Description

SP9676
13/156
23/05/67

WOODFORD
CHURCH STREET
(South side)
Church of St. Mary

GV I

Church. Mid C12. Early and mid C13, C14, chancel reconstructed C19. Regular
coursed and squared coursed limestone and ironstone with lead and Collyweston
slate roofs. Aisled nave, chancel, north and south porches and west tower. South
elevation of chancel of 3 bays; 2-window range with one 4-light, tall
Perpendicular window with 4-centred head to left and one 2-light C19 window to
right. Small C19 south door to centre bay. 2-stage ashlar buttresses between
bays. Gabled roof with ashlar gable parapets and finials. C19 triple lancet east
window. North elevation of chancel of one-window range with C19 two-light
window. C19 vestry attached to right of one-window range of similar north and
east window. Lean-to roof with ashlar parapets and lateral ashlar stack. South
aisle of 5 bays; 4-window range with three 4-light Perpendicular windows with
4-centred heads to right and one 3-light window with segmental head to far left.
2-stage ashlar buttresses between bays and lean-to roof with ashlar parapets.
3-light Perpendicular east window and 3-light west window. Second bay from left
breaks forward as a lean-to porch with attached minor transept. C14 style outer
arch with roll moulding and cluster shafts. Inner doorway of similar style with
trefoil head, roll moulding with leaf decoration and niche above. C14 or C15
panelled and studded door with tracery. Quadripartite rib vault. North aisle of
7 bays, 6-window range with central 2-light square-head window and flanking
3-light Perpendicular windows with 4-centred heads. Lean-to roof with ashlar
gable parapets and gargoyles at corners. 2-light west window. C14 gabled porch
to right. Roll moulded inner and outer arch openings with corner shafts to inner
doorway. Nave clerestory of 5-window range, probably of 2 builds with break
between windows 3 and 4 to east. 2-light square-head windows, some with renewed
tracery. Shallow gabled roof with plain ashlar parapets. Mid C13 west tower of 3
stages with sub-division to lower stage. Shallow 2-stage angle buttresses to
lower stage only. Carved face at corner apex of each pair of buttresses. Lancet
to west face of this stage and similar lancet to north face of second stage.
2-light bell-chamber openings with one order of shafts. Trefoil frieze corbelled
out with carved heads and plain parapet above. Ribbed pinnacles at corners. C14
ashiar broach spire rising behind the parapet and having 3 tiers of lucarnes.
Interior: 6-bay north arcade and 5-bay south arcade. North arcade of c.1200 of
unmoulded round arches. Circular piers, 3 to west have leaf capitals and one to
east has nailhead decoration. The 2 bays to the east originally separated the
farmer chancel from the former chapels. C13 and C14 south arcade with 3 double
chamfered arches with circular and octagonal piers to the west and 2 arches to
east with double hollow chamfers and a circular pier. Chamfered and pointed
chancel arch and similar former chancel arch and arches to former chapels at mid
point of nave. Triple chamfered tower arch. Minor transept to left of south
door: double. chamfered arch and quatrefoil pier built into the wall. There is a
similar blocked arch to the left of the adjacent aisle window, all of which is
said to be part of an aisled south transept, never completed. Some tie beams and
purlins to nave and south aisle roofs are original, remainder are C19. Arched
opening. combined with south west window of south aisle originally gave access to
a parvis room. Arch-head tomb recess in south aisle. Piscina and triple sedilia
to right of chancel altar. 3 and 4 bays of blind arcading with detached cluster
shafts, to north and south walls of chancel. Organ pipes above are set in C19
arched opening. Stair turret to former rood loft has access in north east corner
of south aisle. Octagonal font with central column and 5 detached shafts
restored C19. C19 stone screen at chancel steps and C19 furnishings. Monuments:
Sir Walter Trayli died 1290 and wife; chest tomb under 4-centred arch, to left
of chancel arch, has 2 recumbent wooden figures. Charles Arbuthenot died 1850,
marble tablet in south aisle. Partially legible early C19 tablet, to north wall
of south aisle. Relict built into north aisle pier is said to be the embalmed
heart of Roger de Kirton or Walter Trayli. Stained glass: fragments of medieval
glass in north-east window of south aisle. Late C19 and C20 glass to chancel
south-east and east windows, 2 north aisle windows and south aisle east and
south-east windows. The latter 2 are probably by Kempe.

Listing NGR: SP9693876732

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17526869

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

• 
  Bristol (Pevsner Architectural Guides: City Guides)
• 
  Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair by Hunt. Roger ( 2008 ) Hardcover
• 
  Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair
• 
  Dorset (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  The Listed Buildings and Other Principal Structures at the Royal Gunpowder Mills Waltham Abbey
• 
  Oxfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)