Listing Text

ST74SW WITHAM FRIARY CP

6/234 Church of St Mary,
(previously listed as Priory
Church of St Mary)

11.3.68

GV I

Parish Church. Circa 1200 in Transitional style altered 1828, rebuilt and extended 1875 by William White in Muscular
Gothic. 3-bay nave and continuous one bay apsidal chancel, of local limestone rubble, supported on each side by 4
massive flying buttresses; combined pent roofed porch and vestry across West end; tall Western ashlar bellcote
surmounting steeply pitched plain tile roof. Semi-circular headed windows to North and South sides of cl200 except that
in West bay, all of 1875; blocked sanctus window on South side of chancel. Bulls eye West window of 3-light. Early
English East window again of 1875. Plastered interior entered through Norman style doorway has stone vaulted roof of
4-bays springing from octagonal corbels, comprising chamfered transverse ribs and diagonal ribs intersecting at an apex
forming a quadripartite pattern, Western 2-bays of the restoration. Nave contains Perpendicular upper and lower;
entrances to rood; scraped octagonal font of c1450. Jacobean pulpit containing medieval work; royal arms of 1660 at
West end. Chancel has double piscina with Carnaervon heads; reredos of 1875; Jacobean chair. Fragmentary medieval glass
in North windows, that in South by Sir Ninian Comper.

Listing NGR: ST7439541097