Description

GILLINGHAM CHURCH ROAD TM 49 SW 8/57 Church of St. Mary 5-9-60

GV I

Parish church. C12 fabric much 'restored' and extended in 1858-9 to the design of the architect Penrice of Lowestoft. Flint with limestone dressings; plain tiled roofs, steeply pitched. Western annexe or narthex, nave with north and south aisles, apsed chancel, central tower. West doorway C12: one order of shafts with cushion capitals, simple roll moulded arch and hood mould with billet decoration on renewed corbelstops. 2-light Perpendicular west window above doorway. South wall has one round headed C12 lancet and a doorway with pointed arched head with wave moulding and plain chamfered reveal. Square central tower with engaged corner shafts and round headed sound openings with chevron decoration on north and south. Twin bell openings in each face with central shaft and cushion capital all in large semicircular headed recess, the arches decorated with roll, billet and bobbin moulds. Narrow blind arched opening on each side of bell opening. Billet moulded string course above; later parapet on corbel table with head corbels. Small lean-to chambers on north and south sides of tower lit by single semicircular headed window. C19 north and south aisles in Romanesque style; the south aisle has a tripartite west window and circular window in gable apex; pilaster buttresses divide window bays. Polygonal chapel projection on east gable. Gabled bellcote over parapet of nave east gable. C19 chancel apse with single light semicircular headed windows. Stone modillion eaves cornice around east end. Chimney stack in angle between chancel and north aisle, stone chimney with engaged shafts. North aisle as south, but with one-light semicircular headed east and west window. C12 north doorway to narthex: one order of shafts with restored volute capitals, zigzag arch and billet hood mould. Interior: narthex has simple braced rafter roof, much repaired; moulded cornice, wallposts with angel bases. Base of tower well preserved: four plain semicircular arches on plain imposts, corbelled out slightly on south-east and south-west piers. Deeply splayed reveals to north and south windows. Nave roof of braced rafters and arch braced principals; wallposts with angels at bases. Cornice with two tiers of castellations. C19 Romanesque arcades of three bays: massive piers and responds with zigzag and spiral decoration. C19 north and south aisles. Roll moulded semicircular chancel arch. Apse has two bays of blank arcading below each window. Plastered ceiling to apse with ribs on shafts. Chancel floor paved with C18 slabs to Bacon and Schutz families. Brass to John Everard (d.1553) C19 font-square bowl on spiral moulded round stem. Two panels of C15 screen preserved on north wall of narthex: traceried with much original colour and lettering. Good wall monument to Nicholas Bacon (d.1666) - cartouche framed by Corinthian columns and entablature with arms, all on console brackets.

Listing NGR: TM4115792261

External Links

• Wikidata Q17537487

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Recommended Books

• 
  Nottinghamshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990: Updated version
• 
  Liverpool: Pevsner City Guide (Pevsner Architectural Guides: City Guides)
• 
  Farrow & Ball How to Decorate: Transform your home with paint & paper
• 
  Old House Eco Handbook: A Practical Guide to Retrofitting for Energy-Efficiency & Sustainability
• 
  Harrow on the Hill: A photographic portrayal of listed buildings and structures (Historic Buildings Picture Guides)