Church Of Holy Trinity

The Church of Holy Trinity is a parish church at Meldreth, built in stone over several centuries. The building comprises a west tower, nave, south aisle, south porch, and chancel.

The chancel dates from the mid 12th century and retains one original single-light window in the south wall and two in the north wall. Later fenestration includes a 14th-century Decorated window in the north wall and 15th-century windows to the south wall. The east window is a restoration of 1870. A 13th-century trefoil-arched opening in the north wall is accompanied by a blocked two-centred doorway that probably led to a vanished north vestry.

The nave and west tower date to around 1200. The west tower rises in three stages, the upper being a late 13th-century bell-stage. The lower stages feature single-light windows in two-centred arches of two orders, with nook shafts bearing scalloped capitals. Some windows are blocked or restored. The bell-stage displays three bays of blind arcading on each side: two-centred arches with quatrefoil ornament to the spandrels and trefoil-headed openings. The tower is topped by a flat parapet on a corbel table.

The nave has an embattled parapet and a 15th-century clerestorey of flint and fieldstone containing five two-light windows to each side. The north wall carries three 14th-century Decorated windows of clunch, each with three cinquefoil lights in two-centred arches with early 14th-century tracery.

The south aisle is 15th-century with a parapeted roof. It contains four large windows with four-centred arches and vertical tracery, each with three cinquefoil lights. The south porch is of the same period, featuring a two-centred outer arch with continuous hollow and ogee moulding, and an inner order on half-octagonal columns to the responds. The inner arch is two-centred with three continuous moulded orders in a square head, quatrefoil and dagger ornament to the spandrel, and a moulded cornice with embattlement. The original plank and batten door with cover strips survives.

The building is constructed of limestone and clunch rubblestone with Barnack limestone and clunch dressings, restored with Ketton stone.

The interior contains a fine assemblage of fittings. The west tower arch is two-centred with two keeled, roll-moulded orders on shafts bearing moulded bases and scallop capitals. The south arcade of the nave is 15th-century clunch comprising five bays with two-centred arches of two orders: the outer ogee moulded and continuous, the inner chamfered on half-octagonal columns with moulded capitals and high moulded bases. A 15th-century king-post roof spans five bays with arched braced tie beams and dagger tracery to the spandrels. Wall posts rest on angel corbels bearing shields; the easternmost truss is more elaborately carved and painted. North of the chancel arch are rood loft stair doorways. The 15th-century screen incorporates some modern material. The chancel contains two square openings with rebates for doors in the east wall, probably aumbries, and a 13th-century opening in the north wall in a two-centred trefoil arch.

Early 16th-century pews with poppyhead finials survive in the chancel. A hexagonal pulpit of 15th to 16th-century date incorporates some modern work. A fine early 18th-century brass chandelier from St Benets, Cambridge, was brought here in 1870. A second chandelier, also brass, is probably 19th-century with two tiers of eight branches. A 14th-century octagonal limestone font stands on an octagonal stem with quatrefoils carved to each face of the bowl. A 15th to 16th-century oak chest with iron furniture is housed in the north aisle. Also in the north aisle is a Roman coffin of around 400 AD, found at Mettle Hill, Meldreth. An 18th-century wall monument of limestone with black marble panel and carved inscription is located at the west end of the south aisle.

The church underwent restorations in 1800, 1846, and 1870. The north doorway of the nave, originally dating from around 1200, was restored in the 19th century.