Description

WHAPLODE CHURCH STREET
TF 32 SW (west side)

9/134 Church of St. Mary
30.6.66
G.V. I

Parish church. c.1140, c.1190, early C13, C14, C17, 1818.
Limestone ashlar and rubble, some render, some red brick
patching. Lead roofs with stone coped gables and cross finials.
nave with north and south aisles, north and south porches,
clerestory, north transept and south-east tower, chancel. West
front of c1190 clasped by north and south aisles and with
fragmentary plinth. Doorway projects slightly, topped by gable
and with pointed, richly moulded head and hood mould; 4 shafts
on each side with stiff leaf capitals. Doorway flanked by single
blind pointed openings with roll moulded heads with hood moulds
and slender supporting shafts with stiff leaf capitals. Pilaster
buttresses beyond each with single windows in west end of each of
the aisles, both heavily restored in C17, the north with almost
semi-circular head, the south pointed, and both with plain
mullions. Above the doorway is a large C14 window with pointed
head, hood mould and head label stops, however it is partially
blocked and a smaller pointed C17 window inserted with 5 lights
and transom. North aisle with plinth, string course, sill bands
and regularly placed 2 stage buttresses. Blocked window to the
right with almost segmental head, hood mould and head label
stops. Shallow pointed early C14 window to left with 3 cusped
ogee headed lights, tracery and fragmentary hood mould. Shallow
gabled porch beyond with pointed doorway with continuous double
chamfered surround and plank door. 3 shallow pointed windows to
left all with C17 mullions inserted and hood moulds. Parapet
above. Transept with 3 stage diagonal buttresses and large
pointed C14 5 light north window with C17 mullions with sub-panel
tracery above. East side with large rectangular C17 6 light
mullion window. Partially blocked pointed C14 window to left
with C17 mullions inserted and double chamfered surround.
Clerestory of c.1150 with 22 blind, semi-circular headed arches
with continuous hood moulds, flanking shafts with cushion or
scalloped capitals with third, sixth, tenth, thirteenth,
sixteenth and nineteenth bays from the west, opened up into
windows. Small square window to left inserted into pointed
opening. Gargoyle to right. East gable end of nave with semi-
circular headed window of c.1150 with roll moulded head, flanking
shafts with cushion capitals and hood mould. Chancel, restored
in 1818, with a pair of 3 stage buttresses flanking a C17 3 light
rectangular window and with suggestions of blocked former arcade.
East end with plinth, moulded string course and sill band beneath
large C14 pointed window with deeply moulded surround, hood mould
with small head label stops and 4 lights with C17 intersecting
tracery, blocked beneath transom. South side of chancel with C17
3 light rectangular window flanked by 3 stage buttresses. West
end of south aisle with sill band running beneath a pointed
window of c.1280 with 3 pointed lights and sub Y tracery.
Parapet above. 4 stage bell tower attached to south of c.1190
and with 4 stage angle buttresses, the upper stages being
pilasters with nook shafts. South-west buttress contains
polygonal stair turret with lancets, one being chevroned.
Moulded plinth. Plain east doorway with shallow pointed head and
double plank doors. It is flanked by a blind arcade which also
runs above. The arcade consists of 5 pointed, chevroned arches
supported on moulded capitals with shafts and moulded bases.
South side of bell tower with blind arcade with 4 pointed,
chevroned arches, hood moulds, label stops, 5 slender shafts with
moulded capitals and bases. The second archway from east
contains small round headed lancet. West side has a similar
arcade with beaded capitals and only one shaft intact. The
second stage on the east side has a trefoiled niche with ornate
gablet above doorway, the former breaks through a blind arcade of
3 pointed arches plus 2 outer half arches. South side, second
stage with blind arcade of 3 pointed arches with slender shafts,
moulded capitals and bases. Central arch contains lancet. West
side has a similar arcade and lancet, however only one shaft
survives. East side, third stage with blind arcade similar to
that of the stage below except that the central arch contains a
doorway with plank door and a clock is set above. South and west
sides have similar arcades and doorways. East side has gabled
outline of former transept roof. Bell openings on all 4 sides,
each with a pair of pointed heads richly roll moulded and with
several slender shafts with moulded capitals, bands of chipstar,
shaft rings and C14 tracery. Moulded string course and eaves,
the latter with small sculptured motifs and several projecting
gargoyles. Battlements with small corner pinnacles with ball
