Church of St Andrew

Church of St Andrew

Church dating from the 11th century with 13th and 16th century work, 18th century additions, and a chancel rebuilt in 1851 by G.E. Street. The building is constructed of rough cast render on flint with Bath stone quoins and dressings, a flint plinth, a flint south porch, and a blue brick chancel. It has a plain tiled roof with patterned grey tiles on the chancel. The plan comprises a west tower, nave, south porch, chancel, two pews to the north, and a vestry.

The south elevation features a tower on the left with a single louvre in a moulded surround with cusped pointed head and label mould above it. A moulded string with carved heads runs above a double louvre. Another moulded string with carved heads sits at the base of a plain parapet with stone coping.

The south porch has a gable parapet and two centred arched entrance under a drip mould. The south doorway is 11th century work, with a round head, chevron patterned jambs with fluted caps and two rows of chevrons round the arch; the outer course carries carved heads at the springing. A mass clock has been cut into the right hand jamb below the capital. Above the door is a decorated niche for a statue. The nave is lit by three-light and two-light windows with square heads and label moulds flanking a doorway with cambered head.

The chancel has a higher pitched roof than the nave, with gable parapets and stone buttresses. It contains a three-light window in a two centred arch with drip mould to the left and a lancet to the right.

The west elevation of the tower has a two centred arched window with reset billet mould and restored perpendicular tracery above it, a clock face above that, and a moulded string with carved heads. Below runs a double louvre with a stone inscription reading "MBR 1637 AMP".

The north elevation displays a lean-to vestry on the chancel with two lancets, and two lancets to the nave. Breaking forward from the nave are two pews with gabled tiled roofs; the left one is brick with an oval in the gable, while the right one is rendered with a dentil course to the eaves and is partly built over a two-light window in the nave wall. The stair to the tower sits under a pent roof.

Internally, the walls are plastered and painted. The nave has 5½ bays; the three western bays feature a collar roof with arch braces, curved wind braces and butt purlins. The central half bay shows the junction of two builds. The two eastern bays have collar ties and arch braces with double butt purlins.

The chancel has a chamfered two centred arch springing off triple columns with plain coved caps and plinth bases, with two steps up to the chancel. Three bays contain cusped bracing to the collars. The tower arch is distorted ogee, recessed and chamfered with a carved head at the springing.

Two family pews built at right angles to the nave on the north side occupy the interior. The eastern pew, the Blandy pew of 1706, is reached by three steps with a turned balustrade and gate across a semi-circular arched opening. It has a plain barrel vault roof. To the west, the Wroughton pew of 1765 has four steps up to an opening with Tuscan pilasters supporting a frieze and cornice, closed by a turned balustrade with gate. The interior features a raised and fielded panelled dado with fitted bench seats all round.

The church contains numerous monuments. On the south wall are two stone and marble aedicules to Bartholomew Tipping of Woolley dated 1737 and 1718. On the north wall, above the pulpit, is a marble surround of pilasters and frieze containing two reset tablets each depicting kneeling women and children: one to Mary Nelson of 1618, the other to Dorothy Nelson of 1619, each with a verse. A large grey and white marble memorial to Bartholomew Tipping of Woolley dated 1757 features a panel with scroll supports below a cartouche and crest under a curved cornice surmounted by a cup and flower drapery. A grey and white marble panel to the Reverend Charles Musgrave of 1768 is topped by a sculpture of a female figure leaning on an urn. In the Blandy Pew is an aedicule in coloured marble to John Blandy of 1742 surmounted by a cartouche of arms, inscribed "Hicks of Newbury" on the base. The Wroughton Pew contains nine marble monuments of varying style and size, with the main central panel dedicated to Bartholomew Tipping of 1798.

The fittings include a reset 17th century style hexagonal timber pulpit, panelled with star marquetry and a moulded base on a cut off acanthus leaf capital. There is also a Norman tub font.