Church Of St Mary

SK 03 NW; 9/100

CHECKLEY C.P., CHURCH LANE (north side)

Church of St. Mary

(formerly listed as Church of St Mary and All Saints)

03.01.67

GV

I

Parish church. C12 core with work of early C14. C15 and substantially rebuilt C17. Finely coursed, squared and dressed yellow sandstone; lead covered roofs invisible behind parapets. West tower, nave, north and south aisles, south porch and chancel.

Tower of approximately five stages with thin buttresses of three stages; tower is stepped-in below bell chamber; string with gargoyles below plain parapet which has small (almost insignificant) crocketed pinnacles at angles, C17 bell chamber openings are round arched with two-light panel tracery (with transoms), lancets below; blind west window round-arched with pilasters in double reveal over 3-light panel tracery window. Nave: C17 clerestory windows; crenellated parapet on string; rainwater heads carry the date 1810. North aisle: of three buttressed bays with crenellated parapet; two labelled, almost round-arched C17 3-light windows on moulded cill band and pointed entrance in smaller east bay; east and west end windows with intersecting tracery. South aisle: of three bays similar to north, three-light, labelled square-headed windows, pointed 3-light east and west end windows. South door circa 1300 pointed with deep moulded reveal, three pilasters, ball-flower towards extrados and moulded finial; south porch has rib vault and solid stone roof with pointed outer entrance. Chancel: late C13 of four bays divided by thin buttresses of two stages; pointed 3-light windows with moulded, deep reveals and intersecting tracery, similar 5-light east window with fleuron decoration at intersections of tracery; Tudor arch priest door to right of centre bay on south side.

INTERIOR: nave of four bays: pointed arcade, circular columns but the central column on the north side is octagonal and on the south side clustered. Pointed chancel arch of early C13 with steps up to chancel. Nave roof of low pitch; stubby posts off moulded tie beams carry moulded purlins; chancel roof similar but with panel tracery in the space between tie beam and roof. Aisle roofs of C19 with pent tie beams. Pulpit: stone, C19, four sides of an octagon with arcading. Font: C12 drum-shaped with low relief carving depicting a donkey. Choir stalls: circa 1535 with poppyhead finials. Monument: cross legged C14 knight to chancel north and effigy of Godfrey Foljambe and wife to south on alabaster crest circa 1560; four marble plaques to east of south aisle including one to the Phillips family of Tean House (qv); hatchment over south door. Glass: C14 glass in chancel.

Listing NGR: SK0279237889