Parish Church Of St Mary And St Andrew

Parish Church of St Mary and St Andrew

This parish church stands on Church Lane in Whittlesford. The building is primarily 12th-century in origin, with the tower and nave dating from that period. The chancel was rebuilt in the 13th century and the nave walls were heightened at the same time. Extensive 14th-century rebuilding included the addition of a south aisle that encloses the south wall of the tower, and the construction of a porch built by Henry Cyprian. Windows were inserted into the north and west nave walls during this period. A 15th-century south chapel and south aisle windows were added, along with a belfry and lead spire. The church underwent restoration in 1875 and 1882, with roofs restored in 1905 and 1922.

The walls are constructed of flint and pebble rubble, originally plastered until 1902, with dressings of Barnack limestone and limestone and clunch, supplemented by brick repairs. The roofs are plain tiled and leaded.

On the south elevation, the nave features a steeply pitched roof and parapet gable with a cross finial. The aisle has a pent roof of three original bays, extended eastward as a chapel. The resited 13th-century priest's doorway has moulded two-centred arched orders. Three three-light traceried windows in two-centred arches with labels pierce the south wall. The tower rises in three stages and retains reused 12th-century chevron-decorated stone and 12th-century relief carving above a round-arched second-stage window. It has a moulded cornice with gargoyles at the angles and between them, and a plastered embattled parapet with two flint panels. A 15th-century belfry stair turret stands on the north side. The south porch features a wooden arched entry with cambered tie beams carved with heads at the apex and quarter-round moulding to the arched braces. The cornice is inscribed "Henricus Ciprian me fecit". The porch was rebuilt in the 18th century in gault and red brick. The chancel has a 19th-century embattled parapet and a three-light window similar to the chapel. A 14th-century doorway with a square head and spandrels is partly covered by the chapel wall. The north wall contains blocked 13th-century lancet lights and weathering of an earlier roof. The lead spire is possibly a 19th-century replacement.

The interior contains a nave arcade of three bays from the early 14th century, with two chamfered orders, moulded caps, and flat moulded bases. The arch to the south aisle from the tower dates from a similar period and has chamfered bases and graffiti cut into the clunch. The 15th-century tower arches to the nave and chancel have continuous outer orders and moulded two-centred arches on responds with moulded caps and bases; the archway to the chancel is stilted. A 12th-century round-arched window sits above the archway. The 15th-century belfry door and a possible 14th-century chancel priest's door are notable features. A two-bay 15th-century arcade to the chapel features keeled and hollow-chamfered double ogee moulded arches with attached columns to the responds and moulded caps and bases.

The roofs include a restored nave roof with scissor-braced collar-rafters and 20th-century tie beams. The south aisle and chancel roofs are 20th-century. A restored 15th-century screen separates the chancel and south chapel. The nave retains poppy head stalls and restored 15th-century seating. A 13th-century font has a plain square bowl on five round supporting columns. Fifteenth-century sedilia and a 14th-century niche occupy the chancel. An early 15th-century church wardens' chest survives. Alabaster fragments from a Medieval altar piece are displayed in the nave.

The chancel monuments include a black marble plaque to Maria Dood (1690) with an acanthus border, cornice, and swags of fruit and cartouche of arms; a limestone plaque to E.P. Aylett Moore, M.C. (died 1918); a black marble slab to Thomas Thurnall, MD, and his wife Sarah, plus Elizabeth Maria and William Henry Thurnall; a bronze to W.E. Dixon (died 1931), Reader in Pharmacology 1919-1931 and Vice-Chancellor; a black slate monument with limestone cinque-foiled arch and side finials by Whitehead of Royston to Sara Eliza, daughter of Henry and Mary Thurnall (1835), and her brothers; and a black marble plaque to Martha Don (1661). The chapel contains four 18th-century plaques. The belfry holds a black marble monument with white marble plaque to Elizabeth Thurnall (1828), William (1942), and their son (died 1811). In the nave stands a large cartouche with oval plaque and small cartouche of arms to William Westley of Cambridge (died 1723), along with four painted boards bearing the Credo and Pater Noster. A notable relief sculpture of a sheela-na-gig is present within the church.