Description

ATHERSTONE ON STOUR

SP2050 Church of St Mary
1912-1/11/30
02/08/72

II

Church, now disused. 1876, by J Cotton, incorporating material
from demolished medieval church on site. Rock-faced dressed
squared limestone with ashlar dressings; steeply pitched slate
roof with tile crest, ornamental to chancel.
PLAN: 2-bay chancel, 3-bay nave and south-west steeple.
EXTERIOR: chancel has coped gable, relief cross below 3-light
E window with Decorated tracery and hood with stops; some
ashlar banding to gable and four C19 wall memorials to members
of the Smith family, all obelisks with flames; north side has
2-light window to left of gabled vestry with 2-light window
and canted porch to re-entrant angle with parapet over
entrance with 4-centred head; south side has 2 windows of 2
lights on sill course with relief cross below.
Nave north side has large offset buttresses with gablets and
lateral stack with octagonal shafts; arched recess (obscured
by ivy) and two 2-light windows, one single-chamfered; south
side has offset buttress and large buttress to east end with
pinnacle; 2-light windows, that to left with repaired C14
head, flank traceried lancet with hood and re-cut C14 head;
west end has clasping buttresses and consecration cross below
3 small lancets with rose window above with head stops to
hood.
3-stage tower has string courses and pilaster buttresses to
upper 2 stages; entrance with continuous moulding and hood,
flanking beast carvings; 2 carved crosses and small gablet
above; 2nd stage has narrow lancets, round clock recess to
south and quatrefoils to other sides; bell stage has 2-light
traceried and louvred bell openings below gablets with
gargoyles; modillioned cornice and crocketed pyramidal spire
with weathercock; inner entrance with plank door.
INTERIOR: chancel has collar-rafter roof with ashlaring; seat
recesses to eastern windows and piscina to north with cross;
entrance has enriched tympanum to segmental-pointed head,
string/hood and enriched stop; chancel arch has corbelled
inner mouldings and low walls, part demolished.
Nave has enriched deep-arch-braced collar trusses and collar
purlin; double-chamfered pointed recess to north-east; 2-light
traceried tower opening with balustrade.
FITTINGS: chancel has framed altar and rail on braced
stop-chamfered posts. Nave has plain pews; timber pulpit with
arches over pierced panels; octagonal C19 font with trefoil
panels and plain round former font.
MEMORIALS: marble wall slab to William Thomas, d.1710, with
top urn, side drapes and apron with cherubs; grave slab to
Thomas Copto (probably Compton) recorded (VCH); C19 and C20
wall memorials.
(Buildings of England: Pevsner N: Warwickshire: Harmondsworth:
1966-: 78; Victoria County Histories: Styles P: Victoria
History of the County of Warwickshire: 1945-: 4 FF).

Listing NGR: SP2053951000

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26662582

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

• 
  Berkshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Hertfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Pevsner's Architectural Glossary (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Introductions)
• 
  Surrey (The Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Cork: City and County (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Ireland)
• 
  Gloucestershire 2: The Vale and The Forest of Dean: Vale and Forest of Dean Pt. 2 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)