Description

WHITCHURCH

SP24NW Church of St Mary
1912-1/6/175
02/08/72
(Formerly Listed as:
ALDERMINSTER
Church of St Mary)

II*

Church. Late C11 nave with early C12 eastern half; late C12
chancel, lengthened in early C13 and remodelled c1500. C17
bellcote, repairs and shortening of nave; C18 and C19
restorations.
MATERIALS: rubble, including some late C11 herringbone to nave
western half, and coursed squared stone; ashlar dressings;
slate roofs and shingled bellcote. Coped gables.
EXTERIOR: chancel has offset plinth; c1500 5-light east window
with 2 king mullions between 2 shallow buttresses; 3 shields
to gable. North side has C12 round-headed light altered to
lancet in C13, and 2:1:2-light straight-headed c1500 window to
east with part of blocked entrance below. South side has 2
similar windows, one partly raised over C13 priest's entrance;
traces of blocked windows.
Nave north side has rubble and ashlar, offset buttress, eaves
corbels and C12 round-headed light to east half, some
herringbone masonry to west half. South side of nave is
similar, of ashlar, and has probably C18 straight-headed
window with 3 elliptical-headed lights to east, some
contemporary ashlar and buttress; west half has late C13
window and re-set C12 round-headed entrance of single order,
C17 ashlar above incorporates relief of Paschal Lamb with worn
painted sundial to left dated 1646.
C17 west wall including straight-headed window of 3
elliptical-headed lights, small shuttered light above and
timber-framed square bellcote with shingling to walls and
pyramid roof; 3-light louvred bell openings with enriched
heads.
INTERIOR: chancel has C19 waggon roof, north and south walls
slope outwards; wide hollow-chamfered reveals of east window
have hacked-off image plinths on octagonal shafts and
mutilated canopies; north side has C15 tomb recess, jambs to 2
removed C12 windows and jambs of blocked opening; south side
has blocked C12 window and signs of another, rectangular
recess with piscina bowl to left; east end has shallow recess
rebated for door to right. Chancel arch has C12 responds with
paired shafts and C13 triple-stop-chamfered arch.
Nave has C17 roof trusses with queen struts to collars, and
earlier arch-braced timber posts supporting bellcote; re-set
panel of Anglo-Danish interlace to west wall.
FITTINGS: chancel has enriched panelling to east wall with
cornice and cresting, recess to right has open-work door; 2
housel benches, one C17 and one dated 1923. Nave has pulpit
with early C17 panels to 3 sides; early C17 painted Royal Arms
in nowy-headed frame, altered c1714; C18 plain octagonal font;
screened-in vestry to north-west angle and screen by entrance.
STAINED GLASS: C15 chancel side windows have late C15 glass,
sacred monograms, armorial bearings and flowers in tracery,
with decorative C19 quarries below; C19 glass in tracery of
east window, and figure to central light; C19 figure in north
wall west window; nave west window has 1989 panel.
MONUMENTS: William Smyth, rector, d.1442: chest tomb to north
side of chancel has white marble slab with moulded edge and
incised with cross, chalice and book; black-letter inscription
to border; later graffiti including outline of foot and R W
1759. 2 floor slabs to Lucy Ann and Hester, d.1681 and 1686,
wives of Thomas Mariett. Floor slab to members of Richard
Marriett's family, d.1701, 1702, 1704. Sculpture: re-set stone
to right of west window has Anglo-Danish interlace panel to
one end.
The church stands on the site of a medieval village deserted
by the mid C16; only a barn and cottage dated 1826 stand near.
(Buildings of England: Pevsner N: Warwickshire: Harmondsworth:
1966-: 471-2; Victoria County Histories: Styles P: Victoria
History of the County of Warwickshire: 1945-: 211-3; St Mary
the Virgin, Whitchurch (4-page leaflet)).

Listing NGR: SP2265448622

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17552035

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

• 
  Building Small Projects (New Best of Fine Woodworking)
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  Essex: Buildings of England Series (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
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  Pioneers of Modern Design: From William Morris to Walter Gropius (Penguin Art & Architecture)
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  Bedfordshire, Huntingdonshire, and Peterborough (Pevsner Architectural Guides): Written by Charles O'Brien, 2014 Edition, Publisher: Yale University Press [Hardcover]
• 
  Setting up a Listed Building Heritage Partnership Agreement: Historic England Advice Note 5
• 
  London 4: North: North v. 4 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)