Shrewton

St Mary's Church, Shrewton

The Church of England parish church of St Mary, on the High Street, was built in the late 12th or early 13th century and has a 16th-century west tower.[9] During restoration and enlargement in 1855 by T. H. Wyatt, the north porch was added, and the chancel, nave arcades and south aisle rebuilt;[10] fragments of 12th-century work survive in some of the arcade pillars.[11] Wyatt also replaced the nave roof, raising it with a clerestory, which is criticised by Pevsner as having "dwarfed the tower".[12]

Three of the six bells were cast in 1619.[13] The Romanesque-style font by Wyatt is described as "especially good" by Historic England.[9] The building, in flint and limestone ashlar, was recorded as Grade II* listed in 1958.[9]

The benefices of Shrewton and Maddington were united in 1869[4] and Rollestone was added in 1923,[14] but the three parishes remained distinct until 1970.[15] Today the church is part of the Salisbury Plain Benefice.[16]

St Mary's Church in the Maddington part of the parish was built in the late 12th century. It is also Grade II* listed[17] and is now in the care of the Churches Conservation Trust.[18] The church has Norman origins, belonging to Amesbury Priory in 1179,[19] with the earliest parts of the existing building dating from the late 12th and early 13th century,[17] although there have been several alterations since, including the renewal of the roof of the nave in 1603.[19] Sir Stephen Fox became the lord of the manor in the late 17th century and paid for the rebuilding of the chancel and redecoration.[19] In 1853 the chancel was rebuilt and the whole church restored by T. H. Wyatt,[18] including the erection of the gabled porch.[17] The walls of the nave and chancel have a chequerboard pattern of flint and sandstone. There is a low west tower. The interior includes a large plaster cartouche of strapwork enclosing the date 1637, which may the date of construction of a gallery which has since been demolished.[18] The stained glass includes work by Alexander Gibbs in the south aisle.[17] The church was declared redundant in 1975 and passed to the Redundant Churches Fund in 1979 which later became the Churches Conservation Trust.[19]

St Andrew's Church in the Rollestone settlement was built in the early 13th century. A Grade II* listed building,[20] it is now in the care of the Churches Conservation Trust.[21] The church is built of flint and stone in a chequerwork pattern. It has two large Perpendicular windows, and a font from the 13th century. The oak benches were brought from the redundant church of St Catherine’s at Haydon, Dorset in 1981.[21]