St Mary the Virgin
West Dean, Wiltshire
St Mary's is a Victorian building built between 1864 and 1866 to replace a much older church.
Our village church is like hundreds of others up and down the country. It has been added to, changed, and had fittings and features taken out over the centuries, in accordance with contemporary needs and activities. It is Grade II* listed.
The oldest part, now the chancel, is of Saxon origin. The nave was added in Norman times, so doubtless had a rounded Norman arch. However, that was later rebuilt, we imagine in the fashion of the times, but not very well. It now looks asymmetrical (wonky, in other words), which gives it a certain charm. Side aisles were added in subsequent centuries.
Like many village churches, it was extensively altered in the 19th century. The old, box pews were removed and replaced (pew rents may have been abolished or greatly reduced at the same time). The west gallery was taken out. This was all happening in about 1870, by which time the days of using the gallery for a mix of instrumentalists and singers would have been long gone.