Description

TF 24 SW SWINESHEAD SOUTH STREET (west side)

4/84 Church of St. Mary 26.1.67 G.V. I

Parish church. c.1300, early C14, late C14, C15, 1767, chancel rebuilt 1848 by Stephen Lavin. Squared limestone rubble and ashlar. Lead roofs. Western tower with spire, clerestoried nave, aisles, chancel, south porch. Tall 3 stage late C14 ashlar tower with stepped corner buttresses having crocketed gablettes, topped by battlemented parapet. Set back tall spire, with octagonal battlemented base, having paired ogee openings to each face. 2 tiers of lucarnes. Angled stair turret on south-west corner. C18 panelled west door in a continuously moulded surround of 4 orders. Above a 2 light window with C14 cusped curvilinear tracery. To the belfry stage single large 3 light transomed panel traceried lights cusped with continuously moulded surrounds. C15 north aisle west window 4 light with panel tracery, in chamfered surround. In the north wall are 5 similar 4 light windows with beyond a further truncated window with a blocked cambered priest's door beneath. C14 north door retaining original reticulated traceried decoration and muntins with continuously moulded pointed surround. 6 C14 2 light clerestorey windows, with reticulated tracery, corbel table with grotesque heads, battlemented parapet. On the north face of the tower a painted clock face dated 1767. In the east aisle wall the window matches the west. The C19 chancel and vestry contain 3 and 4 light windows in C15 style. Both have embattled parapet, the vestry with a massive octagonal stack. In the east nave wall are 2 small 2 light windows at high level. The east window is of 5 lights and panel traceried. The south side of the chancel has a pointed doorway and 3 four light windows with elaborate panel tracery and moulded heads. At the east end of the nave is a facetted stair tower with lantern. C14 south aisle having 4 light reticulated windows, one each to the east and the west and 6 to the south. All with chamfered surrounds. Clerestorey matches that to the north. Gabled C14 porch with octagonal reveals to double chamfered outer arch, ballflower capitals. The side walls have 5 crocketed canopies separated by pinnacles containing geometric figures. The south door is C14 with reticulated tracery and ogee wicket set in a wave moulded pointed arch. c.1300 6 bay nave arcades, with filleted quatrefoil piers with annular capitals and square bases, pointed triple chamfered arches with human head stops, C14 tower with eastern side arches, sunk wave mouldings to reveals, and moulded triple stepped heads, 8 ribbed vault to tower with bell rope circle. Steeply pointed chancel arch with triple engaged shafts and annular capitals. C14 nave roof with braced tie beams, queen posts and passing braces. C15 north aisle roof with moulded principals and rafters. C14 south aisle roof, with principals and purlins. Single statue brackets in the aisles. Cl9 chancel has door to vestry in north wall, and piscina. Hammerbeam roof supported on carved stone corbels. East window stained glass by Clayton and Bell 1875. Fittings. C19 carved wooden reredos altar rails and choir stalls. C15 oak chancel screen of 6 paired lights with central cusped ogee opening. Panel tracery, brattished top beam. C19 pulpit. Plain C14 octagonal font with slightly concave panels. Commandment boards. Monuments. In the chancel black marble wall plaque to Sir John Lockton, d.1610, of Swineshead Abbey, beneath a repositioned alabaster frieze of weepers.

Listing NGR: TF2374840193

External Links

• Wikidata Q17526134

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Recommended Books

• 
  For the Record
• 
  Surrey (The Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Somerset: South and West (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Oxfordshire: North and West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Oxfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Derbyshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)