St Nicholas's Church, Fisherton Delamere

St Nicholas's Church in Fisherton Delamere, Wiltshire, England, was built in the 14th century. It is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II* listed building,[1] and is now a redundant church in the care of the Churches Conservation Trust.[2] It was declared redundant on 1 June 1982, and was vested in the Trust on 30 October 1984.[3]

St Nicholas' Church
LocationFisherton Delamere, Wiltshire, England
Coordinates51°08′46″N 2°00′00″W / 51.1460°N 2.0000°W / 51.1460; -2.0000
Built14th century
Listed Building – Grade II*
Official nameChurch of St. Nicholas
Designated23 March 1960[1]
Reference no.1183381
St Nicholas's Church, Fisherton Delamere is located in Wiltshire
St Nicholas's Church, Fisherton Delamere
Location of St Nicholas' Church in Wiltshire

The church, which is built in a chequerboard pattern of flint and stone, sits on a hill overlooking the River Wylye. It was built on the site of a Norman church in the 14th century and was substantially rebuilt in the 19th century.[2] In the 1830s and 1860s John Davis organised the work including the demolition and rebuilding of the chancel under the supervision of W. Hardwick, a Warminster surveyor.[4] It has a two-stage tower which is supported by diagonal buttresses.[1]

Inside the church is a Minton tiled reredos which may date from the 1861 rebuilding.[5] The screen was designed by Frederick Charles Eden and installed in 1912 while carrying out other work on the church. Because of local objections the screen was never painted.[2] The cylindrical font dates from the 12th century.[1] One of the bells was transferred to Wylye church in 1975; two of the remaining four were cast by James Burrough of Devizes in 1745,[4] and two by Mears in 1844.[6]

William Herbert Allen (1863–1943), a landscape watercolour artist whose career spanned more than 50 years from the 1880s to the 1940s, is buried in the churchyard.[7]

Parish edit

The benefice was united with Wylye in 1929, and the parsonage house at Fisherton was to be sold, although the parishes remained distinct; at the same time the portion of the parish south of the river was transferred to Stockton parish.[8] Stockton was added to the benefice in 1957,[9] and in 1973 a united benefice of Wylye, Fisherton Delamere and The Langfords (Steeple Langford and Little Langford) was created.[10] The next year, the parishes of Wylye and Fisherton Delamere were united.[11]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d Historic England. "Church of St. Nicholas, Fisherton Delamere (1183381)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 9 April 2015.
  2. ^ a b c "St Nicholas' Church, Fisherton Delamere, Wiltshire". Churches Conservation Trust. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
  3. ^ Diocese of Salisbury: All Schemes (PDF). Church Commissioners/Statistics. Church of England. 2011. p. 5. Retrieved 2 April 2011.
  4. ^ a b "Fisherton de la Mere". A History of the County of Wiltshire: Volume 8: Warminster, Westbury and Whorwellsdown Hundreds. British History Online. 1965. Retrieved 9 October 2010.
  5. ^ Pearson, Lynn. "Wiltshire" (PDF). Lynn Pearson. Retrieved 9 October 2010.
  6. ^ "Fisherton de la Mere". Dove's Guide for Church Bell Ringers. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
  7. ^ "William Herbert Allen (1863–1943)". Murriarti. Retrieved 3 September 2016.
  8. ^ "No. 33562". The London Gazette. 20 December 1929. pp. 8281–8282.
  9. ^ "No. 41215". The London Gazette. 1 November 1957. pp. 6321–6322.
  10. ^ "No. 46130". The London Gazette. 16 November 1973. p. 13643.
  11. ^ "No. 46407". The London Gazette. 19 November 1974. p. 11407.