Description

GREAT MASSINGHAM STATION ROAD (east side) TF 7922 9/25 Church of St. Mary. 15.8.60.

G.V. I

Parish Church. Largely C15 fabric, C13 porch and interior evident. Flint rubble, knapped and squared flint dressings, stone dressings, slate roofs. West tower, 5 bay nave and aisles, 2 bay south porch, 2 bay chancel. Fine 4 storey Perpendicular west tower. West face has moulded Perpendicular 2-pointed west door. 4-light west window with battlemented transom division, traceried upper light heads. Third stage has one 2-light Perpendicular window to each face, belfry stage has one 2-light Perpendicular louvred window to each face. Stone plinth with knapped flint and stone tracery. 4 angle buttresses with 4 set offs, 2 ranks of paired squared knapped flint blank tracery arches to each stage. Stone string courses divide 4 stages of tower, parapet string course with 2 gargoyle spouts to each face. Knapped, squared flint flush tracery battlements, angle crochetted spirelets. Fine C13 Early English arcaded south porch re-positioned south of C15 south aisle. Moulded outer arch with 3 almost detached collonnettes, 2 stage polygonal angle buttresses with polygonal crotchetted spirelet finials. Arcaded returns of 2 groups of 3 open work trefoil headed lancet arches with collonnettes, capitals, set on stone plinth with internal seats. Cusped arch trefoils in external spandrels. Restored 1863 by Penning, architect. South door arch has paired collonnettes, moulded arch, wooden door with blank tracery panels. Perpendicular south aisle has single 3-light east and west windows and 3 3-light south Perpendicular tracery windows with battlemented transoms and triangular headed upper lights. Buttresses with flushwork, 3 set offs. Flushwork flint and stone battlemented parapet. 5 bay clerestorey with 3-light Perpendicular windows. 5 bay north aisle has 5 north 3-light Perpendicular windows, one west Perpendicular window, one east 3-light Decorated tracery window. Perpendicular north door. 2 bay chancel has 2 south and one north 3-light Perpendicular tracery windows. Fine 5 light somewhat restored Early English 5-light stepped lancet window, trefoil heads to lights and trefoils in spandrel. One south C15 and 2 clasping C13 east end buttresses. North face has string course line of former lean-to extension, one blocked door. Rood stairs project in tower at angle with north aisle. Interior: Fine 5 bay south Early English arcade, quatrefoil section piers, double hollow chamfered arches moulded arches, outer hood mould with carved stops. 5 bay Early English north arcade, with bases, piers and capitals recut in C15 Perpendicular semi-octagonal profiles. Early English chancel arch, perhaps a mid C19 insertion. Fine tall Perpendicular moulded tower arch with piers with bases and capitals. C15 north aisle double frame roof with arched braces, moulded purlins, battlemented cresting on north side cornice only. South aisle roof largely mid C19, some C15 principals surviving. Mid C19 nave roof. Octagonal C13 stone font, with Early English crotchetted head, blank tracery against bowl. C15 pierced back benches at rear of nave. Chancel has blocked north door, some in situ C15 glass fragments in tracery. Fine C15 sedelia, collonnettes with cinquefoil headed 4-centred arches, carved spandrels. C13 Early English piscina with collonnettes, bases and capitals, perhaps inserted C14 ogee arch. C19 chancel stalls and nave benches. Giltwood altar frontal by W.G. Cooper 1953, sub Comper style. Mid-C17 Holy Table as nave altar.

Listing NGR: TF7987422949

External Links

• Wikidata Q17536383

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