Parish Church Of St Mary

TL 5248 GREAT ABINGTON HIGH STREET (West Side)

11/20 Parish Church of 22.11.67 St Mary

GV II*

Parish church. Chancel and nave c.1200; west tower c.1225; tower arch and inserted south arcade and aisle early C14. South porch C14. Windows to nave and south aisle replaced in C15. North doorway blocked with inserted C19 window. Restorations 1895-7 and 1900. Walls of flint rubble with clunch and limestone dressings. Slated and plain tiled roofs; spire covered with lead. South elevation: Tower of two stages with plain parapet, moulded string below belfry and roll-moulded string below ground stage windows, wall advanced to west as two stage buttress. Two-light belfry window recessed in two-centred arch. South aisle with plain parapet and diagonal buttresses of two stages; two restored cinquefoil-light windows with vertical tracery and two-centred arches. South porch, opening very weathered, two-centred arch of two moulded orders, south doorway renewed with C15, or earlier, door with vertical boards and integral moulded battens. Chancel with one central original lancet window, larger single-light window with two-centred arch to west and double lancet-light window with quatrefoil above to east. Interior: Nave arcade of four bays with two-centred arches of two chamfered and moulded orders; quartrefoil piers and semi quartrefoil responds with moulded capitals and bases. Steps in north wall with C15 window above to former rood loft. Tower arch two-centred, of two chamfered orders with semi octagonal responds with moulded caps and bases. Window in west wall of three graded lancet-lights. Chancel structurally undivided from nave with wooden boarded barrel vaulted roofs. Double piscina in south wall of chancel and aumbrey in north wall with moulded label and small finial. Font C13, plain octagonal bowl on circular base. Pulpit c.1634; C17 communion table. Monument in chancel to Sir Wm Hatton Knight 1639 by W. Wright; a recumbant figure in armour with small lion below feet on pedestal with two moulded enriched panels; above, an inscribed tablet between scrolled consoles under a curved pediment with cartouche of arms. Glass fragments in tracery of east window, centre window nave north wall, and south aisle window of a figure standing in an archway of an embattled town. The nave and chancel were both originally thatched.

Map. Gt. Abington 1687, C.R.O. Palmer, W.M. Wm Cole of Milton R.C.H.M. Report 1951 V.C.H., Vol. VI, p17 Pevsner. Buildings of England, p394

Listing NGR: TL5307048864