Church St Mary The Virgin is a Grade I listed building in the Bedford local planning authority area, England. First listed on 13 July 1964. A Late C12-C15 Church.
Church St Mary The Virgin
- WRENN ID
- spare-cobble-burdock
- Grade
- I
- Local Planning Authority
- Bedford
- Country
- England
- Date first listed
- 13 July 1964
- Type
- Church
- Source
- Historic England listing
Description
The Church of St Mary the Virgin is a parish church that dates from the late 12th century to the 15th century. It is constructed from coursed limestone rubble with ashlar dressings and features a chancel, north chapel, nave, south porch, north aisle, and a west tower.
The chancel includes a late 12th-century round-headed south doorway and a reset 13th-century lancet window on the south wall, which has jambs that extend down for sedilia. There is a 14th-century east window and a 15th-century two-bay north arcade, with the west bay blocked by an organ. The chancel arch is from the 14th century.
In the north chapel, the 15th-century north wall west window incorporates earlier work. The nave features a three-bay north arcade from around 1340, with a roof-loft door located to the northeast. The south wall has two 15th-century windows, with the eastern one set in 14th-century jambs. The clerestory from the 15th century has south windows that are larger than those on the north side, and there is an embattled parapet. The late 12th-century south doorway has a semi-circular head, while the mid-14th-century south porch has square-headed side windows and a pointed arched doorway, which is topped by a worn image niche.
The north aisle contains two 14th-century north windows and a two-centred arched north doorway. Recent restoration work is visible on the outside, particularly on the main parapet. The early 15th-century west tower is four stages high, with angle buttresses that rise to the top, crowned by crocketed pinnacles. It features an embattled parapet and an octagonal spire with three tiers of lights. There is an 18th-century inscription on the west wall.
Inside, the church has a 14th-century octagonal font on an octagonal base with gablets and an inscription in French. A 13th-century coffin lid is located in the north chapel. The nave contains some 16th-century bench ends and fronts, with some retaining traceried panels.
More on this building
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- No EPC on record for this property
- Sale history — 1 transaction since 2022
- No related consent applications matched
- Detailed attributes — period, style, materials, features
- Flood risk assessment
- Radon risk assessment
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