Church of St Margaret, Westhorpe, Suffolk

Description

WESTHORPE CHURCH ROAD (NORTH SIDE)
TM 06 NW
4/106 Church of St. Margaret
29.7.55
GV I

Parish church. C14; south porch added, refenestrated and raised with a
clerestorey in C15, north chapel added in early C17, chancel restored 1896.
Flint rubble with ashlar dressings, some knapped flint, red brick north
chapel, cement rendering to north. Stone flagged nave roof, slate chancel
roof, asbestos aisle roofs. Nave with north and south aisles, chancel, west
tower, south porch, north chapel. Large 4 stage west tower, double plinth
with ashlar band, to west a 2-light Perpendicular window, hoodmould continued
as a string course, second string course to second stage with a small louvred
cusped lancet, hoodmould continued again, string course to belfry, openings
with 2 cusped ogee headed lights, quatrefoils in segmental pointed arched
heads with hoodmoulds, some tracery broken, cornice to chequerwork parapet; 4
stage diagonal buttresses to west and straight buttresses to east, to south a
semi-octagonal stair turret to 2 lower stages and a lancet in second stage.
Nave clerestorey has four 2-light windows to each side, cusped lights,
traceried segmental pointed arched heads with brick voussoirs. Nave east end
rendered with a small blocked light near apex of gable. South aisle has 3
broad 3-light Perpendicular windows, continuous string course at sill level,
that to centre part blocked by south porch, 2 stage diagonal buttresses to
returns, to west a tall 2-light pointed arched C14 window, cusped ogee lights,
quatrefoil at head, mask stopped hoodmould, to east a large C14 3-light window
with a pointed arched head, complex curvilinear tracery, mask stopped
hoodmould. South porch: outer pointed arch with inner chamfer and outer ovolo
moulding, semi-octagonal responds with moulded caps and bases, mask stopped
hoodmould, above arch a small cusped niche, shallow gable with string course
to embattled parapet, chequerwork plinth, 2 stage diagonal buttresses, blocked
2-light Perpendicular windows in returns with mask stopped hoodmoulds. Inside
porch a stoup with a cusped ogee head, inner double wave moulded pointed
arch, mask stopped hoodmould, original door with traceried panels, cusping and
crocketing, early iron ring handle, 2 bay arch braced roof. North aisle has 3
windows as to south, to west of centre a pointed arched door with wave and
hollow mouldings, hoodmould, to west a 2 stage diagonal buttress with a C14 2-
light window as on south aisle. Low chancel has a parapet with ridge cross, 2
stage diagonal buttresses. To south two C14 2-light windows, cusped ogee
lights, curvilinear tracery, segmental pointed arched heads with hoodmoulds,
to centre a low side door with scroll and roll moulds in a pointed arch, 2
stage buttress. To north a blocked window and early C17 north chapel with an
offset brick plinth and another offset at sill level, to north a segmental
pointed arched headed 3-light window with intersecting tracery, outer cavetto
moulding, C18 architrave with key and impost blocks, cornice, rebuilt
embattled parapet, octagonal turrets at angles, east return has a blocked
window with architrave as to north. Interior: pointed chancel arch, inner
chamfer and outer wave moulding, semi-octagonal responds with moulded caps.
Pointed tower arch, double chamfer with an outer hollow moulding, semi-
octagonal responds with moulded caps and bases. 4 bay nave arcades, octagonal
piers with moulded caps and bases, double chamfered pointed arches, traces of
original painting on some piers with figures in ogee canopies. 8 bay nave
roof has alternate tiebeam and hammerbeam trusses, a roll moulding at sill
level in clerestorey with semi-octagonal corbel shafts to posts with moulded
arched braces to cambered tie beams; over heads of windows short posts to
brattished hammerbeams, small arched braces to moulded principals, moulded
butt purlins, coved and brattished wall plates, angels removed. Lean-to aisle
roofs have moulded principals and purlins. Late C19 scissor braced roof in
chancel. C17 chapel roof has crossed ovolo moulded beams, a heavily moulded
central pendant with smaller drops at beam ends and angles. Chancel has a C14
window to north now opening into chapel, tracery as to south, east window rear
arch has shafted ring capped jambs, chancel south wall restored C14 piscina
with octafoil bowl, cusped ogee head, crocketed finial and pinnacles, sedilia
below adjacent window had a cusped arched head of which a crocketed pinnacle
survives. At north east angle of nave a pointed arched doorway onto rood
stair behind which is a quatrefoil opening and a restored piscina with a
cusped head, traceried sprandrels, head of rood stair projection is
brattished. South chapel south wall C14 piscina, quatrefoil bowl, cusped ogee
head, restored crocketed finial and pinnacles. From north aisle to north
chapel a depressed arched opening replacing a window. In tower a pointed
arched stair turret doorway, an iron door with multiple crossed iron bands, in
tower an early ladder. Above south entrance are traces of C17 wall painting
with an inscription. C14 parclose screen to south chapel, lower panels with
traces of floral painting, open upper panels with ringed shafts to varying
traceried heads, pointed and ogee arches, some circle tracery, brattished
cornice, traces of original paint. In nave a plain octagonal font on 2 steps,
moulded below bowl, C17 pyramidal timber cover, lower quilloche band, moulded
ribs to pinnacle. A C15 semi-octagonal pulpit, restored base, 2 panels with
traceried heads, a C17 leaf ornamented capping. In north aisle a C17 box, pew
with fielded panelled sides, turned finials at angles, across north chapel
entrance a wrought iron screen with 3 foliate finials, chapel floor has early
C19 painted floral slabs. Some early benches with ball headed ends, a poppy
headed end in nave and others reused in choir stalls which have C19 traceried
frontals. An early segmental headed chest with iron bands. Altar table top
is an old stone mensa. In north aisle Royal Arms of George II, dated 1751;
over north door a painted inscription for Westhopre Charity Estates, dated
1844. In south aisle a chamfered pointed arched recess with a simple Purbeck
marble slab reputed to be tomb of Henry de Elmham, c.1330. In north aisle an
early floriated cross slab. In nave attached to north arcade pier a mural to
N. Fox, d.1679 and M. Fox, d.1676, crudely inscribed panels with marble
surrounds, arms above, rustic skull and festoon below on a console; brass
insets in nave floor. North chapel east wall is filled by a large monument to
M. Barrow, d.1666,by M. and H. Shelton. Marble. A life size semi-reclining
figure on a chest tomb with moulded base and capping, behind a mural with a
circular Latin inscription in a wreath border, curtains held back by large
flying putti, segmentally raised cornice with arms above with flanking putti
and urns, on chest tomb an inscription by way of Shelton's signature, wrought
iron grille surround. Chancel north wall a mural to W. Barrow, d.1613,
painted alabaster, kneeling figures with arms and seraphs, aedicular surround
with arms in a separate aedicule above, inscribed panel below. On east wall a
small tablet to M. Dandy, d.1615, alabaster surround with arms. On south wall
a small inscribed brass plague to R. Elcock, d.1630 with arms in a surround.

Listing NGR: TM0437469232

External Links

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British Listed Buildings

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Church of St Margaret

A Grade I Listed Building in Westhorpe, Suffolk

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Description

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