Weight: 840 lbs Diameter: 36" Bell 1 of 1
Founded by Robert Beconsall 1601
Dove Bell ID: 62378 Tower ID: 24830 - View Tower Listed: No Canons: Removed Cracked: No
Wilsford: St Michael
Overview
Grid reference: SU 134 398
The materials of the walls and the tiles of the roofs are the same as those on the surrounding buildings, and even the pyramidal roof of the tower is echoed in the pyramid roof of a dove-cote abutting upon the churchyard wall a few yards to the south. The tower is the first part of the church to be seen and is, appropriately, the oldest.
Visiting and facilities
Building is open for worship
Building
Ground Plan Description and Dimensions
Ground plan:
West tower, nave with south porch, north organ chamber and vestry; chancel under the same roof as the nave.
Footprint of Church buildings: 170 m²
Description of Archaeology and History
The west tower is Norman in the lower part, but the upper part and the rest of the church date from a re-building by the Diocesan Architect, T.H. Wyatt, in 1856. The cost of £1,600 was defrayed by the impropriate rector, Giles Loder, Esqre, of Wilsford House; the population of the parish being one hundred and thirty-five, the church was built to seat one hundred and twenty three. The porch was added by Weaver in 1869.
Exterior Description
The materials of the walls and the tiles of the roofs are the same as those on the surrounding buildings, and even the pyramidal roof of the tower is echoed in the pyramid roof of a dove-cote abutting upon the churchyard wall a few yards to the south. The tower is the first part of the church to be seen and is, appropriately, the oldest. The lower stage (up to about fifteen feet from the ground) is typical Norman work, built of flint laid herringbone-wise, with squared stones at the corners but no buttresses. In the west wall is a small round-headed doorway with a simple arch of two orders, the inner upon plain imposts and the outer on nook-shafts with worn carved capitals. In the side walls of this stage are small round-headed windows, both much renewed.
The upper stage was entirely built in 1856, continuing the flint facing of the lower part but with more regular horizontal bands of stone. The belfry lights are paired Norman lights set rather low in the wall. A plain parapet rests above a simple corbel-table, and within it riscs a tiles pyramidal roof, formerly crowned with a weather-vane.
The rest of the church was rebuilt by Wyatt in the lancet style; the nave and chancel are under one continuous roof, and are lit by lancets, which, by their somewhat irregular placing, seem to follow the mediaeval pattern. The only buttress appears on the south wall at the point where a rood-screen might once have abutted inside; perhaps this was based upon mediaeval foundations. The line of the south wall is only interuppted by a later timber porch near the west end, a structure of straight-forward design. The north wall, however, is (for so small a building) an untidy collection of gables and pent roofs covering the organ chamber, vestry and boiler house. The east window is a group of three lancets, and like all the other windows in the church is unornamented by hoodmoulds, the windows being simply chamfered.
Building Fabric and Features
Stained Glass
c.1860
The east window has grisaille.
Stained Glass
A south chancel window has a small fifteenth-century Crucifixus, repaired in 1897.
Stained Glass
1933
The south-west window shows The Good Shepherd with sheep and the River Avon in the background.
Interior
Interior Description
With whitewashed walls, stone-flagged floor and pine panelled roof, the interior of the church presents an entirely nineteenth century atmosphere. The west wall, however, has a wide Norman arch opening into the tower space, with a window above which communicates with the belfry. On the walls of the nave are several monuments brought from the old church including two fine hatchments, and various eighteenth-century marble tablets. The walls are further decorated with nine brass two-light candle sconces.
Near the cast end of the nave, an arch on the north side opens into a transeptal organ chambor containing a small organ in a "churchwarden Gothic" case dating from the time of the rebuilding of the church. The door to the vestry is further west, and the latter also communicates with the organ chamber.
The chancel is differentiated from the nave by having a boarded roof, separarated from the open roof of the nave by a timber arch with cusping pierced with trefoils. This is, uncommonly, supported by colonettes of turned wood. The east windows are enriched internally by attached shafts and trefoiled rere-arches. The lights are filled with grisaille with coloured borders. The flour in the chancel and sanctuary is tiled with brown and buff tiles with decorative motifs in red and blue which derive from Pugin's Glossary and are of good quality. The furnishings are of pine, no doubt designed by Wyatt but of undistinguished pattern.
Fixtures and fittings
Altar
1857
The altar table, of oak, is a plain design.
Rail
The Communion Rails have a continuous arcade of trefoiled arches on turned wooden columns in 13th century style, with a differently carved leaf in each spandrel.
Organ (object)
The Organ, in an oak case of Churchwarden Gothic style, with a central gabled flat of seven pipes flanked by two small panels of three pipes, has two manuals and eight speaking stops. The action is tracker, and a brass plate gives the builder as J.W. Walker, and the date 1858: the organ was reconstructedby Norman and Beard.
Font (object)
The font, octagonal with a moulded base and cup-shaped octagonal bowl, appears to be re-cut mediaeval work.
Bells
Churchyard
Grid reference: SU 134 398
Burial and War Grave Information
It is unknown whether the building is consecrated.
It is unknown whether the churchyard has been used for burial.
It is unknown whether the churchyard is used for burial.
The churchyard has war graves.
National Heritage record for England designations
Environment
Ancient, Veteran & Notable Trees
Caring for God's Acre is a conservation charity working to support groups and individuals to investigate, care for, and enjoy the wildlife and heritage treasures found within churchyards and other burial grounds. Look on their website for information and advice and please contact their staff directly. They can help you manage this churchyard for people and wildlife.
To learn more about all the species recorded against this church, go to the Burial Ground Portal within the NBN Atlas. You can check the spread of records through the years, discovering what has been recorded and when, plus what discoveries might remain to be uncovered.
There are no records of Ancient, Veteran or Notable Trees within the curtilage of this site.
Renewables
| Renewable | Installed |
|---|---|
| Solar PV Panels | No |
| Solar Thermal Panels | No |
| Biomass | No |
| Wind Turbine | No |
| Air Source Heat Pump | No |
| Ground Source Heat Pump | No |
| Ev Charging | No |
Species summary
There are no records of species within the curtilage of this site.
Caring for God's Acre is a conservation charity working to support groups and individuals to investigate, care for, and enjoy the wildlife and heritage treasures found within churchyards and other burial grounds. Look on their website for information and advice and please contact their staff directly. They can help you manage this churchyard for people and wildlife.
To learn more about all the species recorded against this church, go to the Burial Ground Portal within the NBN Atlas. You can check the spread of records through the years, discovering what has been recorded and when, plus what discoveries might remain to be uncovered.
'Seek advice' Species
More information on species and action to be taken upon discovery.
Caring for God's Acre is a conservation charity working to support groups and individuals to investigate, care for, and enjoy the wildlife and heritage treasures found within churchyards and other burial grounds. Look on their website for information and advice and please contact their staff directly. They can help you manage this churchyard for people and wildlife.
To learn more about all the species recorded against this church, go to the Burial Ground Portal within the NBN Atlas. You can check the spread of records through the years, discovering what has been recorded and when, plus what discoveries might remain to be uncovered.
Further information
Sources
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