Description

TL 3770 OVER CHURCH END
(North Side)

10/89 Church of St. Mary
31.8.62
I

Parish church, with C13 origins but mainly early C14. Restored
1840. Barnack stone ashlar part rendered. West tower, nave
with North and South aisles, South porch and chancel. West
tower early C14, of three stages, on double splayed plinth with
main cornice and boss enrichments. Three stage angle buttresses
and newel staircase in South East corner. The West doorway and
the West window are, however, C15. West doorway in four centred
arch flanked by two vacant niches in ogee heads, between two
continuous orders. Above the door is a relief of Our Lord in
Glory flanked by two niches. Early C14 window openings to
second and third stages. The broach spire is also covered with
Barnack ashlar and is in three stages, each with gabled
lucarne. Original gable of steeply pitched nave roof visible on
each side of tower. The nave, early C14, reroofed. C15 and
embattled. Each side of clerestory with six two light windows.
South aisle, early C14, embattled with large grotesque gargoyles
and frieze of ball flower ornament to main cornice. Three
windows, all early C14, with reticulated tracery. Two windows
of three lights in segmental arches, and one of four lights in a
pointed arch. All have drip moulds with mask stops. The South
porch is contemporary with the South aisle and the gargoyles and
frieze of ball flower ornament are carried round from the
aisle. Embattled parapet with corner turrets and pinnacles.
Buttresses of grouped keeled shafts on high base flank the two
centred outer arch with three hollow and roll moulded orders.
The inner arch has similar moulding. The porch is in two bays,
with two-light early C14 openings to each. The heads of the
openings have pierced tracery. The roof is C15. The chancel
was much restored in 1840 and has early 15 fenestration, but
there are North and South doorways with Caernarvon heads which
must be C13-C14. There is a low side window in the South wall
with similar head. Interior: Nave arcade C15 in six bays. Two
centred hollow chamfered arches on half-octagonal columns with
hollow mouldings to the side. Each shaft is embattled and has a
capital with mask enrichment and a high moulded base. The North
and South aisles have blind arcading of early C14 to the walls.
Crown-post roof in six bays, C15, restored. Hollow and roll
moulded principals and tie beams, the jackposts on stone niches
with figures, supported on corbels, some mutilated. Chancel
arch, C13 origins. Two centred with one hollow and one
chamfered order. The piscina has a similar Caernarvon head.
Screen between chancel and nave, C15, with vertical tracery to
upper bays. Vaulted coving preserved on each side. Stalls in
cancel possibly from Ramsey Abbey, with misericords. Pulpit,
early C17 with original vaulted tester and enriched ogee
canopy. Seven sided pulpit with arcaded panels on original stem
or possibly earlier. Font, C15, octagonal bowl and stem,
enriched with cusping and blank shields of arms. Two chests,
both C17 one in nave, part restored but with original iron
fittings, the other in tower.
Pevsner. Buildings of England p.446
R.C.H.M. record card

Listing NGR: TL3724770778

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17528229

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

• 
  Devon (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Old House Eco Handbook: A Practical Guide to Retrofitting for Energy-Efficiency & Sustainability
• 
  Staffordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
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  Central Leinster: Kildare, Laois and Offaly (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Ireland)
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  Somerset: South and West (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Gloucestershire 2: The Vale and The Forest of Dean: Vale and Forest of Dean Pt. 2 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)