Church of the Holy Cross

Church of the Holy Cross

This is an Anglican parish church of exceptional architectural and historical importance, with elements spanning from the 9th century to 1891. The building is constructed of flint with limestone ashlar dressings, except for the chancel which is roughcast. The roofs are of lead and slate.

The church was originally of cruciform plan, but the aisles were lengthened during the 13th and 14th centuries into transepts. The present building comprises a nave with aisles and a south porch, a chancel (part detached), a north chapel known as the Darrell Chapel, and a west tower.

The chancel was lengthened in the 15th century and is lit by a six-light transomed east window with four-light and three-light windows to the south. The aisles were rebuilt in 1891 by Doran Webb with two-light windows having pointed segmental heads. The nave has a clerestory with three-light Tudor arches. The massive tower features corner buttresses and a south-east stair turret. Above the circa 1400 west door, which bears consecration crosses on its jambs, is three-light intersecting tracery. The tower has two-light bell openings and a crenellated parapet. The south porch, added in 1892, is elaborately detailed with knapped flint flushwork and an inscription, and a sundial adorns the south wall.

The interior nave comprises four bays with two chamfered orders of pointed arches on wave-moulded piers from the early 14th century; the two western arches and piers are more elaborate. A wide tower arch with three wave mouldings is proportionally generous. The chancel arch has simple chamfered details that expand to string moulding as capitals. The low-pitched roof dates to the 15th century and spans five bays, with cambered moulded ties bracketed to wall posts, carved bosses and corbels. The aisles, rebuilt in 1891, are wide with an eight-bay roof arcaded against the outer wall and stone-carved corbels. A 14th- or 15th-century north door survives.

The chancel's north wall contains closely set blocked lancets and a door from the 13th century, with a plaster vault above. The chancel arch terminates in bell capitals and opens into a deep trefoiled wall arcade. The sanctuary is raised and features two trefoiled piscinae, one on the north side. The Darrell Chapel, almost detached, contains a niche in its north-east corner and smaller niches flanking the east window with nodding ogee and crocketed canopies. A piscina with a bracketed credence shelf, possibly of 19th-century date, is also present.

The church contains important fittings and monuments. The font is a fine 12th-century goblet bowl with overall lozenge pattern, raised on a stem of 1842 carved with scenes by Thomas Meyrick. An organ with a painted case of 1838 occupies the north aisle, incorporating some work by England and restored circa 1960. The pulpit, readers' desks, communion rail and choir stalls are all of limed oak, elaborately Gothic in style and dating to 1892-1893. A screen to the south aisle, also of limed oak and of good quality, dates to 1943. A brass lectern is also present.

The chancel contains a fine 15th-century Purbeck wall chest tomb with four panel bays and a solid canopy having nine-foil arches and swirling fan-vaulted soffit, supported by network columns and solid to the east. A monument to Sir William Jones, attorney-general to Charles II (1682), features a marble chest with cartouche and inscription, with Sir William in periwig half-reclining on the chest holding a scroll. Behind stands a sarcophagus with gadrooned black marble top and square crest with book over skull, with painted shield and urn finial. A monument to William Jones (1775) by L.F. Moore of London employs black, white and red marbles, with a tablet beneath a wide black obelisk topped by a bust with medallion and drapes held aside by putti, crowning a sarcophagus and pediment. A wall tablet to Mary Burdett (1797) by King of Bath in white and grey marbles shows a fluted bell below and above, a scene with sheep, vase and wilting lily on a grey marble arched panel with poem. Tablets commemorate William Jones Burdett (1840), Sir Francis Burdett (1844, oval plaque), Colonel Sir Francis Burdett (1892, marble), Dame Francis Burdett (1948) and Major Sir Francis Burdett (1951). On the north side is a tablet of 1694 to Robert Hillman in marble with oval form and small garlanded urn. Before the altar lies a floor slab with Norman French inscription to William St. John (1322).

The nave contains a tablet of 1830 to Edward Meyrick and a tablet of 1839 to Reverend Edward Meyrick by C.H. Smith of London.

The south aisle contains wall tablets in grey and white marble: to Henry Read and family (1705-06) with curved pediment and apron; to Henry Read (1756, pedimented tablet and apron); to Henry Read (1786) by van Gelder, a weeping figure holding an urn with grey marble pyramid background; to Francis Read (1801), also by van Gelder, with projecting panel and draped urn on grey pyramid; to Lieutenant General Henry Read (1821) by Blore of London, a half-oval tablet with panel and urn on drapery background; to Mary Ann Seymour (1845); to Ann Cottingham (1847); and a brass tablet on slate to William Rowland (1865). The north aisle contains white and black marble tablets: to Elizabeth Batson (1808) by Honeybone of Shrivenham, showing a standing figure with cross; to Elizabeth Hawkins (1851); to Alfred Batson (1856) by Gaffin; to Richard Davies; to Louise Read (1879), a Gothic limestone memorial; and to Bertram Ede (1977) in slate. On the east wall of the aisle is a tablet of 1745 to Jonathan Knackstone with exuberant cartouche, flying angels and garlands. The tower contains a white marble tablet to Elizabeth Blackman (1805) with draped urn and corn sprays below; a gabled aedicule to George Townsend (1845); and a tablet to Mary Read (1783) with a mourner figure. The Darrell Chapel contains three main mutilated Purbeck marble chest tombs, formerly embellished with many brasses since removed during the Commonwealth, all probably of 15th-century date, comprising one central and two wall chests with reredos.

At the west end of the north aisle is a significant group of Saxon and later fragments on a base: a 9th-century limestone cross shaft with three blocks from two crosses showing interlace on two sides, biting beasts on two sides of the base, and inhabited scroll; parts of two 9th-century tomb slabs, one with chain interlace and the second with interlace and cross bifurcating with recurring beast terminals; a fragment of a third slab with relief cross in Ringerike style; and a small fragment, probably a cross shaft, with chain interlace and blank back. A 13th-century cross slab with stepped elaborate cross and part of a second with diverse other medieval fragments and terracotta pieces are also present. Some encaustic tiles from the 14th and 15th centuries survive.

Additional furnishings include a 16th- or 17th-century panelled chest with good locks, a large 17th-century bible box, two brass chandeliers dated 1751 with two tiers of six branches each, an altar carpet probably Persian of 19th-century date with parallel tendril stripes, a church clock mechanism in the aisle by Robert Hay of London (1866), and a painting of the Nativity in the chapel.