South Tidworth: Mortuary Chapel
Overview
Grid reference: SU 239 479
A tiny mortuary chapel within a large churchyard at the foot of a low wooded hill at the south-eastern edge of the small town of Tidworth, once two villages (North and South Tidworth) near a country house and park, but now dominated by the military who use it as a residential base, with much recent building filling in the gap.
Visiting and facilities
Building is closed for worship
Building
Description of Archaeology and History
The history of the churches of Tidworth is complex and in places unclear.
There was apparently a Saxon church at the southern entrance to the village, near the present church of St Mary and close to the manor house. The building of the 13th or 14th century was 60 feet long and 22 feet wide with a high nave, a chancel and a large porch. There was also a square tower. In 1784 a faculty was signed by the Bishop of Winchester authorising Thomas Assheton Smith, owner of Tedworth House, to demolish it. Assheton Smith promised to take down the church and rebuild it elsewhere at his own expense.
This building in turn was mostly pulled down in about 1880, having been described in 1875 as consisting of chancel, nave and north and south transepts. The mortuary chapel is probably therefore the remodelled chancel of the medieval parish church of South Tidworth, rebuilt on this site in 1785.
The porch and west wall were presumably added in 1880. It contains furnishings and fittings, including several monuments, from the old church. This was all probably done as the owner of the house and estate, Sir John Kelk, built himself a fine new church closer to it at this time which was more convenient for him. When the ecclesiastical parishes of North and South Tidworth were united in 1972 North Tidworth church became the parish church and St Mary’s became redundant.
Exterior Description
The chapel is a modest rectangular building with a chamfered brick plinth and stone quoins at the east angles. There are small buttresses low on the western angles. The north and south walls are pierced by a single lancet with chamfered surrounds, the east window is a 3-light 14th-century window with trefoil-headed lights of equal height and two elongated quatrefoils in the head under a moulded hood with headstops, doubtless from the medieval church. The eaves overhang the gable, and below is a late Georgian burial enclosure with iron railings.
The west wall looks later than the rest of the building, which would suggest that the chapel is a remodelling of the chancel of the previous church, the west wall built across the opening of the chancel arch. It has a chamfered stone plinth, low clasping buttresses at the angles and stone bands at irregular intervals. moulded stones incorporated in the buttresses look as if they have been re-used from 18th-century tomb-chests. In the gable is a small rectangular window and again the eaves overhang as at the east end. The small stone belcote has a tiled roof with a plainly chamfered outer arch and a keystone. The inner doorway has a continuous plain chamfer.
Interior
Interior Description
The interior is very architecturally simple. The floor is laid with timber boards, the walls are plastered with a panelled dado which seems to have been made from 18th-century box pews, and there is one step at the rails. The roof is a very thin 19th-century construction with collars to each pair of rafters. The windows have plain canted reveals.
Against the west wall is a simple pointed arch of 18th-century character with a keystone and similar stones at the impost, which supports the suggestion that this is basically the chancel of the medieval church, rebuilt in 1784 and again remodelled in c 1880.
Fixtures and fittings
Font (object)
Early 20th Century
Elongated white marble octagonal baluster with moulded oval basin, perhaps only the stem from the Georgian font.
Churchyard
Grid reference: SU 239 479
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.
It is unknown whether the churchyard has war graves.
National Heritage record for England designations
There are no records of National Heritage assets within the curtilage of this site.
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 | N/A |
| Solar Thermal Panels | N/A |
| Biomass | N/A |
| Wind Turbine | N/A |
| Air Source Heat Pump | N/A |
| Ground Source Heat Pump | N/A |
| Ev Charging | N/A |
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
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