Old Church of St Mary the Virgin, Preston Candover
Encyclopedia
The Old Church of St Mary the Virgin, Preston Candover, is a redundant
Anglican
church in the village of Preston Candover
, Hampshire
, England. It has been designated by English Heritage
as a Grade II* listed building, and is under the care of the Churches Conservation Trust
. Only the chancel
of the church has survived. It is situated towards the south of the village, on the northwest side of the B3046 road.
s, and a western weatherboarded
bellcote with a pyramidal roof. In 1831 the church was enlarged, providing 48 additional sittings. By 1885 the fabric of the church had deteriorated so much that, except for the chancel, it was demolished. A new church with the same dedication
was built nearer the centre of the village. The building is open daily.
with stone dressings and brick quoins
. The roof is tiled. The west wall was added when the rest of the church was demolished and is in rubble
. The building is almost square in plan. In the west wall is a round-headed doorway. The north wall contains a small lancet window
dating from about 1190, and in the south wall is a two-light Perpendicular window and a blocked round-headed priest's door. The east window is round-headed with a single light. On the west gable
is a wooden bellcote.
tiles, and inscribed slabs and brasses
dating from the 17th and 18th centuries. On the north and south walls are four marble
memorials dating between 1729 and 1798. On the west wall is a framed painting recording the 1831 expansion of the church and two boards bearing the Ten Commandments
. On the east wall are wall paintings that probably date from the 18th century. Also in the church is a small piscina
, and altar rails dating from the 17th century.
Redundant church
A redundant church is a church building that is no longer required for regular public worship. The phrase is particularly used to refer to former Anglican buildings in the United Kingdom, but may refer to any disused church building around the world...
Anglican
Anglicanism
Anglicanism is a tradition within Christianity comprising churches with historical connections to the Church of England or similar beliefs, worship and church structures. The word Anglican originates in ecclesia anglicana, a medieval Latin phrase dating to at least 1246 that means the English...
church in the village of Preston Candover
Preston Candover
Preston Candover is a village and large civil parish in Hampshire, England. It has two churches, only one of which is still in use. Its nearest town is Basingstoke, approximately away...
, Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
, England. It has been designated by English Heritage
English Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
as a Grade II* listed building, and is under the care of the Churches Conservation Trust
Churches Conservation Trust
The Churches Conservation Trust, which was initially known as the Redundant Churches Fund, is a charity whose purpose is to protect historic churches at risk, those that have been made redundant by the Church of England. The Trust was established by the Pastoral Measure of 1968...
. Only the chancel
Chancel
In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar in the sanctuary at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building...
of the church has survived. It is situated towards the south of the village, on the northwest side of the B3046 road.
History
The church was founded in about 1190. It was damaged in a fire in 1681 and rebuilt. At this time it is thought that it consisted of a long single cell with transeptTransept
For the periodical go to The Transept.A transept is a transverse section, of any building, which lies across the main body of the building. In Christian churches, a transept is an area set crosswise to the nave in a cruciform building in Romanesque and Gothic Christian church architecture...
s, and a western weatherboarded
Weatherboarding
Weatherboarding is the cladding or ‘siding’ of a house consisting of long thin timber boards that overlap one another, either vertically or horizontally on the outside of the wall. They are usually of rectangular section with parallel sides...
bellcote with a pyramidal roof. In 1831 the church was enlarged, providing 48 additional sittings. By 1885 the fabric of the church had deteriorated so much that, except for the chancel, it was demolished. A new church with the same dedication
Dedication
Dedication is the act of consecrating an altar, temple, church or other sacred building. It also refers to the inscription of books or other artifacts when these are specifically addressed or presented to a particular person. This practice, which once was used to gain the patronage and support of...
was built nearer the centre of the village. The building is open daily.
Exterior
The chancel is constructed in flintFlint
Flint is a hard, sedimentary cryptocrystalline form of the mineral quartz, categorized as a variety of chert. It occurs chiefly as nodules and masses in sedimentary rocks, such as chalks and limestones. Inside the nodule, flint is usually dark grey, black, green, white, or brown in colour, and...
with stone dressings and brick quoins
Quoin (architecture)
Quoins are the cornerstones of brick or stone walls. Quoins may be either structural or decorative. Architects and builders use quoins to give the impression of strength and firmness to the outline of a building...
. The roof is tiled. The west wall was added when the rest of the church was demolished and is in rubble
Rubble
Rubble is broken stone, of irregular size, shape and texture. This word is closely connected in derivation with "rubbish", which was formerly also applied to what we now call "rubble". Rubble naturally found in the soil is known also as brash...
. The building is almost square in plan. In the west wall is a round-headed doorway. The north wall contains a small lancet window
Lancet window
A lancet window is a tall narrow window with a pointed arch at its top. It acquired the "lancet" name from its resemblance to a lance. Instances of this architectural motif are most often found in Gothic and ecclesiastical structures, where they are often placed singly or in pairs.The motif first...
dating from about 1190, and in the south wall is a two-light Perpendicular window and a blocked round-headed priest's door. The east window is round-headed with a single light. On the west gable
Gable
A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of a sloping roof. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system being used and aesthetic concerns. Thus the type of roof enclosing the volume dictates the shape of the gable...
is a wooden bellcote.
Interior
The floor contains some medievalMiddle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
tiles, and inscribed slabs and brasses
Monumental brass
Monumental brass is a species of engraved sepulchral memorial which in the early part of the 13th century began to partially take the place of three-dimensional monuments and effigies carved in stone or wood...
dating from the 17th and 18th centuries. On the north and south walls are four marble
Marble
Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite.Geologists use the term "marble" to refer to metamorphosed limestone; however stonemasons use the term more broadly to encompass unmetamorphosed limestone.Marble is commonly used for...
memorials dating between 1729 and 1798. On the west wall is a framed painting recording the 1831 expansion of the church and two boards bearing the Ten Commandments
Ten Commandments
The Ten Commandments, also known as the Decalogue , are a set of biblical principles relating to ethics and worship, which play a fundamental role in Judaism and most forms of Christianity. They include instructions to worship only God and to keep the Sabbath, and prohibitions against idolatry,...
. On the east wall are wall paintings that probably date from the 18th century. Also in the church is a small piscina
Piscina
A piscina is a shallow basin placed near the altar of a church, used for washing the communion vessels. The sacrarium is the drain itself. Anglicans usually refer to the basin, calling it a piscina. Roman Catholics usually refer to the drain, and by extension, the basin, as the sacrarium...
, and altar rails dating from the 17th century.
See also
- List of churches preserved by the Churches Conservation Trust in South East England