Church Of St Mary

UPAVON - SU 15 NW 2/137 Church of St. Mary 27.5.64 GV I Anglican parish church. Early C13, early C15, and restorations in 1875 by T.H. Wyatt (chancel) and J.P. Seddon (Nave). Flint, and banded limestone ashlar. Tiled roofs. Nave, north aisle with north porch, chancel with south vestry, and west tower. Chancel is late C12-early C13 with 3 round headed windows, two being in east wall and C19 central window perhaps replacing larger central C13 window. Windows are rebated externally and have apparently been reset in C19 works. Nave restored 1875 and south aisle removed earlier than 1865 and arcade blocked. Three-light Geometric windows. Triple C19 lancets with trefoiled heads to north aisle. Large C13 west tower with roll moulded west door and 3-light intersecting tracery window over. Tower of 4 stages, double rebated lancets to ringing chamber and crenellated parapet on corbel table. Interior: Chancel has narrow arch with pointed head and chevron and billet decoration, not apparently reset. Flanking round squint arches, reduced to pointed arches in chancel. Nave has 5 bay roof of C15 replacing earlier steeper pitched roof. C13 arcade of 4 bays on north, the eastern arch on a pier perhaps to a separate chapel. Round columns and capitals with arches of 2 chamfered orders. South side arcade of 3 arches only, now blocked. Tall arch to tower rising from widely chamfered imposts and with stone seats. Stair in north wall. C19 encaustic tiles in sanctuary. Fittings: under tower arch, good late C12-early C13 font, octagonal with foliated crosses, lions and an Annunciation in a late Romanesque style. It stands on 5 clustered columns. C19 wood cover. Pulpit, C19. Simple piscina and sedilia. Late C16 altar table and C19 brass altar rail. A second altar in the north aisle is a C17 chest, now containing fragmented stone wheel cross. Monuments: Chancel: Wall tablet. Carrara marble, by W. Marshall. Swept top, to Francis Giffard and wife, he died 1827. In vestry: Limestone tablet on bracket, to Thomas Chandler, died 1752, and two C19-early C20 brasses. In north aisle; five wall tablets, reading from east: a) White marble on veined black. Scroll suspended from arrow, leaves over, to Thomas Alexander, died 1863. b) White-casket on black, curved top with acroteriae, to Sarah Lampard, died 1837. c) Limestone. C18. Four oval panels in line, to Simon Jarvis and family. d) White marble square, to William Alexander, died 1786, wife and family. e) White sarcophagus on black, to Rev. John Pyke, died 1839. Also four brasses erected by the Central Flying School, Upavon, to officers killed on duty 1913, 1914 and 1927. Three painted wood charity boards, two relate to enclosure allotments of 1804. (Pevsner: Buildings of England - Wiltshire.)

Listing NGR: SU1354855039