Church Of St Mary The Virgin

ST 85 NW WESTWOOD LOWER WESTWOOD (south side)

6/251 Church of St Mary the Virgin

13-11-62

GV I

Anglican parish church. C15, restored 1840. Limestone ashlar, dressed limestone, stone slate roof with coped verges. Plan: west tower, nave with north chapel, chancel. West entrance in base of tower has Tudor-arched doorway with double ledged doors and hoodmould, 3-stage Perpendicular tower has diagonal buttresses, string courses and 3-light Perpendicular window over doorway, chamfered arrowloop to middle stage, bellstage has blind traceried panels and 3-light open panels with latticed stone louvres, string course with gargoyles to battlemented parapet with traceried panels and crocketed corner pinnacles, octagonal stair turret on south east corner with similar decoration and crocketed domed roof. South side of nave has three 2-light 1840s windows, moulded cornice to battlemented parapet. Chancel south side rebuilt 1840, retains trefoil-headed planked door with incised ornament to spandrels, hoodmould, 2 cinquefoiled lights, C18 memorial tablet with open pediment on wall to right, 3-light Perpendicular east window, rubble stone north wall has chamfered lancet. C15 north chapel has set-back buttresses, 3-light pointed Perpendicular windows to east and west and two to north, moulded string course with gargoyles and battlemented parapet, broken pinnacles. North side of nave has one pointed light with square hoodmould to right of chapel. Interior: Nave has late C18 coved plaster ceiling in three panels. Tower arch with traceried panelled soffits, stair turret corbelled into nave, with carved stone Devil below. C20 wooden screen and door. Two-bay north chapel of c1400 has moulded piers with attached shafts, pointed arches, partly restored roof with finely carved panels with moulded ribs and bosses, east window flanked by damaged image niches, squint cut into east respond of aisle arcade. Low moulded pointed chancel arch, chancel has collar rafter roof, double pointed piscina on south wall with nailhead ornament. Fittings: Mid C17 chancel screen, formerly a communion rail, C15 choir stalls with traceried panels, polygonal carved wooden pulpit dated 1607, late C19 nave seating, octagonal stone pulpit with finely carved ogee-shaped cover, probably C15. C15 stained glass in chancel, east window depicting Christ on the cross. Monuments: Rococo stone tablet in nave to John Painter died 1723 with scrolled pediment and fluted pilasters, large oval marble tablet to Richard Cox died 1789, with female figure and an urn. Epitaph on stone tablet with heraldic arms to Charles Franklin, in chapel. (N. Pevsner, The Buildings of England, Wiltshire, 1975)

Listing NGR: ST8122159013