Description

ST 8032-8132 MERE CHURCH STREET
(east side)

6/50 The Chantry (formerly
6.1.66 listed as The Chantry
House)

GV II*

Originally house for chantry priests, now private house. Mid C15, modified with
insertion of floors c.1560 and later, restored mid C20; owned by Sir John Thynne
after suppression of charities, then Thomas Chafyn after 1563. Main front is
good coursed and squarellimestone with large flush quoins, rubble elsewhere;
plain tile roof, 3 brick stacks. Long rectangular block, open hall and parlour
to left, west end, service range to right; the service range extensive, possibly
had priests' rooms to upper floor in original build. Cross passage with
screens; large external stack to right on south front and on north front, facing
churchyard. Hall now opened up, after having been floored in C17 and after,
some C18 sash windows now replaced by late medieval forms. South front in 2
storeys with varied fenestration; left end, replacing sashes shown in 1830
watercolour, a cusped light with hood above door in basket-arch and 3 scattered
single lights; then two 2-light pointed lofty leaded casements with stopped
hoods, to hall, with small single light, right, above pair of doors with Y-
tracery heads in moulded basket arch opening. Immediately left of large projec-
ting stepped stack a smaller 2-light pointed above a single light. Right of
stack are two 2-light casements above plank door in basket arch flanked by
single lights, and a single light at mid-height, far right. Left gable return
has pointed light in hollow chamfer, low, right, under a 4-central hollow-mould
and a small rectangular light to attic. North front has windows in 2:2:1 group;
at ground floor a 2-light chamfer mullion casement and 2 small square chamfered
lights; then a slightly projecting former stack, taken only to eaves; to right
of this a 2-light C15 casement, above which is a blocked 2-light opening not
visible externally; moulded 4-centre screens passage doorway; large external
gabled stack, a blocked opening and a 2-light hollow chamfer casement. At first
floor are four 2-light wood casements to voussoirs and, far right, a 3-light at
the eaves. Continuous offset plinth, chamfered eaves cornice to south.
Interior: roughly central through passage emerges opposite south porch of
church, stone screen right with two 4-centred moulded openings and larger glazed
opening. Hall, to left, has 3 bays 2-purlin arch-braced roof with cusped wind-
bracing in 3 ranges; at either end the trusses have king post to collar and
curved braces, as elsewhere in roof structure. large flat 4-centred stone fire
surround; also above this to right, a good C16 moulded fire surround, denoting
former inserted floor level, with to the left, a large blocked opening, possibly
a 3-light casement. Parlour end has C17 panelling and door to small stair
giving to 2 bays of wind-braced roof, except one half of one bay; to east end
timbers are smoke blackened. There are many good 2 or 4-panel fielded doors.
Kitchen has small fireplace to north, and a small 4-centred door giving to end
room. There is a C20 open-fronted extension, left, not of special interest,
connecting to the gateway range, Chantry Cottage (qv). For a short time from
1827 The Chantry was occupied by William Barnes, the poet, who ran his school
here.
(- Mere: A wiltshire Country Town: 1975).

Listing NGR: ST8112932217

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17542810

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Surrey (The Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Sussex: East with Brighton and Hove (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Bedfordshire, Huntingdonshire, and Peterborough (Pevsner Architectural Guides): Written by Charles O'Brien, 2014 Edition, Publisher: Yale University Press [Hardcover]
• 
  Lancashire: Manchester and the South-East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Development and Design of Heritage Sensitive Sites: Strategies for Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas
• 
  Cambridgeshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)