Description

TL 5249 LITTLE ABINGTON CHURCH LANE
(South Side)

9/31 Parish Church of
22.11.67 St Mary the Virgin

II*

Parish Church. C11 nave and base of tower, chancel early C13 and north
chapel later C13, west tower rebuilt early C14, south porch c.1500.
Restoration 1885 at expense of vicar A.H.D. Hutton, and architect J.P. St
Aubyn employing Mr Rickett, stone mason. Walls of flint rubble with clunch
and limestone dressings, C19 red plain tiled roof with patterned ridge
tiles. South elevation: Tower of two stages with west angle buttresses of
three stages up to belfry height; embattled parapet. Restored two-light
belfry window and lancet-light below. Nave with plain gable parapet and
limestone quoins on shallow stepped plinth. South doorway C11 with plain
circular head and square jambs, chamfered imposts (similar to blocked north
door with carved ornament cut back to surface of outer wall). South porch
rebuilt C19 retaining original roof with carved braces and embattled and
moulded cornice. Early C14 window to left hand of two trefoiled-ogee-lights
with a quatrefoil in a two-centred arch. Window to right hand of three
cinquefoil-lights with cusped spandrels and square head and label. Chancel
with parapet gable and cross finial without buttresses, priest's doorway C13
with stop-chamfered jambs and two-centred head with label, restored. Window
to left hand late C14 with two ogee-cinquefoil-lights and transome rebuilt
originally for shutters, window to right hand also late C14 of two wide
cinquefoil-lights in a square head. Interior: Chancel arch, two-centred
with responds and moulded capitals and bases standing on original C11 nave
wall, squint in north most corner with wrought semi circular head, piscina
with two two-centred arches enriched with dogtooth ornament with central
octagonal shaft with moulded cap and base. Screen, early C16 with
four-centred head to opening with four narrow bays on either side of panels
with ogee-cinque-foiled heads with cusped spandrels. Nave with C13
two-centred arch of two chamfered orders to chapel now used as organ chamber
and vestry, the west wall has a two bay wall arcade with two-centred arches
and mask stops. Tower arch two-centred of three continuous chamfered
orders. Roofs partly restored; chancel roof three bays, and nave roof four
bays, one of collar rafter type with side purlins and braced principal
rafters, the original principal timbers are moulded. Font. C13 square bowl
with stop-chamfered central pier and small octagonal shafts with moulded caps
and bases. South door of nave C14 or C15, feathered boards with round head
and planted moulding. Restored C15 pews. C17 communion table. Coffin
recess in south wall of tower; two pieces of C13 coffin lid in south porch.
Monuments: In chancel, white marble tablet to Rev Andrew Penn and others
1800; tablet with gadrooned cornice supporting obelisks and central shield
in strapwork with caryatids and verse to Oliver Dalton, 1618; white marble
tablet to John Chester Penn 1823 and others; white marble tablet to Thomas
Fassett 1820; floor slab in white stone to Sarah Bridge Barlow and her
husband, 1815 and 1828; in the north chapel in a vault beneath the remains
of Dorothy wife of Thomas Fasset 1797. Glass in chancel 'Adoration of Magi',
1901 by Kempe.

V.C.H., Vol. VI, p17
R.C.H.M. Report 1951
Pevsner. Buildings of England, p427
Palmer, W.M. Notes on Essex MS 1775 left with W M Cole of N door.

Listing NGR: TL5295049197

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17550683

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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