St Mary's Church, Maddington facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Mary's Church |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Location | Maddington, Shrewton, Wiltshire, England |
| Built | late 12th century |
|
Listed Building – Grade II*
|
|
| Official name: Church of St Mary the Virgin | |
| Designated | 18 February 1958 |
| Reference no. | 1023996 |
| Lua error in Module:Location_map at line 420: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). | |
St Mary's Church is a very old building in the village of Maddington, near Shrewton in Wiltshire, England. It was built a long time ago, in the late 1100s. Today, it is a special building listed as Grade II* (Grade two star) on the National Heritage List for England. This means it is a very important historic building.
The church is no longer used for regular church services. It is now looked after by the Churches Conservation Trust. This trust helps to protect old churches that are not used anymore. St Mary's Church became part of their care in 1979.
Contents
A Look at the Church's History
St Mary's Church has its roots in the Norman period. This was a time when the Normans ruled England. The church belonged to Amesbury Priory in 1179. The oldest parts of the church you see today were built in the late 1100s and early 1200s.
Changes Over the Years
Over many centuries, the church has been changed and updated. For example, the roof of the main part of the church, called the nave, was replaced in 1603. A person named Giles Tooker paid for this work.
Later, in the late 1600s, Sir Stephen Fox became the main landowner, or lord of the manor, in the area. He paid to rebuild the chancel, which is the part of the church where the altar is. He also paid for new decorations. A special raised area for people to sit, called a gallery, was added in 1637. However, this gallery has since been removed.
In 1853, the chancel was rebuilt again. The whole church was also restored by an architect named Thomas Henry Wyatt. This means it was repaired and updated to look its best. During this time, a new entrance porch with a pointed roof was built.
What the Church Looks Like
The outside walls of the nave and chancel have a cool pattern. They are built with a mix of dark flint stones and lighter sandstone blocks. This gives them a checkerboard look.
The Tower and Bells
At the west end of the church, there is a low tower with three sections. This tower was added in the 1500s. It has strong supports called buttresses that lean against the walls. Inside the tower are three old bells. They were made around 1499, 1587, and 1699. Sadly, they cannot be rung anymore.
Inside the Church
Inside, you can see a large plaster decoration from 1637. It is called a cartouche and has fancy designs around it. This might be the date when the old gallery was built. The church also has beautiful stained glass windows. One in the south side aisle was made by Alexander Gibbs. Another in the chancel was made by Lavers, Barraud and Westlake.
The Churchyard and War Graves
Outside the church, there is an old wall from the 1600s. It is made of flint and limestone. The churchyard, which is the area around the church, has an extra part to the west. In this area, you can find special graves for soldiers. These are Commonwealth war graves. One grave is for a soldier from the Canadian Army who died in World War I. The other is for a soldier from the Dorsetshire Regiment who died in World War II.
See also
