Church Of St Mary The Virgin

Church of St Mary the Virgin

This is a parish church located in Attenborough, standing on the south-west side of Church Lane. The building incorporates work spanning from the 12th to 20th centuries, with significant restoration undertaken in 1869. The church was re-roofed between 1947 and 1953, and vestries were added in 1954. The interior was repewed in 1955.

The church is constructed of dressed stone with ashlar dressings, featuring copper and plain tile roofs. It has chamfered plinths and coped parapets throughout, with crenellated rainwater heads dated to 1869. The building comprises a west tower, vestries, nave, chancel, organ chamber, north and south aisles, and a south porch.

The west tower dates to the 15th century and consists of a single stage with four pairs of corner buttresses connected by a linking top band. It has a crenellated parapet and a setback octagonal spire with weathercock. The north and south sides of the tower contain single slit lights. The west side features a cusped ogee-headed triple lancet with panel tracery. Above this, on each side, is a cusped transomed double lancet with mouchettes and moulded reveals.

The vestries, added in 1954, are single-storey structures adjoining the tower on three sides. They have a plinth, flat roofs, and coped parapet. The north and south sides each contain a recessed door flanked to the right by a canted bay window.

The chancel dates to the 15th century and spans three bays. It has a chamfered plinth, eaves, and coped parapet. The east end features two pairs of corner buttresses, a coped gable (restored in the 20th century), and a single buttress on the north side. The north side contains two cusped double lancets with panel tracery and chamfered square reveals. The east end has a cusped triple lancet with panel tracery and coved reveal. The south side has two buttresses, a central Tudor-arched priest's door, and above it three 16th-century cusped double lancets with panel tracery.

A lean-to organ chamber, dating to the 19th century, adjoins the chancel. It has two buttresses and coped gables, with a blocked square-headed window to the east.

The north aisle spans three bays and features a chamfered string course and eaves. It has two corner and one intermediate buttress. The north side contains, to the west, a chamfered and moulded re-set round-headed doorway (now blocked) flanked by single 16th-century double lancets with square heads. To the east is an early 15th-century cusped double lancet with chamfered square-headed reveal. The east end has a 15th-century triple lancet with panel tracery and four-centred arched reveal.

The nave's clerestory was raised in the late 15th century and comprises four bays with a coped gable and cross. Each side has four round-headed triple lancets with coved reveals. The east gable features, above, a late 15th-century triple lancet with hood mould.

The south aisle dates to the 15th century and spans four bays, with two corner and one intermediate buttress. The south side has three double lancets with cusped ogee heads and rebated and moulded reveals. The east end has a similar triple lancet.

The south porch was rebuilt in the 18th century in 15th-century style. It has a partial plinth, chamfered eaves, and a coped gable with cross. The south gable was restored in 1981 and features a pair of flanking buttresses, a round-headed doorway, and a 20th-century replica lamp. The interior has a panelled ceiling.

The inner porch doorway dates to the early 14th century and has chamfered and rebated mouldings with hood mould and mask stops. A re-set plank door with scrollwork hinges dates to the 12th century. The Galilee west window contains a fragment of 19th-century stained glass.

The tower west door is 15th-century with double roll moulding and hood mould, flanked by a pair of small buttresses. The west window contains patterned stained glass. A tall tower arch has a chamfered head and faceted imposts. The tower chamber includes a 1954 gallery with a latticed glazed screen above.

The nave arcades date to the early 13th century, with the westernmost bays bisected by the tower. The north arcade has round piers with moulded round bases and various foliate and angel capitals. The arches are keeled and cove-moulded with nailhead hood moulds and mask stops. The north side has eight 13th-century mask corbels. The south arcade has similar piers with square bases and re-cut leaf and beast mask capitals dating to the mid-14th century, with similar arches.

The east gable contains a stained glass window dating to 1908. The north aisle has stained glass north windows from 1945 and 1922, and an east end war memorial stained glass window and brass from 1918. The south aisle east end has a four-centred arched opening to a rood stair to the left and a small 13th-century piscina to the right. Two transverse moulded internal buttresses are present. The westernmost stained glass window, dated 1960 and marked 'P & Q', contains 15th-century fragments in its head.

The chancel has a 15th-century chamfered arch with faceted conical imposts. The north side contains an organ in a fretted case. The sanctuary has a 20th-century panelled dado and reredos. The stained glass east window dates to 1892 and is by Ward and Hughes. It is flanked by single 14th-century angel corbels. The south side has, to the east, a restored 13th-century cusped piscina. The priest's door is flanked by single re-set 14th-century blank traceried bench ends with poppyheads.

The church contains a plain 13th-century font with blind pointed arcading. Carved stalls incorporate early 17th-century carvings by C. G. Hare, dated 1928. An oak angel lectern dates to 1935, and there is a 19th-century oak pulpit.

Memorials include a painted alabaster tablet with apron, pilasters, pediment, and strapwork to Francis Jaques and his wife, dating to 1606 and 1621. A painted wood memorial with columns and pediment, dated 1623, commemorates the Powtrell family. A pedimented Renaissance Revival style tablet with pilasters honours John Mather and his wife, dated 1625. There is also a 12th-century incised coffin lid. Classical style marble and slate tablets date from 1818, 1832, 1838, and 1860. The church contains two hatchments, four 19th-century brasses and tablets, and five 20th-century brasses and tablets. Other fittings include a mid-18th-century charity board, Royal Arms of George III, and a painted notice referring to bell ringing dated 1894.