Description

THOMPSON CHURCH LANE
TL 9396

13/71 Church of St. Martin.

16.7.58 I

Parish church. First half C14, restored 1910-13 and 1974. Flint with ashlar
dressings and pantiled roofs. West tower, nave, south chapel and chancel.
Tower 3 stages. Tall base with bell mouldings and chequered knapped flushwork.
Diagonal buttresses west, angle to east. West door 3 orders of wave mouldings
under hood. 3-light reticulated window above containing subsidiary reticulated
units. 2-light Y belfry windows. Flushwork battlements. South porch with
triple niche under depressed arch. 4 buttresses to south nave, one 3-light
intersecting Y window. Tall south chapel founded-1450 by Sir Thomas de
Shardelow. 5-light panel traceried window under 4-centred arch. Chancel 2
3-light triple-lobed petal windows, tracery now blocked. Low priest's door
below raised string course. Diagonal buttresses to east. 5-light east window
similar but elaborated. North chancel has 2 3-light windows as south with
lights also blocked. Toothed eaves cornice of brick. 4 north nave buttresses.
2 3-light intersecting windows. 2-light panel tracery window over north door.
Interior with scissor braced roof and collars of 40 trusses. Complete set
of poppyhead benches dated 1632 and 1625. Box pew of Futter family c.1630
panelled and carved. 2 cockshead hinges to door. South chapel screen c.1450
with blind cinquefoil arches below circled quatrefoils with shields. Tall
4-centred chapel arch with continuous hollow mouldings. Chancel screen c.1330.
Lower part panelled and painted. Stencilling probably C15. Central gates
survive below free standing gable with cusps and crocketts. Finial touches
top rail. 2 2-light panels between compound stiles. Muntins circular with
capitals and bases. Tracery in form of frieze of circles, with alternating
mouchette wheel and spherical triangle decoration. Early C17 double-decker
pulpit, panelled with some carving. Fine tester slightly later. Chancel stalls
C15 and C17, some with misericords.c.1620 communion rail with turned balusters.
Continuous sedilia and piscina under hood : moulded piers support cusped ogee
arches with elaborate mouldings. Carved representations of Green Man in
spandrels. Chancel roof has principals on braces and collars dated R.F. 1648
(Robert Futter). C14 octagonal font with traceried panels. Early C14 south
door with flower trail border and original lock complete with ring plate.
Bell frame in tower arch braced, probably pre-Reformation. Building of national
importance for interior woodwork.

Listing NGR: TL9299096946

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17535189

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

• 
  Suffolk: East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Lancashire: Liverpool and the South-West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Specifications for Building Conservation: Volume 1: External Structure: Practical Examples v. 2
• 
  Listed Buildings: The Law and Practice of Historic Buildings, Ancient Monuments and Conservation Areas
• 
  For the Record
• 
  Cornwall (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)