Description

TF 24 SW SWINESHEAD SOUTH STREET
(west side)

4/84 Church of St. Mary
26.1.67
G.V. I

Parish church. c.1300, early C14, late C14, C15, 1767, chancel
rebuilt 1848 by Stephen Lavin. Squared limestone rubble and
ashlar. Lead roofs. Western tower with spire, clerestoried
nave, aisles, chancel, south porch. Tall 3 stage late C14 ashlar
tower with stepped corner buttresses having crocketed gablettes,
topped by battlemented parapet. Set back tall spire, with
octagonal battlemented base, having paired ogee openings to each
face. 2 tiers of lucarnes. Angled stair turret on south-west
corner. C18 panelled west door in a continuously moulded
surround of 4 orders. Above a 2 light window with C14 cusped
curvilinear tracery. To the belfry stage single large 3 light
transomed panel traceried lights cusped with continuously moulded
surrounds. C15 north aisle west window 4 light with panel
tracery, in chamfered surround. In the north wall are 5 similar
4 light windows with beyond a further truncated window with a
blocked cambered priest's door beneath. C14 north door retaining
original reticulated traceried decoration and muntins with
continuously moulded pointed surround. 6 C14 2 light clerestorey
windows, with reticulated tracery, corbel table with grotesque
heads, battlemented parapet. On the north face of the tower a
painted clock face dated 1767. In the east aisle wall the window
matches the west. The C19 chancel and vestry contain 3 and 4
light windows in C15 style. Both have embattled parapet, the
vestry with a massive octagonal stack. In the east nave wall are
2 small 2 light windows at high level. The east window is of 5
lights and panel traceried. The south side of the chancel has a
pointed doorway and 3 four light windows with elaborate panel
tracery and moulded heads. At the east end of the nave is a
facetted stair tower with lantern. C14 south aisle having 4
light reticulated windows, one each to the east and the west and
6 to the south. All with chamfered surrounds. Clerestorey
matches that to the north. Gabled C14 porch with octagonal
reveals to double chamfered outer arch, ballflower capitals. The
side walls have 5 crocketed canopies separated by pinnacles
containing geometric figures. The south door is C14 with
reticulated tracery and ogee wicket set in a wave moulded pointed
arch. c.1300 6 bay nave arcades, with filleted quatrefoil piers
with annular capitals and square bases, pointed triple chamfered
arches with human head stops, C14 tower with eastern side arches,
sunk wave mouldings to reveals, and moulded triple stepped heads,
8 ribbed vault to tower with bell rope circle. Steeply pointed
chancel arch with triple engaged shafts and annular capitals.
C14 nave roof with braced tie beams, queen posts and passing
braces. C15 north aisle roof with moulded principals and
rafters. C14 south aisle roof, with principals and purlins.
Single statue brackets in the aisles. Cl9 chancel has door to
vestry in north wall, and piscina. Hammerbeam roof supported on
carved stone corbels. East window stained glass by Clayton and
Bell 1875. Fittings. C19 carved wooden reredos altar rails and
choir stalls. C15 oak chancel screen of 6 paired lights with
central cusped ogee opening. Panel tracery, brattished top beam.
C19 pulpit. Plain C14 octagonal font with slightly concave
panels. Commandment boards. Monuments. In the chancel black
marble wall plaque to Sir John Lockton, d.1610, of Swineshead
Abbey, beneath a repositioned alabaster frieze of weepers.

Listing NGR: TF2374840193

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17526134

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

• 
  Suffolk: West: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Staffordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  ENGLAND GUIDE TO POST WAR LISTED: A Guide to Post-war Listed Buildings
• 
  Essex: Buildings of England Series (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Kent: West and the Weald: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Cumbria: Cumberland, Westmorland and Furness (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)