finials. South aisle with 3 C19 triangular headed windows, each
with 3 cusped ogee headed lights, tracery and hood mould. 2
similar windows are beyond the gabled C16 porch to the left with
semi-circular headed doorway with continuously double chamfered
surround. Porch interior with flanking stone benches, tunnel
vault and pointed doorway of c1190 with richly roll moulded head
with hood mould, paired shafts (one missing to the right), all
with stiff leaf capitals and C17 double plank doors. Clerestory
on the south side is slightly later than that on the north side
with 7 large C17 windows inserted into the blind arcade of 21
bays. The windows are all pointed with 2 mullions and hood
mould. The blind arcade arches are all pointed and the 11
westward arches retain their moulded capitals. Interior of west
doorway has continuous roll moulded surround, hood mould and
label stops. 7 bay north and south arcades, the three bays to
the west of c.1185; the 4 bays to the east of c.1140. The
latter with semi-circular arches with a half roll and 2 slight
chamfers. North-east respond with a cluster of 3 shafts with
scalloped capitals. Semi-circular south-east respond with fish-
scale scalloping. First complete piers to north-west and south-
west, each with a rectangular plan and a cluster of 3 large
rounded shafts to each side. Next pair of piers to the west are
squat and round, and the pair beyond, squat and octagonal. All
the above said piers with scalloped capitals. The 3 later bays
to the west with quatrefoil piers, triple western responds, early
stiff leaf capitals or trumpet scallops. Spandrels of 4 bays to
the east containing blind oculi; the spandrels of the 2 south-
west bays contain blind quatrefoils. North clerestory windows
with nook shafts with cushion capitals and chamfered heads with
hood moulds. South aisle with ogee piscina with cusped bowl.
North aisle leads into north transept with a broad C14 almost
semi-circular archway with hood mould and head label stops.
South aisle leads into vestry with C12 double chamfered, semi-
circular headed archway with plain moulded capitals. Blocked
south archway of c.1190 leads off screened off vestry into tower,
with keeled responds and C18 panelled door inserted. Semi-
circular headed chancel arch of c.1140 with inner roll moulded
order, chevroned, double fish-scale and diamond outer orders,
supported on scalloped corbels and slender outer shafts with
scalloped capitals. To the south is a rectangular stair turret
originally giving access to rood screen no longer extant, with
ogee headed, continuously chamfered doorway; with small cusped
ogee headed light above and another plain door above that. North
wall of chancel with 2 bays of blocked early C13 arcade, with
pointed, double chamfered heads and moulded capitals. C15 hammer
beam nave roof with delicate arched and traceried braces. C15
aisle roofs. Early C18 bolection moulded panelled reredos carved
with a flagon, chalice and dish of rolls. C19 communion rail re-
using C18 hand rail. C17 six sided pulpit with curving flight of
5 steps; fretworked arches and pilasters with flower heads and
dentillated bands, and book rest. Mid C12 font partially re-cut
in C17. 3 rectangular steps with extra step for priest to west,
lead up to font supported on 4 free standing columns with spiral
decoration and central larger plain shaft. Octagonal bowl re-cut
with flutings. Various stone fragments include 2 Anglo Saxon
inscribed stones; 2 stone coffins and 2 coffin lids, one C14,
with ornate foliate cross inscribed; a crocket capital set into
south wall, fragment of rib vault or respond and other
miscellaneous carved stones including part of an octagonal shaft.
Hatchment dated 1773 and inscribed: 'L. Bullard Pinxit'. Large
canopied tomb to Sir Anthony and Elizabeth Irby, the former died
1623, with 10 composite columns on tall pedestals, supporting
inscribed entablature and flattened ogee canopy crowned by large
cartouche with coat of arms. 3 sons and 2 daughters kneel
between columns. The recumbent effigies of Sir Anthony and his
wife, with a boar at his feet, a griffon at hers; he in black
and gold armour and she with a ruff and blue robes. The whole
painted and gilded; likewise the wrought iron railing that runs
round the whole with regularly placed fleur-de-lys terminations.
Other monuments include an ashlar cartouche with marble scrolled
plaque, to Benjamin Grant, died 1734, and an ashlar and gilt
monument to Benjamin Grant, died 1716, with cherubs, palms,
skulls and festoons. Gravestones include one to John Ailjiup,
died 1755.

Listing NGR: TF3234824016

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17531172

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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