Description

TL 4332 MEESDEN MEESDENBURY

9/132 Church of St. Mary
22.2.67 (C of E)

GV II*

Parish church. Early C12 nave, short transepts or portici added (or
renewed) in C13, chancel c.1300, S porch c.1530, transepts destroyed in
C16. Restoration 1877 with transepts rebuilt on old foundations and
bellcote rebuilt over W end. Flint rubble with uncoursed flint facing
and stone dressings of clunch, oolitic limestone and Barnack. Red brick
porch. Steep old red tile roofs. Shingled bellcote with traceried stage
over shingled base. A small unaisled church of nave, square ended
chancel, small transepts, S porch and W bellcote. Chancel has 3-light
pointed E window with original moulded inner jambs and arch but restored
externally. 2-light N and S windows with square heads restored
externally. On N wall of chancel monument to Robert Younge of 1626
(restored and painted 1979) in the form of a fluted column shaft above a
classical base interrupted by a circular niche with a bust. Exceptional
survival of a glazed tile pavement c.1300 with a radial design
surrounding the alter in dark green and yellow glaze on stamped patterns
and circular, quatrefoil and cinquefoil shapes. A corner shield bears
the Monchensey arms, the family which held the manor at the end of the
C13. The nave has a vigorous C19 open timber roof with arch braced
collar trusses, one purlin to each slope tie-beams braced from wall
posts on moulded stone corbels. 2-light C15 traceried S window and 2 C19
copies in N wall. E of windows are the 2-bay C13 arcades of church into
the transepts. They have octagonal pillars and responds with moulded
bases and caps, pointed arches in 2 orders with a deep hollow in a
chamfer, and moulded labels with mask stops. The C12 S doorway has plain
square jambs, simple grooved and hollow chamfered abaci and a round
arch. It appears to have been reset in C16 brick work when porch was
added. C14 W doorway in Barnack stone with pointed arch. Splendid
elaborate early C16 red brick S porch with hollow chamfered plinth,
diagonal buttresses with trefoil headed niches in each face and
octagonal corner turrets with finials. Stepped embattled gable parapet
with Tudor arched entrance of 2 moulded orders and hoodmould. Trefoil
corbel table and tall central feature with niche in which is set a brick
disc with a molet in relief. Original butt-purlin 1-bay roof with moulded
cranked tie-beam. Font with panelled sides C17. (RCHM (1911)150: VCH
(1914)80-1: Kelly (1914)185: Pevsner (1977)247).

Listing NGR: TL4389532557

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17554414

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)
• 
  Oxfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair
• 
  Listed Buildings, Conservation Areas and Monuments
• 
  London 3: North West: North West v. 3 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Cumbria: Cumberland, Westmorland and Furness (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)