Church Of St Mary

SP 03 NW; 3/1

ASTON SOMERVILLE CP, CHURCH ROAD

Church of St Mary

30.7.59

GV

I

Church. C13, with C14 additions. Restored C19. Limestone ashlar and rubble with stone slate roof. Comprises a west tower, nave, lower chancel, and north porch.

The tower is of three stages with diagonal buttresses and has an embattled parapet with corner pinnacles and gargoyles. The bell openings are of two trefoiled lights with a folied opening under a pointed head. The west window is of three lights under a pointed head with reticulated tracery. The hoodmould has carved animals as stops. The eaves height of the nave has been raised with ashlar blocks. On the south side it has a window of two trefoiled lights under a pointed head with quatrefoil. To its right is a pointed doorway and a buttress with attached chimney. At the right is a window of three trefoiled lights under a straight-sided pointed head with intersecting tracery. This is set within a blocked pointed arch to a demolished south chapel. On the north side the nave has three windows of two trefoiled lights under a pointed head with quatrefoil. Between the second and third windows is a gabled porch with an outer chamfered pointed doorway. The south wall of the chancel has a narrow window with flat head to the left of a priest's door which has plain reveals and a blocked round arch above a lintel. To the right is a window of two trefoiled lights under a pointed head. On the north side of the chancel are two double-chamfered lancet windows, the right-hand one with trefoiled head. The east window is of three cinquefoiled lights under a pointed head with tracery.

INTERIOR: tower arch is pointed and chamfered in two orders. The responds are engaged round columns with moulded caps. The nave has a collar-rafter roof with soulaces and with three moulded tie beams. The chamfered chancel arch is depressed and two-centred. Above the chancel is a side-purlin roof with three trusses which have raking struts between collars and moulded tie beams. The curved wind braces are elbowed. In the south wall is a piscina with pointed head. The chancel screen has traceried openings and appears to be mainly late medieval. Memorials in the chancel include a marble cartouche with cherubs' heads, a skull, and shield of arms, to Mrs Rebeca Parry, died 1704, and John Parry, died 1714. The octagonal font is carved with ropework and other decoration and appears to be re-tooled, possibly made from a re-used piece of stone.

Listing NGR: SP0474137869