Church Of St Mary

SE 33 SE 2/48 3rd February 1967

SWILLINGTON CHURCH LANE LS26(north side)Church of St. Mary

GII* Parish church.Late C14 or early C15,with tower rebuilt 1884(Pevsner),Magnesian limestone ashlar,tower of gritstone;stone slate roof.West tower,nave with north and south aisles,chancel with C19 vestry on north side.Three-stage Perpendicular-styled tower with diagonal buttresses has a moulded west door with crocketed hoodmould,a three-light window above,a small medieval nich re-located above this,two-light louvred belfry windows,and a corbel table to an embattled parapet with crocketed corner pinnacles.Decorated five-bay aisle with buttresses have two-centred arched two-light windows with restored mullions and tracery;south aisle has gabled porch to second bay,with chamfered two-centred outer arch and hoodmould,restored inner doorway with fielded panel doors;nave has four square-headed two-light windows with chamfered mullions;east end of south aisle has a three-light window with reticulated tracery.Three-bay buttressed chancel has a restored segmental-headed priest door in the centre,two two-light window with mouchettes in the head to the right and a C19 three-light window to the left,with intersecting tracery;large C19 east window of three lights with similar tracery.Interior:five-bay arcades of octagonal colummns with double-chamfered arches,similar chancel arch (modern steel-framed roof to nave);chancel has roof of four cambered and brattished beams with short king-posts and unusual stout curved struts to low-pitched principal rafters;cinquefoil-headed triple sedilia,trefoil-headed piscina with projecting bowl;numerous wall monuments to the Lowther family,mostly C18;in south wall of south aisle,a large cusped ogee-headed recess containing remains of an oak effigy in a glass case.

Listing NGR: SE3849430469