The Chantry Mere, England

Text courtesy of Historic England. © Crown Copyright, reprinted under the Open Government License.

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