Description

SK 71 SW GADDESBY CHURCH LANE

Ashby Folville
(east side)
9/81 Church of St. Mary
1.1.68

G.V. I

Parish church. Late C13, C14, C15. Restored 1875 and between
1885 and 1913, by J. Ely. Coursed and squared ironstone and
limestone ashlar, with ashlar dressings and lead roofs. C19
gabled external side wall stack. Chamfered and moulded plinth
and sill bands. Crenellated chancel parapet with pinnacles,
1913. West tower, nave with clerestory, north aisle and organ
chamber, chancel, south aisle and chapel, south porch. West
tower, C15, 3 stages, has angle buttresses, 2 string courses,
moulded plinth, linked hood mould, lozenge frieze, 4 gargoyles,
crenellated parapet and 4 pinnacles, one of them with a
weathercock. First stage has, to west, a double lancet. Second
stage has to west a quatrefoil light. Third stage has 4
transomed double lancet bell openings. All the openings have
hood moulds and stops. Clerestory, 4 bays, has coped east gable.
On each side, 4 triple lancets, those to north more ornate and
with panel tracery. All have hood moulds and stops. North
aisle, 3 bays, has 3 buttresses, 3 setoffs. West end has early
C14 Decorated double lancet. North side has to east, 2 C14
cusped triple lancets with coved reveals, and to west, restored
cove and roll moulded C13 doorway with filleted double shafts and
studded door. East end has a C14 cusped triple lancet with coved
reveal. All the openings have hood moulds and mask stops.
Chancel, 2 bays, has rainwater heads dated 1912. North side has
a buttress flanked by single late C14 segment-headed untraceried
triple lancets. East end has 2 angle buttresses, sill band and
coped gable with cross. Restored C15 panel traceried transomed 5
light lancet with the lower lights blocked. South side has to
west, altered opening, now containing a square headed mullioned
casement. To east, a late C14 untraceried triple lancet. All
these windows have hood moulds and mask stops. South aisle, 4
bays, has angle buttress to west and a single buttress to south
east. South side has to west, an early C14 triple lancet wiht
intersecting tracery and to east, an ogee headed reticulated
triple lancet and a triple lancet with flamboyant tracery. West
end has an early C14 triple lancet with intersecting tracery.
These windows all have hood moulds and stops. Single bay chapel
has ballflower eaves, gabled angle buttress and a gabled single
buttress to south. East end has C14 cusped triple lancet with
intersecting tracery, coved reveal and hood mould both with
ballflower. South side has an ogee headed reticulated triple
lancet with flat head. Reveal and hood mould have ballflower
decoration. South porch has chamfered plinth, small flanking
buttresses, and coped gable with remains of a double sundial.
Restored moulded C14 doorway with hood mould and octagonal
shafts. Interior has stone benches, C19 common rafter roof with
restored moulded wall plate and ridge. Restored C13 triple roll
moulded doorway with hood mould, mask stops and C18 studded plank
door. Tower arch, late C14, double chamfered and rebated, has
hood mould and round responds, and contains the base of a
restored C15 wooden screen, installed in 1970. West window has
stained glass, 1976. North arcade, C13, extended and remodelled
C14, 4 bays, has round responds with octagonal bases and abaci.
East and west sides of piers have similar shafts and capitals.
North and south sides have double coves separated by chamfers.
Coved and chamfered arches blend with the pier mouldings. Coved
hood moulds have no stops. Similar south arcade, 5 bays. East
bays have each a Perpendicular style C20 screen. Restored late
C14 roof with cambered span beams, arch braces, bosses, and wall
shafts with angels, on beast mask corbels. North aisle central
window has stained glass c.1935. Perpendicular style C20 screen
at east end forms organ chamber. North east end has chamfered
late C14 aumbry. East end has squint to chancel. South side has
to east, plain opening with plank door to rood stair. Restored
plain roof. South aisle east end has C20 traceried Perpendicular
style screen and coved C13 piscina on corbel. To its right,
double chamfered and rebated doorway to chapel. South side has
to east a doorway with segmental head. Early C20 roof with arch
braces and shafts on shield corbels. Chapel to east has a
similar roof. East window, with a remnant of C15 stained glass,
is flanked to left by a conical brakcet and to right by a mask
corbel. South side has a cusped C14 piscina with moulded corbel,
hood mould and mask stops. Chancel has double chamfered and
rebated early C14 arch with octagonal responds. To its left,
splayed rood stair enclosure with plain doorway above. Chancel
north side has to west, segmental arched C14 tomb recess with
double keeled roll moulding. To east, stained glass window,
c.1917. East end has large ashlar Perpendicular style gradine
and reredos, C20, panelled dado and stained glass window c.1930.
South side has to east, chamfered and moulded early C14 piscina.
To west, double chamfered and rebated archway to chapel, c.1300,
with keeled responds with nailhead capitals, and hood mould.
Early C20 roof has moulded tie beams, arch braces and wall shafts
on shield corbels, and traceried wall plate. Fittings include
Cll square font with interlaced arcading and 4 legs. C17
hourglass holder, chest, small table, 2 candlesticks made from
bedposts, and 3 chairs. 2 C18 tables and a settle. C20
Perpendicular style panelled stalls, desks and lectern. Plain
benches. C19 octagonal alabaster and ashlar pulpit. Memorials
include panelled ashlar chest tomb with quatrefoils containing
shields, and armoured effigy, probably Eustace de Folville,
d.1347. Foliated cross slab with head and feet of corpse
showing, C14. Incised slab with cadaver, c.1485. C16
uninscribed wall monument with panel flanked by shafts carrying
angels with shields, and above, panel of Arms with supporters.
Painted alabaster chest tomb with blind arcading containing
figures of 11 children, moulded and inscribed top, and 2 full
size effigies, to George and Anne Smith, 1607. 4 poster chest
tomb, ashlar and alabaster, 1629, restored 1850 by R. Smith of
London, to Francis Smith and wife. Chest has moulded base and
top and empty blind arcading. Decorated crested tester with
Latin inscription. C18 hatchment. 2 early C19 marble and slate
tablets. Brass in crested recess, 1847. 2 C20 brasses.

Listing NGR: SK7067811988

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• St Mary's Church, Ashby Folville at Wikipedia
• Wikidata Q17525565

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

• 
  Churches: An Architectural Guide (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Introductions)
• 
  Bedfordshire, Huntingdonshire, and Peterborough (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  ENGLAND GUIDE TO POST WAR LISTED: A Guide to Post-war Listed Buildings
• 
  Northamptonshire: Buildings of England Series (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Listed Buildings: The Law and Practice of History Buildings, Ancient Monuments and Conservation Areas
• 
  Cork: City and County (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Ireland)