Church Of St Mary The Less

NZ 2741 NW, 16/440 DURHAM AND FRAMWELLGATE SOUTH BAILEY (West side)

Church of St Mary the Less

GV

II

Parish church, now college chapel. C12 rebuilt 1846-7 by Pickering, incorporating some original material. Irregularly-coursed squared sandstone with ashlar quoins and dressings; Welsh slate roof with stone gable copings. Nave and south porch; chancel. Neo-Norman style. 4-bay nave has shallow porch in second bay: round-headed double door in shafted surround with chevron moulding under steeply-pitched gable with moulded kneelers. 3 large round- headed windows have shafts with cushion capitals; sill string; bracketed eaves. 2-bay chancel has moulded surrounds and head-stopped dripmoulds to round-headed windows, that at left smaller and transferred from original church. Large round-headed east and west windows. West bellcote has 2 round arches under gable.

Memorial slabs built into south wall under first window to right of porch: (Frosterley marble) to Dorothy and Frances Carnaby (died 1684 and 1692) and to right of that, Joan Lever wife of Cuthbert (died 1669).

Interior: plaster above-boarded dado, which has battlemented top, in nave; chancel plaster above C17 carved panelling which has cherubs' heads, Gothic tracery and pinnacles. Head corbels support arch-braced collar and king-post roof, with stencilled stars painted on chancel ceiling. Chancel arch incorporates chevron moulding and is flanked by 2 lower segments set in wall. Door has roll-moulded chevron surround; lozenge-moulded drip string on griffin stops; diaper pattern in panel above to gable. Shouldered- arched north vestry, door under mandorla with seated Christ and symbols of Evangelists. Cross-slab in south wall with interlaced 8-arm cross and sword. Painted wood memorial panels to members of Butler family died 1708 and 1710; and to John Butler - 'a zealous protestant' - died 1597. Large dark funeral hatchment over chancel arch. Gothic memorial at west end to Martin Dunn, mayor, died 1838.

Listing NGR: NZ2733941955