Church Of St Mary

TL 35 SW HARLTON COACH DRIVE 5/123 Church Of St Mary(Formerly 31. 8.62 listed as Church of The Assumption of The Blessed Virgin Mary GV I

Parish Church. Almost entirely late C14 apart from restoration of 1844. Pebblestone, dressed clunch and C17 brick. Roofs concealed by parapets. Plan of west tower, nave, north and south aisles, north and south porches and chancel. West tower. Coursed pebblestone and dressed clunch. Embattled and of three stages with restored angle buttressing. Single restored opening to each side of bell stage with pierced boarding to shutters. Nave has blocked parapet, restored, and an octagonal, embattled rood loft stair turret at nort -east angle. South aisle has late C14, early C15 fenestration of three cinquefoil lights in four centred arches, divided by a transome, with vertical tracery to the head. South porch with two centred outer arch, and ogee moulding with inner order on engaged shafts to responds. Inner arch also two-centred with continuous hollow and roll moulding in square heads with quatrefoil and dagger tracery to the spandrels. Chancel. South wall has one original window of two lights with vertical tracery in two-centred arch and another window, restored. A similar two-centred window in the north wall. Inside. Tower arch and nave arcade are late C14 or early C15 and of four bays. Two-centred arches of three orders divided by a hollow moulding on square columns diagonally set with half octagonal shafts to the corners. Roof is probably later C15, and has short kingposts on shallow braced tiebeams carried on jackposts and moulded stone corbels. Original late C14 doorway and door in north aisle to rood loft staircase. Hollow moulded two- centred arch in square head with dagger tracery. The door has flanks and original ironwork. South aisle of similar late C14 date with chapel at east end. Carved corbel for an image remains. The south wall has a large alabaster wall monument probably c.1631 to members of the Fryer family. Attributed to W Wright (Mrs Esdaile). The chancel arch is similar to the nave arcade. There is a chancel screen of clunch, (part restored), embattled and in two stages, and six cinquefoil bays. The centre bays are wider and there is an ogee arch to the doorway. The lower stage is closed. At the east end of the chancel there is a C15 reredos of clunch in thirteen niches flanked by elaborate arches with vaulted canopies and crocketed pinnacles. Over the north door is a mutilated figure, seated, possibly reset and originally a Virgin and Child from the choir screen, C14. Reset in the north wall of the chancel are carved brackets possibly associated with the screen. R.C.H.M. West Cambs., mon.(I) Plates 25,69,89,92,& 93 Pevsner: Buildings of England, p401

Listing NGR: TL3871952529