Church Of St Martin

This is an Anglican parish church with Anglo-Saxon origins, substantially rebuilt and enlarged over the centuries. The earliest parts date to around 1200, with significant additions in the 13th and 15th centuries. The church was restored in 1850. It is constructed of ashlar and ironstone rubble with stone slate roofs and comprises a west tower, nave with north and south aisles, and a chancel.

Tower

The west tower probably dates originally to the 13th century and was built in rubble stone with buttresses. It was substantially refronted and raised in ashlar during the 15th century. The fifteenth-century work includes very large west angle buttresses, a pointed west doorway with hood moulding, and a 4-light west window that was altered in 1864 by the architect W. Butterfield. A string course runs across the tower, with the bell stage above containing two Perpendicular-style 2-light bell-openings on each side. A coved cornice with gargoyles runs beneath an embattled parapet topped with angle pinnacles. On the south side is a square stair tower of 15th-century ashlar with a lean-to roof, which has only a single light facing this direction. Earlier rubble stone is visible on the north, south and east faces, with a dripstone course at mid height. The north side features a lancet window to the lower stage and a blank 2-light Perpendicular-style flat-headed window above.

Nave and Aisles

The nave displays Anglo-Saxon long-and-short stonework at its north west angle and a coped east gable. A small Sanctus bellcote sits above. The aisles, added in the 15th century, are of ashlar and embattled, with three windows each. The aisles have 3-light 4-centred windows at their ends, angle buttresses, side buttresses, coved cornices with gargoyles, and large flat-headed 3-light side windows with labels projecting from the cornice.

The south aisle is approached through a large two-storey porch on its left side, beyond which are two additional windows. The porch features a stepped embattled parapet, a first-floor window of cusped 2-light flat-headed design with hood, and a moulded pointed doorway with hood below. The ground floor has a single light to the west and a 2-light opening to the east. Within the porch is a fine tierceron star stone vault with carved bosses and a moulded 4-centred inner doorway with hood. The north aisle has a window on each side of an off-centre pointed door with hood moulding.

Chancel

The chancel is built of rubble stone, though most of its detail was renewed in the 19th century. The south side retains one lancet window above a blocked low-side shouldered window, and one 3-light window with Y-tracery. A wall plaque dated 1822 in the south east corner bears a poem by W.L. Bowles. The east end features 19th-century stepped lancets. The north side has two lancet windows, one of which is blocked.

Interior

The nave and aisle roofs date to the 19th century. The nave roof comprises arch-braced collar trusses supported on stone corbels. The four-bay arcades, dating to around 1200, are heavily restored. They have pointed arches with chamfer, roll-moulding and hood moulding, supported on circular piers with trumpet-scallop capitals, plain moulded or stiff-leaf capitals, all heavily restored. The tower arch is moulded and has a 19th-century timber screen. The chancel arch, similarly restored, has massive round piers with leaf capitals and a moulded pointed arch in 13th-century style.

The south aisle has an east end vestry screened by a 19th-century timber screen that incorporates 15th-century carved work, with a 19th-century shouldered stone doorway opening into the nave. To the left of the south door is a small door accessing a stone winding stair that leads to the upper room of the porch, which has a plain Tudor-arched doorway and cambered roof.

The chancel has a plastered curved three-bay roof and an elaborately shafted 19th-century east window. The sanctuary floor is of mosaic, dated 1907. The south side has a cusped piscina and a squint opening through to the north aisle.

Fittings and Furnishings

The font dates to around 1200 and is circular, decorated with bands of semi-circular scales and rope-moulded bands above and below. A stone Perpendicular-style pulpit with canted front, said to be 15th-century, is heavily restored or copied in the 19th century. Pews incorporate panels of 15th-century carved work. A 19th-century carved wood lectern stands in the nave. Beneath the tower is a tiled floor and a carved inscription by Butterfield commemorating window restoration carried out in 1864.

The church contains notable stained glass. The south aisle has glass commemorating the Eddrup family, with windows dating to 1903, c.1887 and 1879. The north aisle west window features fine armorial glass of c.1900 by Kempe, and a north window of 1897 possibly also by Kempe. Painted arms of William IV appear on the north wall. The chancel east window dates to c.1907 by Tower, with two small lancets of c.1860. The west window is recorded by Pevsner as being by Hardman.

Monuments

The chancel contains an exceptional Baroque marble monument with bust, putti, twisted columns and emblems of peace and war, commemorating G. Hungerford who died in 1697. Wall plaques record Rev J. Wilson (died 1724) and Rev N. Hume (died 1804, by King). Fine armorial floor slabs honour W. Hungerford and Rev J. Tounson, both died 1697.

The poet W.L. Bowles was vicar of Bremhill from 1804 to 1845.