Description

HAPPISBURGH TG 33 SE 5/34 Church of St. Mary 16.4.55 - I

Parish church. C14, rebuilt C15 (bequests dated 1469 and 1480). Restored between 1820 and 1860. Tower and south aisle damaged by enemy action 1940, restored 1949-51. Tower restored 1956-58. Flint with ashlar dressings and some brick. Chancel roof of lead, otherwise slate. West tower, nave, aisles, chancel. 4 stage tower supported by diagonal buttresses with flushwork panelling, standing on plinth with arcade of trefoil niches and cusped wavy mouldings. Moulded west doorway with jambs decorated by shields below square hood in the spandrels of which are encircled quatrefoils bearing shields and mouchettes. 5-light transomed west window with Perpendicular tracery. Square traceried ventilation panels to ringing chamber. 3-light belfry windows below flushwork traceried crenellated parapet. Aisles have stepped side buttresses, diagonal to corners. West end of south aisle retains roof line of abutting structure and blocked lower window. 3-light window over roof line. South porch flush with west wall of aisle. Diagonal stepped buttresses. Arched doorway heavily moulded below square hood with spandrels decorated by encircled quatrefoils and other devices. Above is cusped statuary niche flanked by lancets looking into parvis. 2-light ground floor windows to east and west and lancets to first floor. Crenellated parapet. 4 3-light Perpendicular aisle windows north and south, all with renewed tracery. 5 2-light clerestory windows of modified C15 Y tracery design. South side has crenellated parapets, north has no crenellations and 3 buttresses rebuilt in brick. Blocked north aisle door. 3-light panel traceried aisle east and west windows, except south aisle west. 3-light square-headed east nave gable window. Chancel with one stepped buttress north and south and diagonal east buttresses, all with flushwork. 2 3-light renewed Perpendicular south chancel windows and arched priests' door. 3-light C19 east window. North chancel wall disfigured by 2 blocked arched windows below 2 blocked 2-light clerestory windows. Interior. Timber vault to south porch in form of hollow and roll moulded arched braces rising from wall posts to meet at central boss of 4 Green Men. Subsidiary cross purlins similarly moulded. Cusped Holy water stoup to right of inner doorway. 5 bay C15 octagonal arcade with one eastern respond surviving from C14. Moulded capitals and bases. Double hollow chamfered arches. C19 nave roof of arched braces dropping to wall posts. Short King posts to ridge piece. Arched braced aisle roofs of similar date and design. Tower arch mouldings are double wave and casement with semi- circular responds and polygonal capitals. Double hollow chamfered chancel arch springs from wall corbels. Much restored C15 screen of 3 bays right and left of arched central opening. Each bay divided into 2 cusped lights supporting intricate display of openwork tracery of undecided stylistic content. South nave aisle wall with rectangular niche under 3 miniature vaulted canopies. C15 octagonal font. Against stem alternating figures of wild men and lions below traceried freize. Angel heads support bowl, which has alternating panels of angels with musical instruments and the 4 symbols of the Evangelists. Chancel south wall retains remains of 2 bay arcade of C14 date : octagonal pier and arches. C19 chancel roof of arched braces. C14 ogeed and crocketed piscina with top finial, all on short engaged columns with heads as capitals.

Listing NGR: TG3798031152

External Links

• Wikidata Q17536927

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Recommended Books

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  Sussex: West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
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  Georgian Style and Design for Contemporary Living
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  Dorset (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
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  Suffolk: West: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
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  A Buying and Owning a Listed Building: A Brief Guide
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  Oxfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)