Standlynch Chapel

DOWNTON STANDLYNCH SU 12 SE (west side) 4/125 Standlynch Chapel 23/3/60

II

Private chapel, now redundant. Medieval church rebuilt 1677, restored 1859-66 by William Butterfield. Limestone ashlar with flint chequers, tiled roof. Plan: nave, chancel, north chapel, south porch. Porch by Butterfield has timber-framed gable and double-chamfered doorway. South side of nave has two 2-light square-headed cusped windows. South side of chancel has one 2- light square-headed cusped window, east end has 3-light Perpendicular-style window and north side has 2-light square-headed cusped window. North side of nave has two 2-light square-headed cusped windows and to left a flat-roofed chapel with ashlar stack with moulded capping and 2-light pointed window, coved eaves cornice to nave. West end has 2-light pointed window, above are heraldic arms, probably of Bockland Family with date 1677. All windows C19. Roof has coped verges on kneelers, cross finials over gables. Interior: Diagonally-laid black and white marble floor. Nave has plastered wagon roof, wood-panelled walls. Hollow-chamfered pointed chancel arch on grouped shafts, either side are reset C14 niches. Chancel has panelled wagon roof. Some good stained glass in south and west windows, all to the Nelson family and of c.1900. Large Gothic memorial on north wall of nave, finely grained limestone, with pointed arch, crockets and pinnacles, to Thomas Nelson, died 1835, the nephew of Admiral Nelson. A fine rococo C18 marble monument on south wall has fine floral carving and scrolled pediment with urn finial; to Joane Penrodock, Mrs Bockland died 1689 and who restored this church in 1677. Classical marble tablet on south wall to Thomas Nelson, died 1835, by Osmond of Sarum. History: Little survives of an original Medieval church on this site, probably built for the now demolished Standlynch House which was replaced by Trafalgar House (q.v.) in 1733. The Bockland family of the earlier house rebuilt the chapel in 1677. It became the Nelson family's private chapel after they were given Standlynch House, renamed Trafalgar House; the family were responsible for the restoration of C19. (N. Pevsner, The Buildings of England: Wiltshire, 1975. Country Life July 13th, 1945, page 68)

Listing NGR: SU1826623511