Church of St Mary the Virgin

Details

CHARD

ST3308 CHURCH STREET 756-1/4/10 (West side) 24/03/50 Church of St Mary the Virgin

GV I

Parish Church. Late C11/early C12 origins; rebuilt C15. Early C17 clerestorey. Vestry built and church restored 1882. Squared and coursed flint, rough limestone ashlar and some coursed rubble; lead roofs. Cruciform plan with aisled nave, north and south porches and west tower. Perpendicular style. EXTERIOR: Setback and offset corner buttresses with crocketed finials; gargoyles to most buttresses and between corner buttresses; moulded plinth and cornicing; battlemented ashlar parapets, except plain parapet to coped chancel and north transept. 5-light east window with figure stops to hoodmould; 3-light north and south chancel windows. North chapel has 3-light windows and stair turret to NE angle. South chapel has two 3-light east windows, 4-light south window with ogee heads above moulded pointed-arched doorway with foliate spandrels and label mould, and 3-light west window with ogee heads and head stops to hoodmould. 6-bay nave has 3-light windows and early C17 clerestorey dormers with moulded mullioned 3-light windows and obelisks. North porch has crocketed ogee hoodmould with head stops above pointed moulded arch with 2 orders of perpendicular capitals; canopied niche flanked by 1882 relief panels of angels; moulded pointed arch to inner door of 1882. Similar but plainer south porch. 3-stage tower with moulded string courses and NW angle stair turret: hoodmould over pointed moulded west doorway with early C19 panelled doors; string course continued as hoodmould over 3-light west window (restored mid C20 ); upper stage has hoodmoulds over 2-light windows with trefoil heads and Somerset tracery. INTERIOR: formerly canopied niche to SE of chancel; fragment of late C11/early C12 round-headed arch to south chancel wall; late C19 canopied niches to east wall; pointed moulded arches to north and south chapels and tall chancel arch, that to south with trefoil panelling to intrados and others with Perpendicular capitals to shafts. Chapels have former canopied niches, that to north with original paint. Nave arcades have pointed moulded arches and Perpendicular capitals to shafts of quatrefoil piers; similar arch from north aisle to chapel; trefoil panelled intrados to arch from south aisle to chapel; tall west arch. ROOFS: coved stone cornice with floral and foliated bosses to C15 coffered wagon roof; moulded beams with bosses to coffered chapel and aisle ceilings, those to north aisle with angel corbels; south aisle ceiling without bosses. Nave has coved plaster cornice with rose and floral bosses to early C17 coffered roof of light scantling. FITTINGS: C15 octagonal font with quatrefoil panels and restored cover; 1880 pulpit; late C19 brass eagle lecturn. Two early C17 parish chests. Fine memorials include a monument to William Brewer, physician, d 1614, in north chapel; inscription panels between consoles supporting figures of William and wife flanked by sons and daughters, all kneeling at prayer, set within Corinthian aedicule with heraldic achievement set in broken segmental pediment surmounted by classical female figures and flanking obelisks. (Pevsner N: Buildings of England: South Somerset: London: 1958-: P.118).

Listing NGR: ST3230408205

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:

374037

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Pevsner, N, The Buildings of England: South and West Somerset, (1958), 118

End of official list entry

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