Church Of St George

Church of St George, Manton Village

This church sits in meadows away from the village, on the south bank of the River Kennett, approximately 1 mile west of Marlborough. The name Preshute, meaning 'priest's cell', is first recorded in 1186. The church had the dedication of St George by 1232, though it may be of Saxon foundation.

The building is of mixed dates. The nave arcade is of 12th century foundation, the west tower dates to the 15th century, and the rest of the church—the nave, chancel with north vestry, and south aisle—was rebuilt in 1854 by the architect Thomas Henry Wyatt. The plan preserves the medieval layout: a west tower, chancel with north vestry, four-bay nave, and south aisle with porch.

Exterior

The materials combine yellow ashlar and coursed flint. The medieval interior of the tower and the 19th century outer walls of the nave and chancel are of flint with ashlar chequerwork, a traditional Wiltshire finish. The roofs are slate.

The 15th century tower is short and squat, of three stages. It has diagonal buttresses with setoffs and a small polygonal stair turret on the south, rising to the second stage only. The bell-openings are of three lights with simple Perpendicular tracery; the main lights have pierced stone panels known as Somerset tracery rather than louvres. The battlements have a continuous moulding around the merlons, a typically 15th century form. A four-light west window and four-centred west door with decorated spandrels under a square label are present. Two medieval stone shields are set in the wall: one bearing an Agnus Dei, the other with initials (M?) and a rose. Some 14th century corbel heads also survive.

The 1854 work comprises a low nave and lower chancel, with a south aisle of lean-to type and no clerestory. A broad south porch is provided. The tracery is deliberately varied to give the impression of an evolved medieval church: a 14th century reticulated east window, 13th century-style trefoil-headed lancet openings on the south side of the chancel, a free late Perpendicular window under a segmental head at the west end of the aisle, and two square-headed lights of uncertain parentage east of the porch.

Interior

The inside walls are ashlar lined. Embedded in the porch wall are one side of a square font bowl with blank arcading and a lozenge frieze, and a quatrefoil-shaped basin from a piscina.

The original 12th century Norman arcade consists of four bays with circular piers, scalloped trumpet capitals, and octagonal abaci. The eastern respond has a more elaborate capital, with a running leaf design above the scallops and a standing leaf (approaching stiff-leaf style) at each interval of the scalloping. The arches of the arcade were replaced by Wyatt, as was the Norman chancel arch, which is now a moulded two-centred arch. The tower base serves as an organ loft. The nave has an open timber roof with arch-braced tie-beams and open traceried arches above.

The chancel floor is laid with richly patterned encaustic tiles. The stone-flagged nave contains plain Victorian pews with low doors. Several hatchments are present in the nave, one with naive memento mori symbols possibly of late 17th or 18th century date, and a 17th century tablet with painted Gothic script commemorating bequests by John Colman, died 1619.

Principal Fixtures and Monuments

The font is of 12th century black Tournai marble—described as a 'truly amazing piece'—with a round bowl, heavy mouldings, and a short circular foot. It was in the church by circa 1600 and is believed to have been brought from St Nicholas's chapel in Marlborough Castle after 1417.

A wrought-iron and brass altar rail flank the altar, with painted Commandment boards of mid 19th century style. The pulpit, presumably by Wyatt, is oak and panelled with a standing figure of a saint at the corner.

Stained glass includes a brightly coloured east window of circa 1854 signed C.A.G., possibly by a designer working for Powell & Sons, who provided the south aisle east window at about the same date. The north aisle first window from the east is a Bleeck memorial by Bell & Son of Bristol, 1894. The third from the east is a Hussey memorial of circa 1916, stylistically attributed to Percy Bacon Brothers.

Monuments include a brass to John Bailey, died 1518, and his wife wearing a gabled Tudor headdress. The figures, measuring 18 inches, are inset into a slab with a separate inscription and below, their ten children. A Baroque oval tablet commemorates Jeffery Daniell, died 1681, and his son (died 1697), with two weeping putti 'with enormous hankies' perched on the scrolls. A small memorial to Martha Bleeck, died 1911, is an opus-sectile and mosaic panel with angels holding a scroll.

High on the south face of the tower is a sundial, possibly 18th century, with Roman numerals.

The large churchyard contains many good 18th century chest tombs and headstones.

Historical Context

The parish of Preshute is complex in its evolution, as it included land in the eastern part of Marlborough. That area was served by a chapel of ease, St Martin on Coldharbour Lane, built circa 1252–4. This building is long demolished, but a decorative carved stone from St Martin was placed in the porch at St George in 1950. The part of the parish in which St George lies was absorbed into Marlborough in 1934.

Thomas Henry Wyatt (1807–1880) was a member of an architecturally prolific family. Born in Ireland, he was a pupil of Philip Hardwick, who had a large and important practice in both classical and Gothic architecture. Wyatt became district surveyor for Hackney in 1832 and from 1838 to 1851 developed a successful partnership with David Brandon. As honorary architect to the Salisbury Diocesan Church Building Society, he gained many commissions, including the building or rebuilding of at least 16 churches in Wiltshire and restorations at some 30 more. His most famous church is Wilton, Wiltshire (1841–5). He was elected president of the Royal Institute of British Architects in 1870 and three years later was awarded its Royal Gold Medal.