Church Of St Mary The Virgin

KINWARTON SP15NW 3/171 Church of St. Mary the Virgin 01/02/67

GV II*

Church. C12, largely rebuilt c.1316 (VCH); turret C16 or C17. Restored 1850. Limestone and lias, rubble and irregular coursed stone. Old tile roofs; weatherboarded turret with pyramid shingle roof. Nave and chancel without structural division, west bell turret and south porch. 4 bays. South doorway c.1316 with chamfered 2-centred arch and ancient ribbed door with lattice framed back. Lias and weatherboard porch c.1850. Chancel has low clasping buttresses and C19 three-light east window. North wall has single buttress between easternmost windows. From east: 2-light square headed window with C14 jambs and C16 or C17 head (VCH); C13 lancet; trefoiled lancet c.1316 (VCH); C19 window of two lancets in place of a doorway. South wall: 2-light Decorated window; small priests door with arched head, blocked internally but retaining old ribbed door; oak framed 2-light window with cusped Y-tracery, probably C16 replacement of earlier stone window (VCH); C19 two-light window. West end has low diagonal buttresses and half-gable with bell turret replacing apex. C19 two-light window. Interior: one-bay chancel divided from nave by screen. C19 queen strut roof. 2 sedilia in south window recess have shafts with moulded capitals and bases, stilted arches and hood moulds. Nave has C15 wagon roof (VCH) with slightly higher ridge and 2 moulded tie beams. Framing supporting turret: massive tie beam on jowled posts and braces, with C19 reinforcing of curved braces forming an arch, with struts. Fittings: font, possibly c.1316 but largely re-cut, has cup bowl on later cylindrical stem. Board and batten lid with original staples and iron rod fastening, probably early C17 (VCH). Mid Cl9 pulpit, screen and pews. C18 three tier brass chandelier. Stained glass: chancel south window has early C14 glass in tracery. Mid C19 east window by O'Connor, north west and south west by Charles Gibbs (Buildings of England). Chancel north late C19, with mark of Keape and Tower. Late C15 alabaster carving of 'The Presentation of the Virgin' on nave north wall. (V.C.H.: Warwickshire III, pp,127-128; Buildings of England: Warwickshire, pp.328-329; Kelly's Directory of Birmingham, Staffordshire, Warwickshire and Worcestershire 1884, p.792).

Listing NGR: SP1052058370