Description

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

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Church of St Mary the Virgin, Chard at Wikipedia
• Wikidata Q5117589

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

• 
  Sussex: East with Brighton and Hove (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Lancashire: Manchester and the South-East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Derbyshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Old House Care and Repair
• 
  Maintaining and Repairing Old Houses: A Guide to Conservation, Sustainability and Economy
• 
  Oxfordshire: North and West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)