Church of St Mary Magdalene, Winterbourne Monkton
The Church of St Mary Magdalene is the Anglican church in the village of Winterbourne Monkton, Wiltshire, England.
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Its history dates from the 12th century, with the vicarage being consecrated before 1229. It was attached to Cirencester Abbey and then Avebury.[1][2] The endowment of the church was considered too small many times during the Middle Ages.[3]
An unusual feature inside the church consists of two huge timber columns which originally supported the bells in the free-standing bell tower.[4] The tower was joined to the chancel by the addition of the nave in the 14th century.[1] The tower contains three bells dating from the 17th century.[3] The church was rebuilt in 1878 by William Butterfield and is Grade II listed.[4]
The circular font is from the 12th century,[1] while the pulpit is from the 17th.[4] The font is decorated in a zigzag style with foliage supported by trumpet scallops. On the northern side is a figure with splayed legs. There is some evidence that the font was originally painted.[5] It has been speculated that the figure, which has three horns or a crown, has been speculated to be an example of a Sheela na gig, however many of its features contradict this suggestion.[6]
The parish of Winterbourne Monkton with Berwick Bassett is part of the Upper Kennet benefice within the Diocese of Salisbury.[7]
References
- "Church of St. Mary Magdalene, Winterbourne Monkton". Wiltshire Community History. Wiltshire Council. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 27 July 2015.
- "Winterborne Monkton: St Mary Magdalen, Winterborne Monkton". A Church Near You. Church of England. Retrieved 3 September 2016.
- "Parishes: Winterbourne Monkton In: A History of the County of Wiltshire: Volume 12, Ramsbury and Selkley Hundreds; the Borough of Marlborough". British History Online. Victoria County History. Retrieved 3 September 2016.
- Historic England. "Church of St Mary Magdalen, Winterbourne Monkton (1033812)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 27 July 2015.
- "St Mary Magdalene, Winterbourne Monkton, Wiltshire". Corpus of Romanesque Sculpture in Britain and Ireland. Retrieved 3 September 2016.
- "Winterbourne Monkton". The Sheela Na Gig Project. Retrieved 3 September 2016.
- "Winterborne Monkton: St Mary Magdalen, Winterborne Monkton". A Church Near You. Church of England. Retrieved 3 September 2016.