Church of St Mary is a Grade I listed building in the East Cambridgeshire local planning authority area, England. First listed on 19 August 1959. A Medieval Church.

Church of St Mary

WRENN ID
tired-tower-ridge
Grade
I
Local Planning Authority
East Cambridgeshire
Constituency
Ely and East Cambridgeshire MP: Charlotte Cane (LD)
Country
England
Date first listed
19 August 1959
Type
Church
Period
Medieval
Address
Church of St Mary, High Street, Burwell
OS grid reference
TL 589 660
Coordinates
52.26976, 0.32819
Source
Historic England listing

Also on this page: flood risk · radon risk · weather exposure · detailed attributes ↓

Description

The Church of St Mary is a parish church of very fine Perpendicular style, believed to be the work of Reginald Ely, the master mason of King's College Chapel, Cambridge. Construction likely occurred during the time of John Higham, who was vicar from 1439 to 1467, with an inscription above the chancel arch dating the completion of the nave roof to 1464. The early 12th-century tower was rebuilt, retaining the first two stages, with a 15th-century third stage and an octagon; the western end of the 14th-century south aisle survives, along with a 15th-century vestry or treasury. A spirlet above the lantern of the tower is dated 1799.

The church has undergone several 19th-century restorations, including work by Mr Edlin in 1862 and by George Street in 1877. The walls are of field stones, flint, and rubble with limestone dressings, incorporating some re-used Barnack stone; the interior is of clunch. The roofs are covered in lead, with plain tiles to the porches.

The church is distinguished by its fine proportions and richly carved ornament to the chancel and the roofs of the nave, chancel and aisles. Notable features include a wall painting of St Christopher, originally covered in 1649. There are three brass floor monuments and accompanying indents, including a palimpsest brass potentially belonging to John Laurence de Wardboys, Abbot of Ramsey from 1508 to 1539, who died in 1542. A painted clunch wall monument commemorates Thomas Gerard and his wife (1608), and a canopied tomb chest is dedicated to Lee Cotton (1613), depicting a figure in armour. The chancel stalls incorporate some re-used 15th-century tracery. Other furnishings include pews (1860), a restored 15th-century chancel screen restored in 1877 by Mr Allix of Swaffham Prior, mosaic panels in the reredos (1877), a pulpit (1885), and a reglazed rose window (1885). Further additions include oak screens across the tower and vestry arches (1887), a brass lecturn with an eagle book rest (1901), and memorial windows in the north and south aisles by Hugh Eaton (1905 and 1934). A coffin stand, possibly dating to the late 17th century, is also present. A medieval scratch-sundial, re-used in its current location, is noteworthy.

Local climate

Church of St Mary sits in one of the driest parts of the UK, with an average of 700 mm of rain a year. This makes it drier than 93% of listed buildings in the UK. Its exposure to wind-driven rain is lower than that of 90% of listed buildings.

It experiences an average of 31 freeze-thaw cycles a year, fewer than 61% of listed buildings. Of these, 15 follow at least 1 mm of rain in the preceding 48 hours. Average temperatures at this location have risen by 0.3°C per decade since 1991.

Averages for 1991–2020; temperature trend 1991–2025. Figures describe the wider area (a grid cell of roughly 10 km), not the individual site. Contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information 2026.

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