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St Michaels & All Angels Urchfont Wiltshire |
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St Michael & All Angels Urchfont Wiltshire SN10 4QP Usually open to visitors Parking on roadside close to entrance |
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MAIN FEATURES OF INTEREST |
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Ø Font dated 1220 Ø Ancient wooden Elizabethan chest Ø Corpus Christie Chapel |
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HISTORY |
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There has been a church on this spot in Urchfont for many hundreds of years. The oldest part of the current church being the chancel arch which dates back to c.1220. Above this is an unplastered area where very faint traces of an ancient wall painting can still been seen. Another reminder of the past are fragments of medieval floor tiles which were discovered in the church during restorations carried out in 1900. A number of these are on view at the west end of the north aisle, see images below. The remainder of the chancel dates back to the 14th century when a fine vaulted ceiling was added complete with many carved stone bosses. There include carvings of St Michael, Abraham, a pelican in her piety and a mermaid. These can be seen below. Beneath the chancel is an ancient burial crypt which was bricked closed many years ago and is no longer accessible. |
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IMAGES |
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Font dating back to 1220 is one of the oldest parts of
the church and would have previously been located n an older building that
the present church. The heavy wooden cover was made in 1900. |
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View of the nave looking towards the east end and the
chancel. |
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Fragments of medieval floor tiles can be found at the
west end of the north aisle. Forty such fragments were found within the
church during restorations in 1900 |
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The James Long monument at the site where an altar
would have previously stood in the south transept. |
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The chancel ceiling with its multiple bosses. |
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Boss featuring The Piety of the Pelican who is feeding
her young with blood from her breast |
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One of the many ceiling bosses from the chancel. This
one features Abraham astride a ram and is a reference to Genesis Chapter 22
when he was prepared to sacrifice his son Isaac. |
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Boss from the chancel ceiling featuring St Michael with
lance killing a dragon |
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Boss from the chancel ceiling featuring a mermaid
which represents the alure of the flesh |
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Boss from the chancel ceiling featuring two
dragons or serpents which were meant to represent evil |
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This stone carving thought to be of King Alfred
sits at the side of the south door in the entrance porch. Opposite sits a
similar queen thought to be Queen Ahlswith. The porch was completed in 1430 |
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This stone carving thought to be of Queen
Ahlswith, sits opposite the above carving in the entrance porch |
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This window
features the resurrection of Christ and the meeting with Mary Magdalene in
the Garden of Gethsemane |
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This window
commemorates a 12 year old boy who died in 1852. The window of Nain is
depicted from Luke, "Weep Not" and Christ with a child "Suffer
Little Children" from Mark Chapter 10. |
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This window has
a top angel with a banner "Resurrectio et vita ( Ressurection In Life)
and features Christ and Jairus' daughter from Mark Chapter 5. With below
Lazarus in grave clothes from John Chapter 11. It remembers the death of a
child |
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This window features
the resurrection of Christ and the meeting with Mary Magdalene in the |
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The left upper
pane features Abraham, Issac and a ram caught in a thicket, from Genesis.
Notice also in the bottom left of the same panel preparations for the burnt
offering, the flames and smoke. The right panel shows the Crucifixion. |
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The Great East Window with the disciples either side of
the Ascending Christ |
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LINKS & REFERENCES |
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Ø A CHURCH
NEAR YOU : Burton Overy Ø Church website can be found HERE Ø
Wiltshire
History HERE Ø Church Guide available in the
church "A History of the Church" Price £4 a time of visit in
the summer of 2011 |