Country Churches

98. St Mary's Silchester

This 13th century church north of Basingstoke stands on a mound alongside a pond and overshadowed by a 400 year old yew tree. Some of the fourth century Roman town wall of Silchester forms part of the churchyard wall.

The rather gloomy interior nevertheless reveals many interesting features such as the 4 massive arch braced posts at the west end put there to support the 5 bells in the belfry. The north aisle has boards listing the Creed and the Lords Prayer as well as details of the will of Richard Hyde who died in 1672. He left money and property to provide income each year for 12 parishioners not qualifying for the poor rate and to be paid on Good Friday.

The Jacobean pulpit has mitred panelling plus a tester dated 1639 with a white dove on top. The Tudor chancel screen is unusual with a frieze of 15 feathered angels along the top copied from St Michael as depicted on a medieval coin. Also to be seen is a rose and pomegranate symbols representing Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon.

The east wall of the chancel is decorated in red ochre with flower symbols. The Victorian east window shows Christ in Majesty whilst the four lancet windows show the four Apostles. A five lancet on the south side shows St Helen mother of Constantine the Great. Two 18th century Latin memorials on the north wall commemorate John Paris once Senior Fellow of Trinity College Cambridge and Rector from 1726-42, and James Butler, Viscount Herrin who died in 1712.

The south aisle contains the 14th century effigy of Eleanor Baynard, a patron of the church, lying peacefully with her feet resting on a dog and with two angels supporting her head. Above hangs the large funeral hatchment of the Countess of Blesinton who died in 1774. On the floor beneath is the parish chest with 3 locks and dated 1724. The font in the north west corner is octagonal and plain on a simple stem probably of 15th century origin.

A final feature of interest are some 13 modern carvings on the bench ends of the pews done in memory of Mary Davis who died in 1909. They depict various flowers, trees and fruits mentioned in the Bible. For instance an unlikely cucumber appears based on Numbers 11.5 "We remember the fish which we did eat in Egypt freely, the cucumbers and the melons and leeks "... Other carvings include the olive, the rose, the apple, bulrushes, a mulberry tree, the oak, Christ's Thorn, chestnut, a palm branch, hazel and sycamore. An ingenious conception and an unusual tribute to a mother by her daughter.

John Symonds