Description

SK 6023 - 6123 WYMESWOLD FAR STREET
South side
2/106 Church of St. Mary
1.6.66
GV I

Medieval Parish Church, restored in 1844 by Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin for Henry Alford, vicar, and later Dean of Canterbury. Squared sandstone rubble with ashlar dressings, quoins and parapets throughout. Perpendicular west tower of 4 stages, buttressed, with ogee arch to west door set in square, with quatrefoils in spandrels. 3-light window above, and paired lights to bell chamber. Lozenge frieze below embattled parapet. Corner pinnacles, and gargoyles. Nave of 5 bays with perpendicular embattled clerestory. South porch by Pugin with ogee arch capped by fleur de lys, And buttresses parallel to,
and extending, south wall. Within the porch, a double shafted early C14
doorway. The north door is similar, within a 2 storey porch added by
Pugin, steeply pitched, with copings, angled buttresses and ornate front
with trefoiled lights and niche for status springing from ogee of entrance
arch. Both N. and S. aisle windows were put in by Pugin and have stilted
arches on corbel heads with hood moulds, and richly foiled tracery.
Perpendicular chancel with 2 windows, comprising 2 ranks of trefoiled panel
tracery, rising to a graceful sharp curve. East window similar. Small
projecting bay to N. of chancel contains the vestry.

Interior has nave of 5 bays, with an early C14 arcade of double chamfered
arches on octagonal piers, with small foliate capitals. Internal stone
work all painted white excepting the tower and chancel arches. Nave roof
of cambered trusses with pierced spandrels supported by angels is by Pugin.
So is the chancel screen, with 3 panels and traceried lights to each aide,
and the painted inscription characteristic of Pugin`s work. Chancel roof
of similar construction to that of nave, but planked across the rafters and
painted with stars etc. One bay over the altar is additionally distinguished
by quatrefoils, crosses etc. Sedilia in S.E. window recess also by Pugin,
as perhaps are the encaustic tiles which distinguish the floor of the
chancel. Other furnishings by Pugin are the stone pulpit, the font, and
the wooden rails that now surround it, the lecterm, the coronae lucis of
the nave, which were probably executed by Hardman, and the doors and door
furniture, in a robust, well-timbered design. Various stained glass
windows, including the east window, by Wailes, the east window of S. aisle,
commemerating Henry Alford, and emblems in other windows, by Hardman.
Under the tower, large Baroque memorial to William Leake, d. 1687.

Listing NGR: SK6031723473

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17530574

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Warwickshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Oxfordshire: North and West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Pevsner's Architectural Glossary (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Introductions)
• 
  Gwent/Monmouthshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Wales)
• 
  Specifications for Building Conservation: Volume 1: External Structure: Practical Examples v. 2
• 
  Worcestershire Revised Edition (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)