Description

TM 13 NE HARKSTEAD FISH POND HILL

2/16 Church of St Mary
2/22/55

- II*

Parish church. C12 origin: North wall of nave, C14 south arcade and west tower,
C15 chancel and south porch. C19 restorations and north chapel. Random flint,
rubble and septaria, red brick crenellations to tower, stone dressings, stone and
flint flushwork to buttresses, carved stone panels to plinth of tower. Stone
coping and band to south aisle parapet, stone parapet verge with cross at apex to
chancel. Red plain tiled roofs. Chancel: Buttressed at eastern angles and to
centre of south wall. Eastern window of three 2-centre arched lights, sexfoils
in roundels over, moulded 2-centred head, label over, band below window, small blank
plaque to apex. West wall, window of 2 trefoiled lights, quatrefoil over, moulded
2-centred head and label, to west of this window is a 2-centre arched doorway.
North wall window similar to south wall. C19 north chapel: Gabled to north,
trefoiled plate window of 3 lights with transom and cusped roundel over to north
wall. Nave: North wall, buttress to eastern angle. Eastern window of 2-
cinquefoiled lights, segmental head and label. Two small Norman round-headed
windows, one central the other to west. To east of this latter window is a blocked
Norman round-headed doorway. South Aisle: Buttressed to east and west angles and
to west of eastern window. East wall window of 3-cinquefoiled lights, tracery over,
segmental head. West wall window of 2-cinquefoiled lights, 4-centred head and label.
South wall, eastern window of 3-cinquefoiled lights, vertical tracery over, pointed
segmental head and label, central and western windows similar to west wall window.
To west of these windows is the south porch: Low gable, parapet to returns, band
continues through, cross to apex. Return walls, each with a 2-centre arched window,
Y-tracery. Outer archway, moulded 2-centred arch, label with King and queen stops.
West tower of 3 stages. Red brick crenellations, carved stone panels to plinth,
angled stair turret to second stage, south east end of south wall, angle buttresses
to bell chamber window height, bands below bell chamber and second stage. Each
face of bell chamber with a window of 2-cinquefoiled lights, quatrefoil over 4-
centred head and label. Second stage, north, west and south faces each with a
trefoiled window under a square head. Tall west window of 3 lights with transom
and tracery over, the lower lights, cinquefoiled segmental heads, upper lights
cinquefoiled ogee heads. Tracery: Decreasing, 6 and 5 cinquefoiled lights, 4 and
3 quatrefoils over, moulded 2-centred head and label with stops. Trefoiled light
to stair turret. There are S-tie plates to bell chamber and buttresses. Interior:
Chancel: Roof of 3 bays, single hammer-beam type, moulded arched braces supported
by stone corbels to hammer-beams, arched braces above with tracery of trefoils and
quatrefoils. C19 coloured tiled floor. Altar rail, cast and wrought-iron posts,
moulded wooden top rail. Reredos circa 1875 by Powell's, blue, white and gold
mosaic, corn, lillies and Evangelist symbols; carved panels below mosaic. North
wall, stone shelf with moulded brackets. C14 Easter Sepulchre with buttresses,
crocketed gable and finial. C19 north chapel doorway, moulded 2-centred arch,
shafts with moulded capitals and bases, moulded label, vertically-boarded door with
strap hinges. South wall piscina, moulded 2-centred arch, cinquefoil drain.
Sedilia, double crocketed gables, trefoiled arches, marble central shaft with
moulded capitals and bases. C19 stained glass to east window. No chancel arch.
C19 stone rood wall surmounted by ornate wrought-iron low screen and double gates.
Green marble columns to north and south walls; moulded capitals, bases and stem
rings. C19 choir stalls. Painted pipes to organ. Nave: Roof of 4 bays, double
side purlins, arched braces to purlins and collars. C19 red tiled floor. C19 semi-
octagonal pulpit with coloured marble decoration. Brass eagle lectern. C19 pews.
North wall, medieval painting to splay of Norman window. Blocked segmental archway
of north door. South arcade of 3 bays, C14 octagonal columns, moulded capitals
and bases, chamfered 2-centred arches. South aisle, lean-to roof, chamfered
principals on stone corbels. South wall: Gabled and crocketed monument to Sarah
Wood MDCCCXLIX. Piscina, trefoiled ogee head, sexfoil drain. Niche to north of
east wall, crocketed and canopied, trefoiled head, moulded shelf. Round-headed
niche to eastern splay of eastern window, south wall. Cast-iron heating grills
to floors. West tower arch, chamfered and moulded 2-centred arch, jamb shafts with
moulded capitals and bases. Chamfered 2-centred earch to stair turret doorway,
vertically-boarded door. Font. C15, octagonal, panels carved with symbols of the
Evangelists and 4 angels. Stem with raised carved lions alternating with wodemen
at angles. Bells, 6, 2 - 1611 by Miles Graye, Colchester. 2 - 1722 by Thos
Gardener, Sudbury and 2 - 1983 by Whitechapel Bell Foundry.

Listing NGR: TM1940835280

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17534260

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

• 
  Kent: West and the Weald: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Georgian Style and Design for Contemporary Living
• 
  Pevsner's Architectural Glossary (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Introductions)
• 
  Central Leinster: Kildare, Laois and Offaly (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Ireland)
• 
  [(Bedfordshire, Huntingdon and Peterborough)] [By (author) Nikolaus Pevsner] published on (January, 1968)
• 
  Oxfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)