St Mary's Church is the main

Anglican Anglicanism, also known as Episcopalianism in some countries, is a Western Christianity, Western Christian tradition which developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the ...

church in the town of

Calne Calne () is a town and Civil parishes in England, civil parish in Wiltshire, southwestern England,OS Explorer Map 156, Chippenham and Bradford-on-Avon Scale: 1:25 000.Publisher: Ordnance Survey A2 edition (2007). at the northwestern extremity ...

Wiltshire Wiltshire (; abbreviated to Wilts) is a ceremonial county in South West England. It borders Gloucestershire to the north, Oxfordshire to the north-east, Berkshire to the east, Hampshire to the south-east, Dorset to the south, and Somerset to ...

, England. The church is large and

cruciform A cruciform is a physical manifestation resembling a common cross or Christian cross. These include architectural shapes, biology, art, and design. Cruciform architectural plan Christian churches are commonly described as having a cruciform ...

, with a tall north tower; it stands in a triangular churchyard at the heart of the town. Begun in the 12th century, it is described by Pevsner as "the proud church of a prosperous clothiers' town". The church is a

Grade I listed In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Hi ...

building.

History and architecture

A church was recorded at Calne in 1066 and was almost certainly on the site of the present church. By 1116 the church's estate endowed a

prebend A prebendary is a member of the Catholic or Anglican clergy, a form of canon with a role in the administration of a cathedral or collegiate church. When attending services, prebendaries sit in particular seats, usually at the back of the choir ...

Salisbury Cathedral Salisbury Cathedral, formally the Cathedral Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary, is an Church of England, Anglican cathedral in the city of Salisbury, England. The cathedral is regarded as one of the leading examples of Early English architecture, ...

. The present building dates from c. 1160–70, and

Norman Norman or Normans may refer to: Ethnic and cultural identity * The Normans, a people partly descended from Norse Vikings who settled in the territory of Normandy in France in the 9th and 10th centuries ** People or things connected with the Norma ...

work survives in the nave and part of a doorway, later moved to the north porch door. The church was lengthened in the 14th century and St Edmund's chapel was added on the north side. The 15th century saw the addition of a

clerestory A clerestory ( ; , also clearstory, clearstorey, or overstorey; from Old French ''cler estor'') is a high section of wall that contains windows above eye-level. Its purpose is to admit light, fresh air, or both. Historically, a ''clerestory' ...

and north and south porches, together with the re-roofing of the nave. In 1638 the crossing tower and spire collapsed, damaging the north and east of the chancel. The tower was rebuilt over the north transept and is a notable example of the

Gothic survival Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic or neo-Gothic) is an architectural movement that after a gradual build-up beginning in the second half of the 17th century became a widespread movement in the first half of the 19th century ...

style, with four stages; Pevsner states that its buttress shafts and pinnacles are "in the Somerset fashion". The church was

restored ''Restored'' is the fourth studio album by American contemporary Christian musician Jeremy Camp. It was released on November 16, 2004, by BEC Recordings. Track listing Standard release Enhanced edition Deluxe gold edition Standard Aus ...

to designs of William Slater in 1864, when the south and west parts were rebuilt, including the south chapel, and the pulpit and organ were moved. In 1882–3, under the direction of J.L. Pearson, the organ was again moved and the north-east chapel became a vestry; Pearson also designed restoration of the chancel in 1890–91.

Interior

The 15th-century roof can be seen in the nave, and the 17th-century roof in the chancel. Bench pews are from the mid-19th century. The three-panel

reredos A reredos ( , , ) is a large altarpiece, a screen, or decoration placed behind the altar in a Church (building), church. It often includes religious images. The term ''reredos'' may also be used for similar structures, if elaborate, in secular a ...

of 1890 was designed by J.L. Pearson. A new organ by

Conacher and Co Conacher and Co was a firm of British Organ building, organ builders based in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England. History The firm originated with Peter Conacher (1823–1894), who was born in Scotland and who studied as an apprentice organ ...

was installed in 1908. The large organ case, and the altar in the south chapel, are in

Arts and Crafts The Arts and Crafts movement was an international trend in the Decorative arts, decorative and fine arts that developed earliest and most fully in the British Isles and subsequently spread across the British Empire and to the rest of Europe and ...

style from the first decade of the 20th century. They were designed by C.R. Ashbee and carved by Alec Miller, from Ashbee's Guild at

Chipping Campden Chipping Campden is a market town in the Cotswold (district), Cotswold district of Gloucestershire, England. It is notable for its terraced High Street, dating from the 14th to the 17th centuries. A wool trading centre in the Middle Ages, Chipp ...

Parish

The ancient parish of Calne covered a wide area, including

Berwick Bassett Berwick Bassett is a small village and civil parish in Wiltshire, England, about northwest of Marlborough and southwest of Swindon. The village is on the west bank of a headstream of the River Kennet and close to the A4361 road, formerly the ...

Cherhill Cherhill is a village and civil parish in Wiltshire, England. The village is about east of the town of Calne, on the A4 road towards Marlborough. The parish includes the village of Yatesbury and the hamlets of Blackland, Theobald's Green, ...

and Studley, each with churches or chapels dependent on St Mary's. In the 19th century Berwick Bassett and Cherhill became independent, and much of the west of the parish was transferred to the new church at Derry Hill, including Sandy Lane, Studley and Bowood; also Stockley was transferred to Heddington. Today St Mary's is the head church of the parish of Calne and Blackland, which comprises Holy Trinity at Quemerford, a Victorian church, and (since 1881) the small 13th-century church at Blackland, south-east of the town. Since 2010 the parish, together with Derry Hill, Bremhill and Foxham, has been served by the Marden Vale Team Ministry. Registers dating from 1528 are held in the Wiltshire and Swindon Record Office.

Sources

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Calne, Saint Mary Church of England church buildings in Wiltshire Grade I listed churches in Wiltshire 12th-century church buildings in England

Saint Mary Mary was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Saint Joseph, Joseph and the mother of Jesus. She is an important figure of Christianity, venerated under titles of Mary, mother of Jesus, various titles such as Perpetual virginity ...