Description

TL 4860-4960 FEN DITTON CHURCH STREET (West Side)

18/1 Parish Church of 31.8.62 St Mary Virgin (formerly listed as GV Church of St Mary)

II*

Parish Church. North aisle c.1300 and chancel. Nave arcades, clerestoreys, south aisle and south porch C15. Church restored in 1881 by J.L. Pearson (1817-97), and in 1888-9. West tower rebuilt reproducing early C13 details. Walls of flint and limestone, some reused medieval stone with Barnack limestone and clunch dressings. Roofs of lead. South elevation. Aisles extended westward to face of tower. Tower of three stages with plain parapet and moulded plinth with small, lead covered, spirlet. Two-light belfry window with quatrefoil in two-centred arch. South aisle and porch with plain parapets and grotesque gargoyles. Porch centrally positioned, partly rebuilt with tall C19, two-centre arched opening with attached shafts and moulded capitals and bases, doorway has moulded jambs and two-centred inner and square outer arch with quatrefoils in spandrels. Aisle bays with buttresses at angle and to west quoin. East and west windows with cinquefoil-lights in four-centred arches. Four clerestorey windows of two trefoiled-lights and blocked rectangular opening possibly a light to the rood loft. Chancel of three buttressed bays with three windows, each with two trefoiled-lights, the west window with transome and rebated jambs to lower lights for shutters of 'low-side' window. Interior: Nave arcades of four bays and chancel arch C15, with two-centred arches of two wide hollow- and double-ogee- moulded orders, attached shafts and semi-octagonal moulded capitals and bases. Tower arches rebuilt of two chamfered orders with semi-octagonal responds, moulded capitals and chamfered bases. Label to eastern arch with dog-tooth ornament. Matching pair of C14 niches in chancel with ogee - cinquefoil heads and traces of colour. Nave roof C15, of four bays with braced king posts, moulded tie beams with curved braces to wall posts. C15 pair of niches in south aisle and piscina. Piscina in chancel masked by later string. C14 scissor-braced chancel roof. North and south aisle roofs C15, of five bays with moulded principal rafters and purlins. Door to south aisle medieval, cased in modern wood. Font with octagonal bowl and quatrefoil panels late C14. For monuments and floor slabs see R.C.H.M. report. Stained glass in south aisle east window by Kempe, 1898. East window by Clayton and Bell, 1881. Pulpit and lectern 1876, organ 1877. R.C.H.M.: East Cambs p.50, mon. 1. Pevsner: Buildings of England p.383. Hill, A.G. Arch notes of Churches of Cambs. 1880 p. 205 description before restoration Relhan, R. (1754-1823) Watercolour, west view of church C.A.S. collection Harrison, R. Hist of Fen Ditton 1956.

Listing NGR: TL4826760371

External Links

• Wikidata Q17544398

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