Description

ASHFIELD CUM THORPE

1224/0/10004 THE STREET
28-JAN-09 CHURCH OF ST MARY

II
St Mary's church was built in 1853 in Gothic revival style, designed by W.C Woollard of Long Melford, commissioned by Lord Henniker of Thornham Magna, the local landowner.

MATERIALS
The church is constructed of orange and red brick, generally laid in Flemish bond, with headers and string courses in blue brick creating a chequered effect. The church has a gable roof with peg-tile covering.

PLAN
St Mary's has a simple two-cell plan with a small brick porch to the south and vestry to the north

EXTERIOR
The roof is adorned by a small bellcote with timber louvres at the west end and a small stone crucifix at the east. At each corner, there are diagonal butresses with stone copings. The pointed arch windows have small diamond leaded lights with plain glass and contrasting stone surrounds and mullions with cusped heads. Those in the chancel, and the larger tripartite east and west end windows, have intersecting tracery and those in the nave have decorative 'Y' tracery.

INTERIOR
The church has a plain painted interior with brick pamment floor. In the chancel, there is a simple wooden altar with three central panels, carved columns, foliate arches and spandrels. The altar rails are punctuated with simple arches with cusped heads and there is a small pipe organ of unknown date. The nave has two small war memorials to the dead of the parish. The low pulpit was erected in 1939 and incorporates carved woodwork probably of the C18, with a scripture quotation. The pews are apparently of later C19 date and have plain joinery. At the west end, the font has a stone plinth of some antiquity, but the font itself appears C20 in date. The roof is clad with timber and has a decorative truss on carved brackets.

HISTORY
By the mid C19, the medieval church of St. Mary in the centre of the village of Ashfield Cum Thorpe was ruinous. After the reformation the building had gradually declined until, apparently, only the base of the square tower remained. In 1853, Lord Henniker of Thornham Magna commissioned William Constable Woollard(1808-1860) of Long Melford to design a new church seemingly constructed on the site of the old, remains of which may survive beneath the present building. Built for £2000, the new church was designed to Ecclesiologist principals, with a traditional arrangement of nave and chancel and worship based on pre-Reformation liturgical practice.

SOURCES
www.suffolkchurches.com
Brown, Haward, Kindred 1991, Directory of Architects of Suffolk Buildings.

REASONS FOR DESIGNATION DECISION
St Mary's Church, Ashfield-cum-Thorpe is designated at grade II for the following principal reasons:

* The contrasting brickwork and good quality stone work affords the building special exterior architectural quality.
* Although St Mary's has a plain interior and simply detailed church furniture, it survives largely intact. The use of C18 carved woodwork in the pulpit adds to its interest.

LISTING NGR
TM2103462606

Reasons for Listing

St Mary's Church, Ashfield-cum-Thorpe is designated for listing at grade II for the following principal reasons.
* The contrasting brickwork and good quality stone work affords the building special exterior architectural quality.
* Although St Mary's has a plain interior and simply detailed church furniture, it survives largely intact. The use of C18 carved woodwork in the pulpit adds to its interest.

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26672298

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.

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