Church Of St Mary

BLANCHLAND BLANCHLAND VILLAGE NY 9650 24/14 Church of St. Mary 15.4.69 (formerly listed as Church of St Mary the Virgin)

GV I

Parish church, formerly part of church of Premonstratensian abbey founded 1165 by Walter de Bolbec. Chancel c,1200-1210, north transept and tower mid C13 except for belfry stage of tower, C14. Repaired and adapted as parish church 1752 by Lord Crewe trustees, transept aisle rebuilt 1854, east end rebuilt 1881. Squared stone with dressings; stone slate roof. L-plan, with tower at end of north transept. Early English style. Tower in 4 stages: chamfered plinth, set-backs and string courses; clasping buttresses, north-western with newel stair (lit by chamfered loops) rising to belfry, north-eastern with gabled heads below 2nd stage. Boarded doors on west and east; western has pointed arch of 2 moulded orders with trefoil-headed recess to north, beneath roof weathering of pre-1752 village chapel; eastern has double-chamfered arch beneath steeply-pitched roof tabling of contemporary chantry chapel. Lancet on north in triple-chamfered surround; similar window, its head widened, above west door. Belfry stage has openings of 2 trefoiled ogee-headed lights with quatrefoil over, and plain parapet. To south of tower, 4-bay west wall with central buttress formed from stub of north wall of abbey nave. 2-light windows with Y-tracery, the southern C18 copies. 2-bay east aisle of transept has 2-light windows in C14 style and lancet to north (blocked pointed windows above aisle roof date from use of an upper floor as schoolroom, 1828-1851). Chancel has 2 lancets on north and south and a C19 triplet, with shafted jambs, on the east. Interior. Tall triple-chamfered tower arch; aisle arcade of pointed double- chamfered arches with broach stops and chamfered hood, corbels and round column; triple-chamfered transept arch on triple-shafted jambs, the broader central shaft with fillet. Shouldered doorway to tower stair. Chancel lancets, have lost jamb shafts; rear arches of east lancets form part of 5-bay wall arcade. Triple sedilia on south largely C19; further west quirked jambs of blocked sacristy door. Plain C12 or C13 font. 6 complete medieval grave slabs in transept floor, including 2 to abbots and 2, with appropriate emblems, to foresters. Small panels of C15 glass, 2 with figures of Premonstratensian canons, in chancel windows. C18 arched commandment, creed and pater boards: Old wall safe in transept aisle. Carved and panelled chancel ceiling of 1881; sanctuary panelling, and reredos of 1890, carved screen and seating 1913. 'The Premonstratensian Abbey of St. Mary, Blanchland, Northumberland', W.H. Knowles. Arch. J. LIX (1902) 328-41.

Listing NGR: NY9662550398