Description

SP 91 NW IVINGHOE CHURCH ROAD

4/49 Church of St. Mary

18.10.66

GV I

Parish church. Circa 1230 cruciform church with central tower rebuilt
and aisles widened C14, and C15 alterations and W. porch. All much restored
1871 by G.E. Street who also built N. and S. porches. Flint with
Totternhoe stone dressings, lead roofs. Plain parapets to aisles,
remainder embattled. Nave has 5-bay clerestory of 3-light Perpendicular
windows, and earlier 3-light traceried window to W. C13 W. doorway
with finely moulded arch on shafts with stiff leaf capitals. W. porch has
moulded 4-centred arch with quatrefoil spandrels, hoodmould and C19
coat-of-arms, and a vaulted roof on moulded stone tie ribs. Aisles have
Decorated windows, 2-light in W. bay, 3-light in E. bay, and central
moulded doorways with ballflower ornament, the N. doormedieval. Central
tower has small lead spire, stair turret at N.W. corner, and 2 stages above
the nave, the lower with irregular round windows and lancets, the upper with
2-light traceried openings to bell-chamber. Transepts have angle
buttresses, pairs of tall lancets with later tracery to E., large 3-light
traceried windows to N. and S., and 2-light traceried windows to W. with
C14 sexfoil round windows above. N. transept also has W door. Chancel
has 2 blocked lancets and a 3-light Perpendicular window to N., 2
similar Perpendicular windows and small blocked door to S., and 4-light
Perpendicular E. window. Tablets above E. window are dated 1260 and 1745.
Interior: C13 5-bay nave arcade of double hollow-chamfered arches on
octagonal piers with stiff-leaf capitals, traces of C13 round clerestory
windows above. Double chamfered arches between aisles and transepts.
Triple chamfered arches to all sides of tower, on chamfered piers
with moulded capitals. Transepts have cusped piscinae, chancel has
recess in N. wall with cusped 4-centred arch and C19 carved head stops, now
containing C15 stone effigy of priest. Very fine C15 roofs,restored,with
moulded beams and braced tie beams on stone corbels with carved heads.
Intermediate principal rafters have carved wooden angels with outspread
wings at base. Nave roof also has braces with carved figures of apostles,
and E. bay enriched with restored carved foliage bosses. Fittings: 28 C15
bench ends with poppyheads variously carved with faces or figures; C15
lecturn on hexagonal stem with moulded and stepped base; early C17 pulpit
with elaborate panels, ornate sounding board and relief of Resurrection on
rear panel; late C17 chair; C19 font and glass; carved marble reredos of
Last Supper, now in S. transept, in memory of Christopher and Charlotte
Buckmaster 1896. Monuments: several C16 brasses in chancel, including those
to Richard Blackhed and wife 1517, William Duncombe 1576, and John and
Alice Duncombe 1594; N. wall of chancel has marble wall tablet to Henry
Cooley of Seabrooke 1714, with scrolled pilasters, cherub-head base, and
cornice with flaming urns flanking coat-of-arms; similar tablet in S. transept
to Deborah Neale, 1714, with scrolled urns.
RCHM II p, 154-157.

Listing NGR: SP9455016174

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Church of St Mary at Wikipedia
• Wikidata Q17526605

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: North and West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Hertfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Suffolk: East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  The Listed Buildings and Other Principal Structures at the Royal Gunpowder Mills Waltham Abbey
• 
  London 3: North West: North West v. 3 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Dorset (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)