Church Of St Mary

Church of St Mary, Studley

This church comprises a 12th-century nave, an early 14th-century south aisle and arcade, a 15th-century chancel and tower, with the upper part of the tower dating from the later 15th century. The building was restored in 1888 and again in 1935.

The nave is constructed of early 12th-century herringbone and coursed limestone. The south aisle and lower part of the tower are of regular coursed lias limestone, whilst the upper part of the tower is of regular coursed brown limestone. The chancel is built of red sandstone ashlar. Tile roofs with stone coped gables cover the structure. The plan comprises a three-bay nave, a two-bay chancel, a south aisle, and a west tower.

The chancel has a moulded and chamfered double plinth with diagonal and single north and south buttresses. A south doorway features a four-centred arch. A three-light Perpendicular east window is present, with similar north and south windows of Decorated eastern windows containing two trefoiled ogee lights and quatrefoil, and western trefoiled four-centred lights.

The nave has heavy buttresses and a blocked 12th-century north doorway with nook-shafts featuring moulded capitals scrolled to the left and scalloped to the right. The doorway has a chevron round arch with hood-mould decorated with diapered stars. Four windows light the nave: three Decorated windows and a small 12th-century round-headed window in one piece, set high. The first and third windows are early 14th-century, with three lights and cusped Intersecting tracery; the first has trefoiled ogee lights and trefoils, the third plainer with cinqfoiled lights. The later 14th-century western window contains two trefoiled lights with pierced spandrels.

The south aisle has a chamfered plinth and angle buttresses. An Early English doorway features shafts with stiff-leaf capitals and a yellow limestone arch of two chamfered orders with hood mould. Decorated windows include an early 14th-century three-light east window with Reticulated tracery, sunk chamfered jambs and arch, and hood-mould. The south windows are similar to those on the north. A two-light west window comprises paired lancets with pierced spandrel.

The Perpendicular west tower consists of two stages with a moulded plinth and string course. Full-height diagonal buttresses feature five offsets, with east buttresses abutting the nave. A 16th-century moulded four-centred west doorway has studded double leaf doors with applied blind tracery. A three-light Perpendicular moulded west window is present. The upper stage has single trefoiled square-headed lights to the west, north and south. Two-light bell openings pierce the walls. A moulded crenellated parapet with string course and crocketed pinnacles crowns the tower.

Interior

The walls are plastered throughout. The chancel contains an early 14th-century piscina with pierced trefoiled round arch, and a 19th-century panelled barrel vault. An early 14th-century chancel arch features two chamfered bases and moulded capitals. Above the north capital of the nave is a 13th-century carved stone square panel (reset in 1888), carved with the Lamb and Cross in a circular panel with leaves in the spandrels. On the south side remain the remains of a late 13th-century niche with quarter shafts and straight head. The nave has six steps leading to a former rood loft below the north-eastern window. The Romanesque north window contains 13th-century painted tendrils. An early 14th-century three-bay arcade features octagonal pillars and responds with moulded capitals and bases. The tower arch contains two chamfered orders. A 19th-century boarded barrel vault with three early 16th-century moulded tie beams covers the space. The south aisle has a 15th-century piscina with trefoiled four-centred heads and octafoiled round basin. An arched barrel vault with early 16th-century moulded ribs, carved floral bosses, and carved and moulded wall plates and corbels covers the aisle.

Fittings

An early 17th-century oak five-sided pulpit with arcaded panels and fluted pilasters stands on a carved stone base of 1909. The chancel contains late 17th-century altar rails with heavy column-on-vase balusters and two elaborate wrought iron brackets. A disused early 13th-century alabaster font at the east end of the south aisle features a baluster with acanthus band and quadrooned bowl, with a wooden lid topped by a tall finial of column and ball with three scrolls. A late 19th-century Early English style carved stone font at the west end of the south aisle has a cylindrical bowl and three shafts. Stained glass in the south-east window dates to 1873.

Monuments and Memorials

A very fine 13th-century coffin lid in the chancel bears elaborate foliated cross and foliage carving with a Latin inscription commemorating a Prior. Wall monuments include: in the chancel north, Charles Knottesford (died 1697) and Sir George Petre (died 1759, by Peter Scheemakers), which features draped cloth with inscription and small still-life, and Humphrey Lyttleton (died 1788). On the south wall is a mid-17th-century monument with columns and pediment, without inscription. In the nave north-east is a monument to Hercey Chambers (died 1712). On the west wall are memorials to Court Dewes (died 1747, with Latin inscription and plaque detailing Dewes charity) and William Fetherston (died 1670, inscribed brass detailing bread charity).

The church forms a group with the Old Castle and a number of other monuments.