- List Entry Number:
- 1365492
- Date first listed:
- 22-Aug-1966
- List Entry Name:
- Church of St Mary the Virgin
- Statutory Address:
- CHURCH OF ST MARY THE VIRGIN, CHURCH STREET
Location
Location of this list entry and nearby places that are also listed. Use our map search to find more listed places.
Use of this mapping is subject to terms and conditions .
This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale.
What is the National Heritage List for England?
The National Heritage List for England is a unique register of our country's most significant historic buildings and sites. The places on the list are protected by law and most are not open to the public.
The list includes:
 |
Buildings |
 |
Scheduled monuments |
 |
Parks and gardens |
 |
Battlefields |
 |
Shipwrecks |
Images of England Project
- Date:
- 2000-09-28
- Reference:
- IOE01/02311/05
- Rights:
- © Mr Simon Mack. Source: Historic England Archive
Local Heritage Hub
Unlock and explore hidden histories, aerial photography, and listed buildings and places for every county, district, city and major town across England.
Discover moreOfficial list entry
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- I
- List Entry Number:
- 1365492
- Date first listed:
- 22-Aug-1966
- Date of most recent amendment:
- 30-Jul-1986
- List Entry Name:
- Church of St Mary the Virgin
- Statutory Address 1:
- CHURCH OF ST MARY THE VIRGIN, CHURCH STREET
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
Location
- Statutory Address:
- CHURCH OF ST MARY THE VIRGIN, CHURCH STREET
The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
- District:
- Wiltshire (Unitary Authority)
- Parish:
- Great Bedwyn
- National Grid Reference:
- SU 27756 64277
Details
GREAT BEDWYN CHURCH STREET SU 26 SE (south-east side) 11/82 Church of St Mary the Virgin (formerly listed as the Parish Church of St Mary) 22.8.66 I Anglican parish church. Late C12, C13 and C14 and heavily restored 1853-5 by T.H. Wyatt. Flint with limestone dressings, stone tower and putlog holes. Lead and tile roofs. Nave with aisles, transepts, central tower, chancel and south vestry. Two light windows to aisles, quatrefoil headed to north aisle, square headed to south aisle, C14 but restored. Clerestory 2-light square headed windows. Three-light east and west windows, both C19. Chancel C13 trefoiled lancets, walls part rendered. Vault of Ailesbury family beneath east end. Tower of 2 stages, 2 light bell openings and cusped openwork parapet. North-east stair tower of 1840, Greek inscription on south aisle buttress and initials CA, II 1684, and graffiti of cross-crosslets. Interior: Nave of 4 bays, pointed Transitional arcade of bold chevron and billet mouldings on square abaci and round columns, the capitals strongly carved on a varied scalloped theme. Much restored. Roofs throughout of 1853-5; to nave hammerbeam trusses with carved cusping. Crossing of early C14, chamfered arches of equal height and contemporary 2 bay transepts, said to be built by Sir Adam de Stokke before 1313. Chancel replaces shorter chancel known from excavation, 5 bays with C19 roof. C19 vestry. Fittings: Font: high tub on clustered Purbeck shafts, 1854. Pulpit: in crossing 1854. Limestone chequerwork with crocketed gabled motifs and wooden pulpit in nave provided 1982. Organ in south transept by T.W.Walker, 1888. Chancel screen, 1852, wrought iron by J.Easeby of Collingbourne Ducis replacing orginal C14 screen of oak, now across north transept. Communion rail C19 and encaustic tiles. In south transept, naturalistic carved piscina and credence shelf with nodding crocketted ogee canopy, mid C14. Nave, a mutilated figure of seated Queen of Heaven carved into east respond of north arcade, said to be undamaged in 1860. Monuments: Chancel: on north side, wall chest tomb with effigy, 1590, limestone of Sir JOHN SEYMOUR, died 1530, father of Lord Protector Somerset and grandfather to Jane Seymour, reset here from Easton Royal priory in 1590. Pevsner says effigy is of 1530. Armoured, with hands in prayer, resting on helm with carved wood wings, lion at his feet and sword by his side. Above, dedicatory inscription set in wall with gadrooning and arms with ribbons. Chest has shields (restored), and much ribboning. Wall monument, 1706, black and white marbles, to FRANCES DEVEREUX, Duchess of Somerset, died 1674 and daughter of Earl of Essex. Waisted table with 3 stages of panels over surmounted by her bust. Naked angels at sides. S. Transept: Wall tombs, pointed wave moulded arches, to left containing cross legged knight holding shield and drawing sword. Said to be Sir Adam de Stokke, builder of transepts. To right, his son, Sir Roger de Stokke, died 1333, formerly with long footed brass. Linear cusping at back. Wall tablet, 1862, white marble sarcophagus on slate, to LOUISA POTTER. North Transept: 3 wall tablets, white marble on slate, 1839 to WILLIAM GALE PIKE, 1829 WILLIAM PIKE, and 1879, to ELIZABETH LIDDERDALE. Nave has four C20 memorials. Brasses: Chancel, 1510, to JOHN SEYMOUR, eldest son of Sir John. Devotional figure and inscription. Small brass, to Lord BEAUCHAMP, inscribed BELLOCAMP' ERAM GRAIA GENETRICE SEMERVS TRES HABVI NATOS, EST QVIBVS VNA SOROR. North Transept; THOMAS DOGESON, vicar, 1501. Figured wallpaintings in north and south transepts, discovered in 1842 and re-covered. Glass, some good Victorian glass, including a window by Street, and in chancel, C16 yellow stained glass with arms of Jane Seymour, badge of Prince of Wales, Tudor rose and imperial crown, all brought from Wolf Hall in 1905. (References: Pevsner, Sir N. Buildin s of England: WILTSHIRE. ECCLESIOLOGIST, 14, 380 (1.10.1853 ; Church Guide.)
Listing NGR: SU2775964271
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
- Legacy System number:
- 310806
- Legacy System:
- LBS
Sources
Books and journals
Church of St Mary the Virgin Church Guide Great Bedwyn Wiltshire, ()
Pevsner, N, The Buildings of England: Wiltshire, (1963)
Ecclesiologist in 1 October, Vol. 14, (1853), 380
Legal
This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.
Map
This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale. This copy shows the entry on 11-Jun-2026 at 23:50:54.
Download a full scale map (PDF)End of official list entry
All text content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0 , except where otherwise stated. Any supplied maps are © Crown Copyright [and database rights] 2026 OS AC0000815036 and may not be reproduced without permission.