Church Of St Katherine

GREAT BEDWYN - SU 26 SE 5/72 Church of St Katherine (formerly listed as St Katherine's 22.8.66 Church Savernake) II* Anglican parish church for parish of Savernake, and Tottenham estate church. 1861, by T.H.Wyatt for Mary Caroline Herbert, 2nd Marchioness of Ailesbury. Reconstructed 1952 after explosion of ammunition store nearby. Flint with Bath oolite banding. Tiled roof. Florid Decorated style. Nave and north aisle, south porch under steeple. North and south transepts and short chancel with apse. Two-light geometric windows with foiled roundels in heads. Three-light to west and 2-light in polygonal apse. Tower of 3 stages with gabled buttresses and quatrefoiled parapet. Limestone broach spire with small high lucarnes. Iron balustrade to chancel ridge. Steps to vault at east end with cast iron railings. Interior: Nave of 5 bays, north arcade now blocked to form meeting room. Two east bays combined into openwork geometric stone screen to both transepts. Open timber roof with king post on collar and cusped brackets to wall shafts and corbels. Transepts each of 1 bay, 3-light window to south, rose window and 2 low lancets to north. Chancel raised by 3 steps, arch on elaborate vine leaf corbels. Arcaded gallery from chancel to pulpit on north. Door to vestry to south. Two stained glass windows to apse survive. Marble communion rail on 2 steps. Encaustic tiles throughout. Fittings: Lobed limestone font on 5 columns in centre of nave. Corbelled pulpit with trefoiled arcade on marble colonnettes and inlaid marble panels. Monuments: Nave east wall, 1892, inset wall tablet, limestone with shallow niche containing gilded zinc figure clasping and behind elaborate metal tree, to MARY CAROLINE HERBERT, 2nd marchioness. S. Transept, memorial to CHANDOS, 6th Marquess, 1961. Limestone and slate. Nave north wall: tall brass of 1878 to GEORGE BRUDENELL BRUCE. (References: Pevsner, Buildings of England, WILTSHIRE; For glass, Nightingale, J.E. WAM XIX. 26 'Painted glass at Wulfhall'.)

Listing NGR: SU2519464913