Church Of St Michael, Melksham, Wiltshire, SN12 (Grade II*)

ST 9063 MELKSHAM CHURCH WALK (south east side)

7/51 Church of St. Michael

29.9.50

GV II*

Anglican parish church. Norman origins, late Medieval with extensive remodelling in 1845 by T.H. Wyatt. Ashlar, Welsh slate roof with coped verges and saddlestones. Plan: west tower, 5-bay nave with aisles, chancel with south side chapel, north porch. 4- stage rectangular west tower was moved from the crossing in 1845, corner buttresses and Perpendicular-arched door with hood mould having carved terminals, third stage has single lancet, fourth stage has cusped Perpendicular style blind arcading and 2-light window with louvres, string courses to third and fourth stages, battlemented chapel with one Perpendicular 3-light with hood mould, clerestory has three 3-light 4-centred arched windows and battlemented parapet. Lady chapel on south east side has three 4- light Perpendicular windows with hood moulds, and square headed door with moulded plinth raised over lintel, battlemented parapet and pinnacles. Chancel has corner buttresses, one with Medieval sundial and 2 and 3-light Perpendicular windows with hood moulds. North aisle of chancel has gabled C19 vestry with 3-light Perpendicular window, and one 4-light square-headed window to right. Door in moulded Perpendicular arch in north 2-storey porch, with 2-light trefoil-headed window to upper floor and statue of St. Michael in niche over door. North aisle same as south and with polygonal stair turret in angle of tower. Interior: Porch has tierceron star vault with bosses. 5-bay nave has C13 pointed arcade on cylindrical piers, late C19 pews and tall pointed arch to tower of 1845. C15 Lady Chapel refitted in 1909. Chancel has pointed arch and wooden barrel-vaulted ceiling, evidence of removed blind arcading and piscina on walls, 4-centred arches into Lady Chapel and vestry inserted in 1845. Fittings: fine carved limestone reredos of 1894 by Ponting, carved oak chancel screen also of 1894, choir stalls of 1881 and pulpit of 1906, some good late C19 stained glass in nave and chancel and glass by Ward and Hughes, 1884 and Kempe, 1897 in Lady Chapel. Good collection of memorial tablets includes early marble of 1612 to Ambrose Dauntesey in chancel, signed tablet to Jacob Selfe of 1730 by Hoare in Lady Chapel and signed tablet to Thomas Smith of 1720 by Richard Broad of Box. On exterior north east corners of chancel and nave are 3 C18 cartouches. (N. Pevsner, The Buildings of England: Wiltshire, 1975. R. Gunnis, Dictionary of British Sculptors 1660-1851, 1951).