Church Of St Mary

The Church of St Mary at Blanchland is a parish church with a complex history, originally part of a Premonstratensian abbey founded in 1165 by Walter de Bolbec. The chancel dates from around 1200-1210, the north transept and tower from the mid-13th century, with alterations in the 14th century. The church was repaired and adapted as a parish church in 1752 by the Lord Crewe trustees, followed by rebuilding of the transept aisle in 1854 and the east end in 1881.

The building is constructed of squared stone with dressings and has a stone slate roof. It has an L-plan, with a tower at the end of the north transept. The tower is in four stages, featuring a chamfered plinth, set-backs, and string courses, with clasping buttresses; the north-western buttress contains a newel stair lit by chamfered loops, and the north-eastern has gabled heads. The tower belfry stage has openings with trefoiled ogee-headed lights and a plain parapet. West and east doors are set within pointed arches; the western arch sits beneath roof weathering of a pre-1752 village chapel, while the eastern has a double-chamfered arch under a steeply-pitched roof tabling of a contemporary chantry chapel. A lancet window is situated on the north side, and a similar window, with a widened head, is above the west door. Internally, a tall triple-chamfered arch leads to the tower. The aisle arcade features pointed double-chamfered arches with broach stops and chamfered hood, corbels, and round columns; the transept arch is triple-chamfered, with triple-shafted jambs. The chancel lancets have lost their jamb shafts, and the rear arches of the east lancets form part of a five-bay wall arcade. There are plain 12th or 13th century font, six complete medieval grave slabs in the transept floor (including two to abbots and two to foresters), and small panels of 15th-century glass, two depicting Premonstratensian canons. The church also contains 18th-century commandment, creed, and pater boards, an old wall safe, a carved and panelled chancel ceiling from 1881, sanctuary panelling, a reredos from 1890, and a carved screen and seating from 1913.