Church Of St Mary The Virgin

SK 30 NE SHACKERSTONE MAIN STREET (West side) 2/92 Congerstone

7.11.66 Church of St. Mary the Virgin

II*

Parish church. Apparently C16; restored and chancel rebuilt in 1884. Ashlar with low pitch nave roof hidden behind the parapet, and slate roof over the chancel. West tower, 3-bay nave with north aisle and south porch, 2-bay chancel equalling the combined widths of nave and aisles. West tower: 2 stages with belfry offset, clasping buttresses up to second stage level from whence they are continued as diagonal buttresses, and a crenellated parapet with continuous moulded coping. Pointed south door, possibly inserted. Transomed 3-light west window with trefoil-headed upper and lower lights beneath a depressed triangular arch. 2-centred belfry openings of 2 trefoil-headed lights with supermullion above containing a central quatrefoil. Nave: Gabled south porch of 1834 with pointed doorway, rendered and lined as ashlar with Swithland slate roof. Two 3-light nave windows, one with depressed triangular arch and a hollow-moulded surround, the other with ogee-headed lights and panel tracery beneath a square head with hood mould terminating in heads. 3-light clerestory windows with square heads. Crenellated parapet like that of the tower with hollow-moulded string. The north side of the north aisle is blind but there is an east window of 2 trefoil-headed lights beneath a 4-centred head. Chancel: 3-light pointed east window with Perpendicular tracery flanked by a pair of trefoil-headed lancets. Pointed side windows with cast iron tracery. Pointed south door with moulded surround. Interior: 3-bay nave arcade of double chamfered pointed arches on octagonal columns with moulded capitals. Double chamfered and pointed tower arch. High chancel arch with chamfered surround and a second 4-centred arch leads from the north aisle to the chancel. Low pitch roof over nave with short stubby king and queen posts. C19 ceiled roof over chancel with moulded tie beams supported on arched brackets springing from stone corbels. Fixtures and fittings: C19 octagonal stone font. Simple C19 bench pews with poppyheads. Octagonal pulpit of 1921; tall and heavy with quatrefoil panel sides. Spacious chancel with C19 box pews down the north side, one with a fireplace. More box pews on the south side to the east of the doorway. Also on the south side, the C19 choir stalls with poppyheads. East window flanked by C19 commandment boards. Monuments: Georgiana Countess Howe, died 1906; elaborate bronze tablet flanked by trumpeting angels, surmounted by a statuette of St. George beneath an open segmental pediment. Stained glass; nave south-west window of after 1913 in style of Kempe and Co.B .O.E. p.138.

Listing NGR: SK3669705447