Description

SOMERLEYTON BLUNDESTON ROAD
TM 49 NE
4/29 Church of St. Mary
27.11.54
II*
Parish church. C15 tower, otherwise rebuilt 1854 by John Thomas; chancel
extended 1974. Nave, chancel, west tower, south porch. Flint rubble faced in
knapped flint with stone dressings. Slated roofs. Square tower with 3-stage
diagonal buttresses to the west face; 2-light belfry openings. Tall stepped
parapet added 1854: this formerly had tall crocketted pinnacles at the
corners. Below the parapet is a string course with gargoyles. 4-bay nave
with 4-centre arched 2-light windows. The chancel is in the Decorated style,
with a single 2-light window to the side walls and a 3-light east window.
Interior. The nave and chancel have open rafter roofs with scissor-bracing to
the main trusses. Well-preserved C15 octagonal font, the bowl panels carved
with alternate lions and angels bearing shields; angels to the bowl underside
and 4 lions against the stem. C17 font cover. Over the south doorway is a
medieval stone slab with 4 well-carved panels depicting the emblems of the
Evangelists; this was discovered in 1854. Fine C15 rood screen: crocketted
ogee arches and pierced Perpendicular tracery above; the dado has 16 panels
with painted figures, mostly of saints. C19 wooden reredos and pulpit in
Gothic style. In the sanctuary is a stone tomb chest to Sir Thomas Gernegan
(1446): the chest is decorated with lozenge panels within which are
quatrefoils containing shields. On the north chancel wall is a large monument
to Sir John Wentworth (1651) and his wife: black and white marble, with 2
free-standing busts framed by columns which carry an open segmental pediment.
On the south chancel wall is the bust of Sir Thomas Allin (1686), Admiral of
the Fleet. One north nave window has 2 C14 Flemish stained glass panels
originally taken from St. Olaves Priory.

Listing NGR: TM4930597211

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17546836

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

• 
  Devon (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  London 6: Westminster (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England): Westminster v. 6
• 
  Lancashire: Liverpool and the South-West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Suffolk: West: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Gloucestershire 2: The Vale and The Forest of Dean: Vale and Forest of Dean Pt. 2 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Berkshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)