Description

TL 66 NE CHIPPENHAM HIGH STREET
(north-east)

6/79 Parish Church
of St Margaret
19.8.59

GV I

Parish church. Chancel and part of south-east nave wall C12.
North-west aisle, and Lady Chapel with altar recess and original
fresco C13. Nave arcades C13. The C15 fabric dates from a fire
in 1447. Prior Robert Botyll, a Knight's Hospitaller, whose
armorial shield was depicted on the fresco of St Michael in the
Lady Chapel, was perhaps the benefactor. The aisles were
rebuilt and refenestrated, the clerestory, roofs, and tower are
C15. Door and doorway to north-west aisle, and resited outer
arch to porch C14. South-east aisle door and doorway and belfry
door C15. Chancel arch rebuilt in 1885, architect Finch Noyes;
church restored in 1893, architect W J Tapper. The frescoes
were uncovered in 1894. The Tharp memorial chapel, late C19 is
an extension to north-east of south-east aisle. Vestry to
north-west also C19. Recently the St Christoper fresco has been
restored and others white-washed. Flint and pebble rubble,
plastered with Barnack limestone and clunch dressings; leaded
gable roofs with parapets. Tower of three stages with embattled
parapet and moulded plinth, door with two-centred arch and
spandrels in flat arch, two cinquefoil niches above. Belfry
windows of two lights with quatrefoil. Three clerestory windows
of two, cinquefoil lights with a quartrefoil. South-east aisle
has four windows with three cinquefoil lights with trefoils in
spandrels of flat arches. C19 chapel door. Gabled porch with
two-centred arch and large carved heads at imposts. South-west
door C15. North-east chancel wall has original shafted quoins
with moulded base, and jambs of C12 windows. Blocked C12 window
and large round-arched window C12 in north-west wall.
Interior. Nave arcades of seven bays with close set two-centred
arches of two chamfered orders. North-west arcade has plain
capitals with alternate octagonal and round piers; one
octagonal pier in south-east arcade, the remaining quatrefoiled
in plan with defaced capitals. (Some piers with painted design
and graffiti). Nave roof of eight bays, queen posts with
architraves C15. Lady Chapel in north-west aisle used by the
Knight's Hospitallers is divided from aisle by C13 demi arch.
The altar recess with two-centred arch and original fresco is
shaped for statue of virgin. Three bay C15 roof painted with
quatrefoils, suns, stars, and other ornaments. North-west aisle
has remarkable C15 painting of St Christoper recently restored.
The C15 roof of seven bays with moulded cross-beams is similar
to south-east aisle of ten bays. Parclose screen and chancel
screen C15. Chancel roof boarded in C19 may be earlier.
Piscena with cinquefoiled head and foiled drain. Tower arch C15
with nave moulding. C15 poppy head pews complete, pulpit
restored with C15 carvings. Modern font. Memorials include
guilded marble monument to Sir Thomas Revitt with his two wives
and four daughters dated 1583 in chancel. In north-west aisle
wooden painted wall monument with woman in white and no
inscription possibly late C17. Marble lozenges C18 to Tookie
family. Two freestone slabs to John Percivall 1669, and Samuel
Barker, vicar 1707. One indented slab to William Percivall Gent
1671. Memorial glass in Tharp chapel by G. Elliot, London.
Memorial stained glass by Victor Milner to Rt. Hon. Sir Thomas
Erskine May, 1895. The modern chapel screen dated 1943 is a
memorial to John D. A. Tharp.

Keyser C.E. C.A.S. Volvi (1891), p.321
Cole MSS. (visit of 1745), C.R.O.
Pevsner. Buildings in England, p.321
Barker R W. History of Chippenham, 1897, p.7-16
Tharp Mem. Chapel Pamp. 1948 Collection.

Listing NGR: TL6635169804

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17527610

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.

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