Church Of St Mary

Church of St Mary

This is a parish church occupying a prominent position on the west side of Church Street in Tenbury. The building dates primarily from the mid-12th century, though it has been significantly altered and extended over subsequent centuries. Major phases of work include alterations and extensions in the 14th century, part rebuilding in the late 18th century, a comprehensive restoration in 1864 by the architect Woodyer, and further late 19th-century additions. The church is constructed partly in ashlar and partly in coursed rubble with ashlar dressings. It is roofed in slate and features gable-end parapets with kneelers and a cross-finial at the east end.

The building comprises a west tower, a four-bay aisled nave with a south porch, and a four-bay chancel with a polygonal organ chamber and lean-to vestry.

The west tower dates to the 12th century and rises in three stages, divided externally by a single central string course. It has angle buttresses to the north-west and south-west. The west elevation contains a 19th-century round-headed doorway of three chamfered orders with the central order featuring detached jamb shafts bearing trumpet-scalloped capitals. Above this is a round-headed window, and the south side of the tower carries both another round-headed window and a clockface. The bell-chamber openings are original 12th-century work, each comprising two round-arched lights with chevron-moulded heads recessed within semi-circular arches. The tower is crowned by an embattled parapet with corner pinnacles (probably 17th-century date), a shallow pyramidal roof, and a weathervane.

The aisles are thought to date from the 14th century in their original form, though they were largely rebuilt in the late 18th century. Both aisles are gabled and feature chamfered plinths and moulded eaves cornices. The north aisle has a west corner angle buttress and buttresses with offsets positioned at the bay divisions along its north elevation. It contains a 4-light west end window and three 3-light north windows. The window in the third bay from the east end has a 18th-century wall memorial to the Phillips family adjoining it. The westernmost bay of the north elevation contains a late 19th-century cusped lancet set within a rectangular opening and a doorway with a shaped head.

The south aisle has no buttresses but displays a similar 4-light west end window, three 3-light south windows, and a 3-light east end window.

The south porch is late 19th-century in date, gabled, and features an offset buttress with a parapet carrying kneelers at its south end. A pointed archway with nookshafts and a hoodmould with shield stops forms the entrance; the hoodmould returns to form a string around the buttresses. Above the archway is a rose window. Both the archway and rose window are set within a blind pointed cusped recess that rises above string level.

The chancel dates from the 14th century and displays a chamfered plinth and sill string. The east end has been refaced or rebuilt and features end buttresses with offsets (an angle corner buttress to the south-east) and a small central buttress. A 5-light east window lights the interior, and a cusped lancet sits in the gable apex with a hoodmould and block stops. The south elevation has buttresses with offsets at the bay divisions, three 2-light windows (the two westernmost probably retain 14th-century external jambs), and a pointed doorway between the two easternmost windows. Above this doorway, the sill string is stepped to form a hoodmould.

The north organ chamber is late 19th-century, forming an apsidal termination to the north aisle. It comprises two levels separated by a string course. The lower level has a 3-light window with a square head facing north; the upper level has cusped lancets on the north, north-east, and east faces.

The vestry is also late 19th-century and has a lean-to catslide roof. Its north elevation features a 2-light window and a single-light window with square heads, plus a doorway with a shaped head. A 2-light east end window is present.

Interior

The nave arcades are 19th-century and feature pointed arches on quatrefoil plan columns with a continuous hoodmould adorned with foliated stops. A similar lower arch is present. The chancel arch is also 19th-century, comprising two moulded orders, the inner of which is supported on corbels. A four-centred archway opens from the chancel into the organ chamber, and a pointed doorway leads to the vestry.

At the east end of the north aisle, a two-bay opening with a central marble column and pointed traceried window above provides access into the organ chamber.

The chancel, nave, and aisles all feature 19th-century open timber trussed roofs. The chancel contains a 14th-century cusped pointed piscina and aumbry, and a small rectangular recess with a door positioned high in the north wall.

The circular stone font and five-sided stone pulpit with figure reliefs are 19th-century. A 19th-century west gallery, occupying the full width of the church, is supported on cast iron quatrefoil columns.

A 17th-century (possibly) parish chest is preserved in the north aisle, alongside part of an Anglo-Saxon cross shaft and architectural fragments from the Norman church.

Memorials and Monuments

The chancel contains a canopied Easter Sepulchre dating to circa 1330, featuring flanking pinnacled buttresses. The western pinnacle bears a notched projection that may have supported the rod for the Lenten veil. The recess houses a miniature effigy of a cross-legged knight holding his heart, probably commemorating a heart burial.

Also in the chancel is a large obelisk wall memorial with a relief of a woman draped over a column, executed by Bacon Jun and Manning, commemorating William Godson (died 1822). An illegible memorial with a broken segmental pediment, urn finial, and flanking pilasters is also present.

Below the south-east window of the south aisle is a shallow arched recess containing the effigy of a large cross-legged knight, dated to circa 1300, possibly representing John or Robert Sturmy of Sutton Sturmy.

At the east end of the south aisle stands a richly detailed alabaster tomb chest with tapering Ionic pilasters and oval panels surrounding coats of arms and figure reliefs. Upon the chest lie the effigies of Thomas Acton of Sutton (died 1546) and his wife Mary (died 1564). The tomb is dated 1581 and is particularly finely detailed.

The south aisle also contains an obelisk-shaped memorial to Thomas Noxon (died 1809), an oval memorial to Edward Downes (died 1787) by W Stephens, the Blakeway memorial of 185?, and a memorial to Thomas Wall (died 1814) with a draped urn relief.

The north aisle holds a large shield-shaped memorial to Edward Wheeler (died 1820) and a sarcophagus memorial to the Morris family, erected in 1837.