Description

SK 80 SE MANTON CHURCH LANE
(North Side)

4/67 Church of St Mary

14.6.54

GV II*

Small parish church, externally largely perpendicular but with C13 belfry to west, and a C18 chancel. Coursed rubble with limestone ashlar dressings throughout. The west front carries the heavy double belfry with hipped and gable rooflet above. The bell arches are triple chamfered, and between them a small buttress runs to ground level, containing a single lancet. To either side, is a projecting pilaster, carrying a clumsy finial. West aisle windows are lancets but other windows to S. aisle and clerestory are square headed paired traceried lights, those is aisle having squared hood-moulds with corbel heads. Big C14 south porch with parvise, the stair going up in the SW external angle. The porch is buttressed, with a single squared headed light to chambers in the gable, and big arched doorway with hoodmould and hollow chamfered shafts: low pitched roof with coping and cross finial to gable. Scratch dial on a quoin. Tiny belfry on east gable of nave and 2 blocked windows in this gable wall.

South transept has big perpendicular double tiered traceried light, and a square headed window in the east wall. The chancel is dated 1796, and of coursed ironstone rubble on a plinth, and with a flat sillband. 2 big round headed windows to each side with plain ashlar capitals and facing to arch, and keystones wood and lead glazing bars.

North transept much restored, and with evidence of rebuilding - either in C19 or more possibly in C15, to replace an eastern smaller transept. Blocked N. doorway with round headed arch.

Inside, nave of 4 bays with late C12 arcade: double chamfered arches on round piers with simply moulded responds, and some corbel heads. The NW bay has two 1/2-piers separated by a small square section of wall. Crown post and strut roof with ornately chamfered tie beams is dated on two of the ties, 1637, and 1804: possibly the roof was newly rebuilt in the early C17.

Double chamfered early English chancel arch on round responds, the chancel contains 2 grotesque corbel heads and a handsome timbered roof, probably of C20. Communion rail possibly C18. Arms of George III over the chancel arch, but recently repainted. North transept is separated from N. aisle by a squared archway with blanked traceried panelling. In the W. wall of this transept, a high blank traceried panelling. In the W. wall of this transept, a high blank traceried panelled tomb recess, on the S. wall, impression of a lower gabled roofline.

Furnishings: series of C18 wall tablets in N. aisle, and a single late C19 stained glass window, also in N.aisle.

C12 font, a round basin on a central and 4 surrounding chamfered shafts. The basin has pattern of blank arcading.

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Church of St Mary at Wikipedia
• Wikidata Q17535369

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

• 
  Oxfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Liverpool: Pevsner City Guide (Pevsner Architectural Guides: City Guides)
• 
  Herefordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Essex: Buildings of England Series (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Listed Buildings, Conservation Areas and Monuments
• 
  Maintaining and Repairing Old Houses: A Guide to Conservation, Sustainability and Economy