Parish Church Of St Mary

STOW MARIES CHURCH LANE TQ 89 NW (west side) 4/112 Parish Church of 11.53 St. Mary GV II*

Parish church. C14-C16, restored in C19. Flint and ragstone rubble with dressings of limestone and red brick in English and Flemish bond, roofed with handmade red clay tiles. Chancel C14, Nave C15, heightened in early C16, N vestry, S porch and part of the S wall C19/early C20. The Chancel is of rubble containing ragstone, flint, brick and tile, exposed externally, plastered internally, but all the architectural detail, including the chancel-arch, is C19. The roof is ceiled. The Nave is of dressed flint and squared ragstone in equal proportions, forming a rough chequer pattern externally, plastered internally. The N wall has been raised in red brick in English bond in the early C16, with a parapet on a trefoiled corbel-table. The N window is C15, partly restored, of 3 cinquefoiled lights with vertical tracery in a 4-centred head, with a moulded label and stops carved with angels. Further W is the C15 N doorway, with moulded jambs and a reset segmental-pointed head with a moulded label and decayed headstops. At the E end of the wall is a rood-loft stair, projecting externally, complete internally; the lower doorway has hollow-chamfered jambs and 2-centred arch, and is rebated for a door; the upper doorway has plain-chamfered jambs and 2-centred arch, all C15. In the S wall a large section of the middle and all of the upper part has been rebuilt in C18 brick in Flemish bond, including the blocked S doorway. It has one C19 window. The W window is C19. The roof is ceiled. There is a large timber framed bellcote at the W end, square in plan with a pyramidal roof, sides and roof weatherboarded, with a louvred vent with arched head on each side; it is of C18 appearance externally, but could not be examined. The RCHM reported one bell by Miles Graye, 1686. In the Chancel is a C14 piscina, with trefoiled ogee head with recessed spandrels and a decayed septfoiled drain. In the S wall of the Nave is an early C16 piscina with 4-centred head and plain drain. The C15 font has an octagonal stem with trefoil-headed panels and moulded base, and a C19 bowl. In the N wall of the Naveisq C15 niche with hollow-chamfered jambs and cinquefoiled head with 2 recessed quatrefoils. Remounted on S wall of Nave, brass of Mary (Cammocke), wife of William Browne, 1602, figure of woman, 3 sons and 4 daughters and a shield of arms. (Trans. Monumental Brass Society, XII, 1978, 271). RCHM 1.

Listing NGR: TQ8336299386