Description

TF 91 NE GRESSENHALL CHURCH LANE
(west side)

3/14 Church of St.Mary
30/5/60

- I

Parish church. Medieval and later. Flint and some ferruginous conglomerate
with ashlar and some brick dressings. Slate and lead roofs. Aisled nave
with south porch and north vestry; central tower with transepts; chancel.
Nave with fine 3-light C14 west window with mouchettes. Victorian aisle west
windows. 6 C15 2-light cusped clearstorey windows. 4 restored Perpendicular
2-light aisle windows. Porch with diagonal butresses and moulded entrance.
Hollow chamfered south doorway with fine C15 blind traceried door. Heavily
restored C12 tower with shallow angle buttresses, Norman former twin bell-
openings to north, south and west. West bell-opening (now inside) with chevron
moulded arches and shaft. Present bell stage C19 with 2-light bell-openings
in Perpendicular style. Transepts with 2 Perpendicular 3-light windows to
north and 2 3-light windows with embattled transoms to south. South transept
2 storeyed with a small 2-light upper window. Chancel with highly decorated
buttresses displaying blind tracery with shields and carvings of fantastic
beasts on lower copings. 3 unusual 3-light traceried windows with little
or no cusping - probably mid C16. Modern 3-light east window in Perpendicular
style. Interior. 3-bay nave with C14 or C15 octagonal piers supporting plain
chamfered arches of 2 orders. Mutilated Atlas figure corbels at ends of
arcades. Plain chamfered tower arches on polygonal responds. Chancel with
finely moulded entrance to former vestry to north. Restored C16 piscina cum
triple sedilia with very shallow arches, simple blind tracery and miniature
rib vaults. Carving above lowermost sedile, of a kneeling saint being stoned.
C15 south transept ceiling with carved joists and traceried panels retaining
some original paint. Staircase in south west corner of transept with C15
door retaining original painted posies and ironwork. 2 dado panels of former
screen with carved tracery and mutilated paintings.

Listing NGR: TF9589815505

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17535442

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

• 
  Hertfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Bedfordshire, Huntingdonshire, and Peterborough (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Farrow & Ball How to Decorate: Transform your home with paint & paper
• 
  Derbyshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Central Leinster: Kildare, Laois and Offaly (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Ireland)
• 
  [(Shropshire)] [By (author) Nikolaus Pevsner] published on (January, 1958)