Church of St Mary and St Melor Amesbury, England

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

In the entry for: AMESBURY CHURCH STREET (north side)

Church of St Mary and 11/12 St Melor

18.2.58

The description shall be amended to read:

SU 1541 AMESBURY CHURCH STREET (north side)

11/12 Church of St Mary and St Melor 18.2.58

• I Abbey church of the Order of Fontevrault, now Anglican parish church. C12, C13, C14 and C15, restored 1852-3 by William Butterfield at cost of £1500. Flint and limestone, some diaper work. Tiled roofs. Cruciform plan with C12 nave, and crossing, chancel transepts and tower rebuilt in C13. South aisle added C15. Chancel, tall, built of ashlar above sill level, with tall lancets, east window replaced with 5-light window in 1852-3. Transepts have shorter lancets, south transept south wall rebuilt C19. Chamfered outset at eaves. Creasing for former east chapel on south transept, replaced by arch, in turn replaced by 3-light cusped window. Eastern chapel remains on north transept, and second inner chapel removed. Nave has corbel table and jambs of clerestory windows on north side, but has been shortened, probably prior to C19 restoration, but present west end with 3 windows is by Butterfield. C15 two-light clerestory windows replacing original. South aisle of 2 bays incorporating some Roman brick, 3-light windows with pointed segmental heads. Late C15 square-headed door at west end of south wall. North side formerly had attached structure, apparently not an aisle, but also unlikely to be cloister of nunnery. North wall of nave has, beyond west end, lower section of elaborate late C12 doorway, with 4 shafts and early stiff leaf foliage capitals on internal side. Central tower of 2 stages, with lancets at bell stage and plain parapet. Entrance now in south gable of south transept. Interior: Nave of 5 roof bays, late C15-C16 moulded tie-beam trusses with open panelwork and carved wall brackets. South arcade inserted in C12 walls in C15, 2 bays. Three blocked C12 clerestory windows over. Pier has hollow mouldings between 4 shafts, and arches of 2 hollow chamfers. Half arch at west end. Crossing arches on triple keeled shafts, 3 chamfered orders. South west pier has late medieval panel embellish- ment. C12 pier for a north nave opening excavated in wall, possibly a pre- Norman shaft base. Chancel has 3 roof bays, C19 trussed rafters with inclined ashlars, and chamfered ties. Embrasures to windows and rere-arches. Windows on north side partially blocked probably to accommodate lean-to or chapel now demolished. North priest's door. Elaborate moulded recess adjacent, with crocketed gable and pinnacles, known as the abbesses' seat, possibly an Easter sepulchre. Credence table on south side supported on corbels in form of angels holding shields inscribed DED, from east window, reset C19. East end panelled with marble divided by strips of red, blue and yellow tiles, hidden. South aisle arch to transept has capital embillished with leaf motif as arcade. Small piscina with credence shelf. Stoup by south west door, now containing a medieval queen's head. Transepts have C16 plaster vaults with moulded timber members, angels at junction of ribs with wall plates. C13 arch to east chapel in north transept. This chapel, the Jesus Chapel, has C13 quadripartite vault of ribs on stiff leaf capitals. Large double piscina. Above entrance arch, a doorway to space over vault. Fittings: Font: In south aisle, C12 Purbeck marble, a tapered square with shallow blind arcading, reset on C15 arcaded lime- stone base. Pulpit, C19 oak on stone base. Second font at west end a truncated octagonal shaft with string and triangular fillets to square base. Medieval. Chancel screen C15 or early C16, reset in 1907, oak. Large 5-light bays with tracery and central pair of doors. Fixings for absent rood over. Similar C19 screen to north transept. Choir stalls by Butterfield, boldly panelled, and similar altar rail. Organ with elaborate case, from St Edmund's church Salisbury. Fur