Winchfield (Hampshire) St Mary's Church

     The church of St Mary's is a splendid example of a highly decorated Norman church of c.12th century date. It consists of a tower, nave and chancel.

The substantial west tower has walls 1.52m (5 feet) thick with three original windows on the north, south and west sides, the top being completed in the Victorian period. Outside two more original windows can be seen in the north and south walls of the chancel.

The south doorway is magnificent, with shafts flanked by zig-zag panels and capitals of various designs, some with reeded leaf decoration. The arch above has elaborate zig-zag decoration and raised zig-zag moulding. The north door, more simple in form, has a later pointed arch.

The interior is beautifully decorated, with the chancel arch, although possibly renewed or re-tooled, reflecting the design of the south doorway, the interior windows in the chancel also look renewed. The massive tower arch, however, is Norman; it is triple shafted, with leaf capitals, trumpet scallops and intersecting flutes. The round arch has a slight chamfer and a roll. The porch is 16th century and the north aisle was built in 1850.

Kay Ainsworth

Bibliography

Pevsner, N., and Lloyd, D., 1967. The Buildings of England, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight (London, Penguin), 721-2