The Parish Church of St Mary

TA 0339 9/228 1.3.50

BEVERLEY NORTH BAR WITHIN (east side) The Parish Church of St Mary

GV I

Church. C12 origins, north-east transept chapel c.1280. Otherwise mainly early C14-C15. Tower rebuilt after collapse in 1520 which also necessitated extensive rebuilding of nave. Magnesian limestone. Lead roof.

Six bay aisled nave with west door and south porch. Central tower. Three bay transepts with south east aisle and north east chapel. Five bay aisled chancel with square east end and north chapel.

West front: polygonal angle buttresses with pierced upper stages flank heavily shafted and moulded west door. West wall panelled above seven-light sub-arcuated Perpendicular window. Openwork parapet. Large south porch with two-light Y-tracery windows and crocketed ogee gable to entrance. Offset buttresses and embattled parapets throughout. Crocketed pinnacles except to chancel. Intersecting tracery to aisle windows of chancel, south transept and three west bays of nave. Perpendicular tracery to clerestory windows and east bays of nave aisle. Five-light sub-arcuated Perpendicular east window. Central tower has oculus to lower stage and four-light Perpendicular belfry openings.

Interior: two-storey elevation to nave and chancel. Original ceilings, that to chancel dated 1445 with panels depicting 40 English Kings. Early C15 choir stalls with 23 carved misericords. Octagonal marble font of 1530. Several good C18-C19 monuments. Good C19 stained glass including east window by Clayton & Bell and west window made by Hardman to design of Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin.

Principal C19 restorations of 1840s-50s by Augustus Welby Northmore and Edward Welby Pugin and of 1864-67 by Sir Gilbert Scott.

For fuller description see: Bilson, J, St Mary's Church, Beverley. Yorkshire Archaeological Journal, 25 (1920) 357-436. Pevsner, N. Yorkshire, East Riding 179-183. RCHM Beverley 1982 p.46-7. National Monument Photographs.

Listing NGR: TA0315339802