Parish Church Of St Margaret

Parish Church of St Margaret

This parish church, located on the north-east side of Chippenham High Street, is a substantial medieval structure with significant later additions and restorations. The chancel and part of the south-east nave wall date to the 12th century. The north-west aisle and Lady Chapel belong to the 13th century, as do the nave arcades. The Lady Chapel contains an altar recess with original fresco and an original fresco of St Michael, the latter depicting the armorial shield of Prior Robert Botyll, a Knight's Hospitaller, who may have been the benefactor for the building's development.

Much of the surviving fabric dates to the 15th century, following a fire in 1447. The aisles were rebuilt and refenestrated at this time, and the clerestory, roofs, and tower all date from this period. A door and doorway to the north-west aisle, and a resited outer arch to the porch are 14th century. The south-east aisle door and doorway, and the belfry door are 15th century. The chancel arch was rebuilt in 1885 by architect Finch Noyes, and the church underwent restoration in 1893 by architect W J Tapper. The frescoes were uncovered in 1894. The Tharp memorial chapel, dating to the late 19th century, extends the church to the north-east of the south-east aisle. A vestry to the north-west also dates to the 19th century. In recent times, the St Christopher fresco has been restored while others have been whitewashed.

The exterior is constructed of flint and pebble rubble, plastered with Barnack limestone and clunch dressings. The roof has leaded gable sections with parapets. The tower comprises three stages with an embattled parapet and moulded plinth. The tower door features a two-centred arch with spandrels set in flat arches and two cinquefoil niches above. The belfry windows contain two lights with quatrefoils. Three clerestory windows contain two cinquefoil lights with quartrefoils. The south-east aisle has four windows with three cinquefoil lights and trefoils set in the spandrels of flat arches. A 19th-century chapel door and a gabled porch with two-centred arch and large carved heads at the imposts are present. The south-west door dates to the 15th century. The north-east chancel wall retains original shafted quoins with moulded base and jambs of 12th-century windows. A blocked 12th-century window and a large round-arched 12th-century window exist in the north-west wall.

Interior

The nave features seven-bay arcades with closely set two-centred arches of two chamfered orders. The north-west arcade has plain capitals with alternating octagonal and round piers. The south-east arcade contains one octagonal pier; the remaining piers are quatrefoiled in plan with defaced capitals. Some piers are decorated with painted designs and graffiti. The nave roof comprises eight bays with queen posts and architraves, dating to the 15th century.

The Lady Chapel in the north-west aisle was used by the Knight's Hospitallers and is separated from the aisle by a 13th-century demi arch. The altar recess features a two-centred arch with original fresco, shaped to accommodate a statue of the Virgin. The three-bay 15th-century roof is painted with quatrefoils, suns, stars, and other ornaments. The north-west aisle contains a remarkable 15th-century painting of St Christopher, recently restored. The 15th-century roof of seven bays has moulded cross-beams and is similar to the south-east aisle roof, which comprises ten bays. Parclose and chancel screens date to the 15th century. The chancel roof was boarded in the 19th century and may be earlier. A piscina with cinquefoiled head and foiled drain is present. The tower arch dates to the 15th century with nave moulding. Complete 15th-century poppy head pews remain, and the pulpit is restored with 15th-century carvings. The font is modern.

Memorials

The church contains numerous monuments of varying dates. In the chancel is a gilded marble monument to Sir Thomas Revitt with his two wives and four daughters, dated 1583. In the north-west aisle is a wooden painted wall monument featuring a woman in white with no inscription, possibly of the late 17th century. Marble lozenges of the 18th century commemorate the Tookie family. Two freestone slabs honour John Percivall, dated 1669, and Samuel Barker, vicar in 1707. An indented slab commemorates William Percivall Gent, dated 1671. Memorial glass in the Tharp chapel was created by G. Elliot of London. Memorial stained glass by Victor Milner honours the Right Honourable Sir Thomas Erskine May, dating to 1895. A modern chapel screen dated 1943 serves as a memorial to John D. A. Tharp.