Boyton Church [Map], in the Vale of Wylye.

One primary object of the Wilts Archeological Society was declared at their inaugural meeting, to be, the notice of Parochial Churches, the history or architecture of which, might illustrate either our national or local history, or provide subjects for the researches of the student or amateur of Ecclesiastical Architecture. The Parish Church of Boyton seems to afford considerable data for both these laudable purposes; and the following memoir, partly gleaned from the labours of others, and partly the fruit of personal knowledge and observation, is submitted to the Society, with the hope that it may be followed by papers of deeper research, and more engrossing interest.

In a quiet and retired corner of the Vale of Wylye stands the ancient Church of St. Mary, Boyton. It shows in the clearest characters the riches and nobility of the former owners of the soil and Patrons of the Church, as well as the miserable neglect and wretched taste of the later days of the English Church. The dimensions of the Church are as follows:— Chancel.... 38 feet 6 inches by 19 feet. Nave. 49 feet, by 19 feet. North Chapel 13 x 18 feet, South Chapel 26 x 18 feet, Tower 10 feet 6 inches by 11 feet.

The general plan is a Latin Cross, the two side Chapels forming the arms.

The roof of the Nave seems to press upon the head of the visitant, and with its broad plain of whitewash, and hideous uniformity to tell of the days which Bishop Butler witnessed when he wrote as follows:— "Unless the good spirit of building, repairing, and adorning Churches prevails a great deal more amongst us, and be more encouraged, an hundred years will bring a huge number of these sacred fabrics to the ground."

The Chancel Arch is cut off by this roof, and the whole proportions of the Nave are utterly disfigured. The Pews of decayed materials—of various heights and shapes, all tell the same tale of bad taste, and penury towards God, which we trust ere long will be remedied, and that under these better days for the Church, this ancient Temple of God will be made somewhat worthy of its holy purpose.

Projecting from the Nave North and South are two Chapels. That to the South is replete with objects of interest to the historian and the architect. Two small Early English Arches open into this Chantry, which from its foundation has belonged to the Lords of the Manor of Boyton.

The Archways consist of two orders of pointed Segmental Arches. The Arch of the first order has on the Chantry side a plain chamfered edge; that of the second order consists of a hollow round and a quarter round, with a square edged soffit. These Arches spring from a simple pier and two responds. The capitals are well shaped and very bold in character, exactly similar to several specimens in Salisbury Cathedral; the responds are finished with two engaged half columns, answering in size and proportion to the clear columns of the Pier; the Bases consist of two rolls, and a roll faced with a fillet on a circular plinth.

In the wall is to be observed the remains of the roodloft staircase and passage—the staples for the hinges yet remaining in the wall.

The Chapel into which we have now entered is by far the most interesting part of this ancient Church. The features of the building remarkably illustrate the transition from Early English to Decorated Architecture; and the monumental remains exactly confirm by the probable history of the dead, the dates to which the building is to be attributed. The distinguishing points of the building into which we have now entered may be described as consisting of two windows of very striking and original construction, three sedilia and two tombs, one containing an effigy in very good preservation, the other being a coffin tomb of small size but of great richness.

We will describe first the windows.

That to the East consists of a three-light window, in which we see the marks of Early English Architecture departing, and Decorated entering into the architect’s mind; the head of the window is composed of circles in compartments, which partake far more of the Decorated style, whilst the mullions and arches of the windows are of Early English formation. The centre light is higher than the side openings; the width of the centre is 2ft., that of the side light 1ft. 8in. each. The foliage of the capitals is very rich, and is of completely Segmental English character; so is the profile of the Bases which have the vertical hollow distinctive of that style. At the further, or West end of this Chapel the corresponding window is of singular construction, size, and beauty. It is completely round, and the same struggle between the two styles of Early English, and Decorated, is to be observed here.

The window is 12ft. in diameter. The mouldings and mullions make up three Segmental triangles, with three intermediate compartments. Each of these triangles contains a circle, and the foliation of this circle appears to be formed by piercing circles which break into each other. The four circular apertures surround a centre, which cuts into them, all forming a complete quatrefoil. The only two instances recorded of an exactly similar construction are in Lausanne and Modena Cathedrals. The compartments between the triangles also contain circles in threes; a plain outer band containing the three rings as it were within alarger ring. This window contains a few broken remains of Early English quarried glass, and seems to invite restoration by its noble proportions and massive yet symmetrical arrangement.

Beneath the Easternmost of the Arches dividing the Chapel from the Nave [Map] is an altar tomb, the one side being composed of slightly pointed Arches, the other of a series of triangles; upon the tomb reposes the effigy of a Knight clad in chain armour, the legs crossed, and the feet resting upon an animal, which, may be eithera wild cat or a lion.—Upon his left arm is the triangular shield of the 13th century; his right arm extending across his breast grasps the long straight sword, which doubtless in its reality had cloven many an infidel’s crest. The figure is of a man in full vigour, of ordinary size, and good proportion. His shield carries the arms of Giffard, gules, three-lions. passant or; in chief, a label of five points azure; upon each point, two Fleur-de-lis of the second. This beyond all doubt is the effigy of Alexander Giffard, the Crusader mentioned in Matthew Paris, as we shall hereafter show.

In the centre of the Chapel there stands a small altar tomb of later and richer work than any portion of the Chapel.—It appears to have contained the body of a female, or child of high rank—the tomb is hollowed to form a coffin, 4ft. 11in. in length.

The tomb would appear to be of the date of Edward III. and may very probably have contained the body of the last of the lordly Giffards, the Lady Margaret, whose death would coincide with the style of this tomb. The sides of this tomb are adorned with canopied niches, from which the figures, probably of alabaster, have been removed.

In the Chapel remain three sedilia and a piscina, still presenting the same mixture of Early English and Decorated Architecture, which pervades this part of the Church.

Returning into the body of the Church—we have to mention a North Chapel of Decorated structure, the North window is of three lights, with purely Decorated tracery above; there is asmall niche in the Eastern side of the Arch which separates the Chapel from the Nave. A very magnificent slab of Purbeck Marble formed part of the floor of this Chapel, and contained the matrix of a very superb brass, which seems to have been of a warrior, and from the canopy work the probable date would be of the reign of Edward II., or a little later. On removing this stone in the summer of 1853, for some repairs, a stone coffin was found, formed not of single but of several stones, and a skeleton nearly perfect, with the skull placed on one side of the body, as though the body had been decapitated.

It is hardly a rash conjecture that this Chapel was erected for the interment of the last male Giffard, who joining in the rebellion of Thomas Earl of Lancaster, in the reign of Edward II. was beheaded at Gloucester, and that the decapitated skeleton was that of the unfortunate Baron himself.