Church of St Mary, Langley St Mary's, Slough

Description

TQ 07 NW
5/5

SLOUGH
St. Mary's Road (east side)
Church of St. Mary

29.9.50

GV
I

Church. C12 and C14 with tower of 1609, south transept of 1613, north aisle arcade dated 1630, west porch of 1818, and some C19 restoration. Flint and rubble with limestone dressings, red brick south transept, cement rendered porch, and old tile roofs, separately over nave, aisle and lower chancel. Red brick tower with flint base to north and west, and cement rendered dressings. Nave, chancel, north aisle and chapel, south transeptal chapel, south transeptal library, west porch and north-west tower.

Tower: four stages with angle buttresses, except that to north-west which is diagonal. Moulded strings between second and third stages and above top stage, coped battlemented parapet, and flagpole with weathervane. Arched louvred bell chamber openings, flanked by small rectangular openings in west and north faces, with small rectangular opening to right in east face and to left in south face; small rectangular opening in third stage to south, arched opening to north, and clock to west with small carved Kederminster shield above; arched second stage opening to west with two arched lights; arched first stage opening to west with two arched lights and arched doorway to north with boarded door.

Nave: three-light gabled dormer to south with diamond leaded panels; three-light west window with panelled tracery and returned hoodmould, and arched doorway beneath with boarded door. Porch gabled to north, south, and west with round arched entrance and two-light openings to north and south.

Chancel; south side: large central buttress and diagonal buttress to east. Three two-light windows, two to right with square heads, and boarded door with chamfered arch beneath central window.

East end: large three-light window with reticulated tracery and returned hoodmould.

South transeptal chapel: large 12-light mullioned and transomed south window with diamond leading and depressed arched doorway beneath.

Library: two rectangular windows to south and small rectangular window in gable end above, all with diamond leading; two-light square headed window to west and stack with square shaft and moulded top.

North aisle and chapel; north side: two large buttresses and diagonal buttress to east. Four two-light windows with returned hoodmould and diamond leafing.

East end: large three-light window with reticulated tracery and returned hoodmould.

Interior: nave with five bay tie beam roof, timber north aisle arcade dated 1630 with coupled unfluted Doric columns and Ionic end pilasters with projecting lozenge decoration supporting triglyph frieze, remaining earlier arch to west chamfered, and chamfered chancel arch. Chancel with three bay waggon roof, two bay north chapel arcade with octagonal piers, chamfered arches and hoodmoulds with carved stops, and four bay sedilia and piscina with triple shafts, bell capitals, trefoiled arches and foliated spandrels. North aisle and chapel with six bay double purlin queen post roof. Many windows have internal shafting, hoodmoulds and carved stops, including some 'green men'.

Fittings include: C15 chancel screen of five bays with ogee-headed divisions, traceried panels and battlemented top; pulpit dated 1609 with strapwork; C15 octagonal stone font with carved quatrefoil panels; south chapel screen in Coade stone of 1792 with three tall arches two columns deep, quatrefoil piers, quatrefoils in spandrels, quadripartite vauting with shield bosses and wrought iron railings; Kederminster Pew of 1623 with painted panelling inside and out including the 'eye of God', painted inscriptions, fretwork, opening lattice panels, and open parapet with obelisks and strapwork. C17 gallery in west arch of nave arcade with cut balusters, north aisle west gallery with list of benefactors, C18 brass chandalier in chancel, 1625 Royal coat of arms in western arch nave arcade, six hatchments, and creed and commandment boards. Remains of C17 wall painting matching pew in south transeptal chapel. Fragments of C15 glass in a north chapel west window. Kederminster Library: given in 1623 and housed in former south porch in 1631, consiting of painted panelling with local scenes, Kederminster portraits and trompe-l'oeil books on the inside of the shelf doors, and painted chimney-piece with overmantel consisting of Tuscan half columns supporting painted frieze and dentil cornice flanking painted allegorical figures surrounding oval centre-piece with painted shields.

Monuments include: that in the chancel to the Kederminster family of 1599 in alabaster with two Corinthian columns supporting entablature with coat of arms, and two facing pairs of kneeling figures with their children below; tablet in chancel of 1626 with Latin inscription, and pilasters supporting cornice with military trophies and coat of arms above; tablet in north aisle to Dorothy King of 1684 with Ionic pilasters and broken segmental pediment with coat of arms; that to David Harvey of 1788 in Coade stone with woman standing beside angled pedestal with urn; that to Robert Gosling in north chapel of 1794 with obelisk, sarcophagus and urn; that in south chapel to Robert Bateson Harvey of 1825 with the seated figure of a christian pilgrim; two brasses, to Robert Harvey 1863 and to Robert Bateson Harvey of 1887. This church is particularly interesting because of its wealth of fittings and monuments, notably the library which is unique. Churchyard memorial to the artist Paul Nash (1889-1946).

Listing NGR: TQ0048079533

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British Listed Buildings

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Church of St Mary

A Grade I Listed Building in Langley St Mary's, Slough

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