Church Of St Mary Magdalene

TANWORTH-IN-ARDEN

SP1170 THE GREEN 652-1/9/151 (East side) 05/04/67 Church of St Mary Magdalene

GV I

Church. Built 1330-40 with later additions and alterations including rebuilding of spire in 1720. Alterations of c1790, mainly revised in 1880, with north arcade and north aisle windows mainly of 1880. Alterations of c1993 converted vestry and westernmost bay of south aisle to church rooms. MATERIALS: limestone ashlar with plain-tile roofs. PLAN: 2-stage west tower with broach spire, 5-bay nave with aisles, south porch, and 3-bay chancel. EXTERIOR: entrance to timbered south porch in second bay has double plank doors in 4-centred arch. Buttresses with off-sets between bays. 4 3-light windows, with reticulated tracery, similar window to east end of south aisle, 2-light window to west end of nave, many mullions renewed. Renewed C19 windows to north aisle have plain arched lights, to east end of north aisle a similar 5-light window. All windows in chamfered surrounds. North porch to first bay has triple-chamfered arch, and a plank door in double-chamfered, pointed 4-centred arch. Tower: diagonal buttresses with off-sets. Slit windows to first stage. String course. Second stage has 2-light belfry windows with cusped tracery in triple-chamfered surrounds. Chancel: buttresses with off-sets between bays. South side has priest's entrance: plank door in pointed chamfered surround. South side has one 2-light and two 3-light windows, the 3-light windows with reticulated tracery. North side has two 2-light and one 3-light window; 5-light east window, all with reticulated tracery. East end has buttresses surmounted by finials with pinnacles. INTERIOR: arcade has 4-column-clusters with double-chamfered, pointed 4-centred arches and continuous roll-moulded hood; at the west end are remains of the original west respond with 4 shafts and 4 set-back diagonals. Tower arch of c1300 type: small, triple-chamfered, pointed 4-centred arch. Tall chancel arch on single order of chamfered responds. Chancel has piscina with Decorated surround, remains of sedilia. 2 Perpendicular corbels for images to left and right of east window. Medieval tiles to chancel. C18 font with large baluster. MONUMENTS: large standing Baroque monument with obelisk and 2 putti, to Thomas Archer d.1685, his mother Anna d.1685, and wife Elizabeth d.1703, possibly by Thomas Archer (his son). Neo-Classical wall monument to Andrew, Lord Archer, Baron of Umberslade, d.1778, signed 'J. HICKEY sculpt. Lond. ' All the listed items in the Churchyard form a group. (The Buildings of England: Pevsner N and Wedgwood A: Warwickshire: Harmondsworth: 1966-1990: 430-1).

Listing NGR: SP1134870511