Church Of The Holy Cross, Hankerton, Wiltshire, SN16 (Grade II*)

ST 99 SE HANKERTON CHURCH LANE (east side)

3/84 Church of the Holy Cross

28.10.59

GV II*

Anglican Parish Church. Late C12 (north arcade), late C13 (north aisle), C15 (west tower) and 1903 (chancel). Squared and coursed dressed stone to tower, coursed rubble to remainder with some render, stone dressings, ashlar copings and stone slate roofs. Nave, chancel, west tower, north aisle, south porch. Nave south side has one 2-light C15 window under flat head to left of porch, two C15 windows to right: one 3-light under pointed head and one 2-light under flat head, both with hoodmoulds. North aisle has a single 3-light Tudor-arched C15 window set in deep reveal to right end and a blocked Caernarvon-arched doorway; 3-light Early English east window. West tower of 3 stages with diagonal buttresses with set-offs, moulded string courses, south-east corner stair turret and embattled parapet with corner pinnacles and gargoyles below. Western buttresses at first stage have statue niches. West face of tower has a 3-light C19 Perpendicular style window to first stage and an oblong opening to second; 2-cusped-light bell openings with pierced wooden panels to all faces. Chancel of 1903 (dated on gable end) with Perpendicular style 3-light east window. Gabled south porch with multi-rolled pointed-arched entrance with 2-leaf plank doors and inner doorway with Ringerike style dragon stops to hoodmould and C19 plank door; benches either side. Interior: 4-bay north arcade with circular piers, moulded capitals, circular abaci and double-chamfered round arches. Wagon roof to nave, ribbed plaster vault to tower and further wagon roof to north aisle. Low, narrow, chancel arch probably C13 giving onto C20 chancel with barrel vault. Fittings: 1744 wall monument to the Ludlow family on nave north wall by the tower, C15 octagonal font with quatrefoil frieze by south door. Fine 1775 monument to Miles Earle by Nollekens on west wall of north arcade: marble tablet with an urn at the top. (N. Pevsner, The Buildings of England: Wiltshire, 1975)