Church Of St Mary

GRITTLETON THE STREET ST 88 SE (north side)

3/43 Church of St Mary

20.12.60

GV II*

Anglican parish church, c1200 origins, C15 tower, heavily restored 1865-7 by A.W. Blomfield. South aisle added 1836 by J. Pinch Jr. and-altered 1892. Ashlar and rubble stone with stone slate roofs and coped gables. Tower, nave, aisles, south porch, chancel and north east vestry. Fine 3-stage west tower with diagonal buttresses, moulded plinth and string courses, angle pinnacles and embattled parapet. Depressed-arched west door with carved spandrels in shallow ashlar porch (similar to that at Burton), Perpendicular 3-light pointed west window above. Second stage has west canopied niche with Virgin and child statue added 1912 and south 2-light pointed window. Bell-stage has cusped 2-light flat- headed bell-openings with hoodmoulds, three to west and east, two to each side. Carved gargoyles under parapet. Gabled south aisle is ashlar, with 3-light pointed end windows, south side 2-light windows, one to left and two to right of gabled porch with pointed arched entry and earlier C19 iron gates. North aisle is gabled, 3- light west window, three 2-light north windows and buttresses between, all C19. Chancel is entirely C19 with plinth, sill course and moulded eaves. Decorated-style windows with quatrefoil heads, two 2-lights to south and 3-light east. North east vestry is similar, probably also c1865-7 with 3-light east window. Interior: nave has four bay arcades in style of c1200 with circular piers and bases, carved octagonal caps and 2-chamfer pointed arches. North arcade is original and south is a copy of 1836, unusually accurate. C19 nave roof. Wave-moulded C15 tower arch with ornate C19 stone screen across. C19 carved stone pulpit, moved from Leigh Delamere church (q.v.). In south aisle thin Gothic font of 1836 by J. Pinch Jr. and at east end 12 continental carved wood oval panels flanking window, removed from Neeld family pew. C19 chancel arch, tiled sanctuary floor and glass mosaic reredos. West window of 1871, one fine chancel south window of 1865 in style of R.T. Bayne, south aisle east window of c1892 and south west windows by Heaton, Butler and Bayne of c1900. In north aisle, plaque to Rev T. Pollock (died 1801) by Reeves & Son. (J.E. Jackson, History of the Parish of Grittleton, 1843, 20-21; N. Pevsner, Wiltshire, 1975, 261)

Listing NGR: ST8601180019