HER 1666 - St Mary's Church, Guildford

St Mary's Church, Guildford. 12th-13th century, with Pre-Conquest tower. Pre-Conquest west (now central) tower, Norman chancel (shortened circa 1820) transepts, nave arcades and chalk aisles. Late 12th century and early 13th century wall paintings in St John's chapel, including an important set illustrating medieval legents and faint traces of probable Saxon painting on splays of tower window, now whitewashed over. The tower of St Mary's Guildford, is the most important structural work of this period remaining in Surrey. The ground storey was originally external on the north and south and possibly west as is proved by the original double-splayed windows and plaster strips in the north and south walls. These buttresses appear above the roofs in the upper stage of the tower. The restoration of the church, revealed a sherd of pottery of a type not current before 1050 in wall footings of the Beam slot in the floor of the tower suggesting an earlier timber building. The church may be the centre of the royal residence referred to in the will of Alfred (circa 880), a small area later incorporated in the Saxon town (HER 1647).

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Related Records

• SHHER_1647

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