Church Of St Mary

CLIPSHAM

SK 91 NE CHURCH LANE (East end)

4/34 Church of St. Mary

6.6.61

GV II*

Church mostly of C12, C13 and C14. Coursed stone and ashlar with plinth, moulded bands, and part Collyweston slate, part parapetted roofs. W tower with spire, nave, aisles, chancel, N chancel aisle and S porch. W tower of c1300 of 3 stages and spire. W window with cusped head and SW corner frontal buttress extension containing staircase. Above on W side a frieze of small human heads. 4 bell openings with restored plate tracery. Hood moulds and label stops. Ball flower and head frieze as spire cornice. Small section of square pyramid roof becomes small section of square tower with row of miniature battlemented turrets. Here 4 2-light gabled lucarnes with shafts and finials. Pyramid roof continues behind turrets and lucarnes with flat broaches on corners and another battlemented turret projecting from each broach. A mask at top of each broach where octagonal 2 stage spire begins. Here 4 similar lucarnes. Spire becomes pyramidical at summit with gilded weathercock above. Inside nave triple-shafted responds to 3 tower arches. 3 bay N and S arcades: N is Norman, rounded arches with roll mouldings on circular piers; S of c1200, rounded double chamfered arches on circular piers. Various decoration. Nave has 4 bay low-pitch cambered tie beam roof on restored stone corbels. Clerestory of 3 flat-topped 2-light cusp-headed windows. Dec N aisle with restored ball flower and head frieze. N door and 4 restored Curvilinear tracery windows. N chancel chapel with 2 bay arcade on quatrefoil pier. Chancel with Reticulated E window. C19 double purlin roof with curved braces to collars from stone corbels or angels. Fine Dec S aisle: E window with Curvilinear tracery, and ball flower decoration. 2 flat-topped S windows with Reticulated tracery. Ball flower and head frieze. Gabled S porch: S doorway with sunk quadrant mouldings. Norman font; S aisle piscina; clock in N aisle by John Watts of Sleaford, dated 1688. C19 stained glass overall (E and W windows by Wailes c1860), except for medieval fragments in NE window. Complete set of fine carved C19 oak pews, lectern and pulpit. Elaborately carved oak reredos by J. Richardson of Stamford c1860. Wall monuments of C18. Wall brass of c1847 to Snow family designed by Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin. White's Leicestershire and Rutland, 1877, and Pevsner.

Listing NGR: SK9701816363