Church of St Mary is a Grade II* listed building in the East Cambridgeshire local planning authority area, England. First listed on 5 February 1952. A Medieval Church.
Church of St Mary
- WRENN ID
- buried-brick-harvest
- Grade
- II*
- Local Planning Authority
- East Cambridgeshire
- Constituency
- Ely and East Cambridgeshire MP: Charlotte Cane (LD)
- Country
- England
- Date first listed
- 5 February 1952
- Type
- Church
- Period
- Medieval
- Address
- Church of St Mary, River Close, Mepal
- OS grid reference
- TL 440 811
- Coordinates
- 52.40901, 0.11656
- Source
- Historic England listing
Description
The Church of St Mary is a parish church dating from the 13th century, with restorations carried out in 1849, 1876, and 1905 by Carbe. It is constructed of field and rubblestone with limestone dressings, topped with a plain tiled roof featuring crested ridge tiles and restored end parapets. The west end of the nave includes a double bellcote under a gable, which has a vesica opening in the spandrel and is supported by three carved stone corbels. The church has a plan comprising a nave and chancel.
The nave features diagonal buttressing at the southwest and northwest corners, along with a restored west window that consists of a single light in a pointed arch, complete with a moulded label and stops. A 19th-century gabled porch is present, featuring a two-centred outer arch with a label and stops, as well as diagonal buttressing. The inner arch is also two-centred and chamfered. The chancel has two 13th-century lancets in the south wall, which have modern labels, and reused moulded stone is incorporated into part of this wall. The rebuilt east window consists of three lights with similar stops, while the north wall also contains two 13th-century lancets.
Inside, the west wall has an original deep splay for the lancet window and similar splay features for the paired lancets in the south wall of the nave. The north window openings have modern rear openings. The chancel arch is two-centred and composed of two chamfered orders on chamfered responds with moulded capitals. There is a 19th-century organ bay and vestry on the west side of the nave. Original rear arches are present for the two lancets in the north and south chancel walls. A piscina from the 13th century features two bays in a two-centred arch. The font, also from the 13th century, has a square bowl with chamfered courses set on a modern stem and base.
On the west wall, there is a wall monument dedicated to James Fortrey, who died in 1719. He was the son of Samuel Fortrey of Fortreys Hall in Byal Fen, Chatteris parish, and served as a page of honour to Mary of Modena, Duchess of York, and wife of James II, as well as Groom of the Bedchamber to James II.
Local climate
Church of St Mary sits in one of the driest parts of the UK, with an average of 690 mm of rain a year. This makes it drier than 98% of listed buildings in the UK. Its exposure to wind-driven rain is lower than that of 99% of listed buildings.
It experiences an average of 35 freeze-thaw cycles a year, more than 54% of listed buildings. Of these, 16 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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- Detailed attributes — period, style, materials, features
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