Description

SHREWSBURY

SJ4912NW ST MARY'S PLACE
653-1/11/583 Church of St Mary
10/01/53

GV I

Parish church. Original structure C12 with several phases of
additions and alterations in C14. Red and white sandstone with
leaded roofs.
PLAN: west tower and spire, nave with clerestory and 2 aisles,
transept chapels, chancel with south chapel. Original building
probably an aisleless cruciform church with crossing tower,
and probably transept chapels.
EXTERIOR: 4-stage west tower with west door in square
chamfered stepped arch with round-arched window over, clock
and paired traceried bellchamber lights in upper storey which
is an addition in white stone. Embattled parapet with
traceried finials, and turret in NE angle. Spire with
lucarnes.
Shallow roofed Perpendicular north aisle, incoporating lean-to
structure of earlier aisle. North porch added in 1897, in
flamboyant Decorated style, and north doorway with simple
chamfered round arch. Mosaic of glass fragments incorporated
in east window, vaulted roof with central boss depicting
crucifixion. Outer arch of porch with paired shafts and ball
flower decoration, and ogee hoodmould over. Nave clerestory
and aisle are coursed and squared white sandstone. Three
3-light Perpendicular windows in aisle, which is divided into
bays by buttresses. Continuous plinth and sill band.
Clerestory also articulated by buttresses capped by finials,
with paired foiled Perpendicular windows.
North transept is coursed and squared red sandstone, the West
wall a Victorian renewal with paired lancets. Triple window in
north wall with clustered banded shafts and sill band. Stair
turret in NE angle, and blocked Romanesque window in north
wall with shafts with fluted capitals.
St Nicholas' chapel projects to east, with Perpendicular
window with heavy hoodmould and small 2-light window over,
partly cutting reticulated 3-light window of E transept
chapel, which is faced in coursed and squared white sandstone,
but clearly built over earlier structure of red sandstone.
Vestry projects from chancel, added by Paley and Austin in
1884.
Chancel c1170. Coursed and squared red sandstone, with triple
tiered lancet in north wall, paired lights in clerestory which
is an addition in white stone. East wall almost completely
filled with 7-light reticulated traceried window, renewed in
1894, and a similar window in east wall of Trinity chapel
alongside (chapel added mid C14), though stone work of chapel
is much renewed. Ornate Decorated tracery in 4 south windows
of Trinity chapel, divided into bays by buttresses with
pinnacles. Small door in western bay is Victorian insert in
Perpendicular style.
St Anne's Chapel forms south transept, c1170. Coursed and
squared red sandstone, with triple Early English window with
banded shafts, and small Romanesque doorway with chevron
decoration to archway. Panelled door is dated 1672.
South aisle contemporary with north aisle, and similarly
constructed and detailed with the earlier coursed and squared
red sandstone raised in white stone.
South porch with stair turret in east angle cutting the
2-light window over. Existing porch incorporates earlier
structure of c1200, the roofline of which is visible in the
south wall, and the main archway belongs with this early
porch, a round arch with chevron decoration and chamfered
mouldings to clustered shafts.
INTERIOR: west tower with ornate traceried screen in Early
English arch to nave with cylindrical responds with foliate
capitals. Frieze band at level of springing of arch continues
across west wall. Screen has paired ogivally-arched doors.
Royal arms over. Nave arcade of 4 bays. Round-arched arcade
carried on clustered shafts with foliate capitals. Paired
2-light clerestory windows over are C14 additions. Panelled
roof with ornate quatrefoil panels with pendants, and angels
carved on the principal cambered tie beams. Scar of earlier
roof line visible in west wall. Wide Decorated chancel arch.
Exposed stone walls reveal phasing of construction in north
aisle wall: rough rubble in lower section with coursed and
squared rubble over. Steep impression of former porch gable
visible over north-west doorway. Encaustic floor tiles
throughout.
Romanesque arch to north transept which has suspended panelled
and painted ceiling with pendants, and Gothick traceried
memorial panels on west and north walls. Monument by John
Carline, 1825-30. Deep embrasure for altar forms tiny separate
chapel with hidden upper room. Clustered shafts as responds to
east transept arch giving access to small chancel chapel: St
Catherine's chapel, containing arched tomb embrasure in north
wall, incised alabaster slab portraying 2 figures, and
medieval encaustic tiled floor.
These 2 chapels are balanced on the south by St Anne's chapel,
refurbished with C20 screens and suspended ceiling, and the
later Trinity Chapel, added in the C14, enlarging an earlier
lean-to chapel, the profile of which is visible in the west
wall. Recumbent effigy of Simon de Leburn, reputed founder of
the chapel. Altar with traceried panelled reredos
incorporating mosaic-like figures of angels etc. Painted low
relief panels of Crucifixion etc on altar frontal. Sedilia
incorporates alabaster carvings, not in situ. Early English
arches to chancel on north and south, and wide Early English
arches to transepts.
Chancel has encaustic tiled floor and tripartite lancet window
in north wall with advanced shafts. Remains of C12 sedilia
visible in south wall. Traceried reredos with gilded and
painted panels, altar with riddle posts capped by angels.
Various C18 memorial stones on walls, including memorial to
Mary Morrell by Thomas Farnolls Pritchard. Organ by Binns to
north. Panelled Perpendicular roof with gilded bosses.
Vestry to north of chancel with Mannerist timber panelling to
corner fireplace incorporating painted scene of Shrewsbury in
round-arched panels.
STAINED GLASS: north aisle: C15 glass representing scenes from
the New Testament and the lives of the saints, largely from
Treves cathedral. Glass of similar style in St Catherine's
chapel. Trinity Chapel: east window, 1846, a copy of painting
by Murillo by David Evans. The window also incorporates
fragments of earlier glass assembled as a collage. C15 glass
in south wall from Liege, with 2 replacement windows by Betton
and Evans. Chancel: Jesse window to east, 1327-1353 but
restored, from Greyfriars, Shrewsbury. Scenes from the life of
St Bernard in north wall. South aisle: from Liege and Treves,
mostly early C16 acquired in 1845, including scenes from the
Life of St Bernard and St Martin of Tours. Vestry: series of
C16 and C17 Flemish roundels portraying scenes from Old
Testament.
(The Buildings of England: Pevsner N: Shropshire:
Harmondsworth: 1958-).

Listing NGR: SJ4933312598

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• St Mary's Church, Shrewsbury at Wikipedia
• St Mary's Church, Shrewsbury official website
• Wikidata Q7594420

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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