Church Of St Mary

TF 81 SW, TF 81 SE SPORLE WITH PALGRAVE

4/40 5/40 Church of St.Mary 23.6.60

• I

Parish church. Medieval and later. Flint with ashlar and some brick dressings. West tower; Aisled nave; chancel flanked by extension of north aisle. C13/C14 west tower with angle buttresses and a rectangular stair projection to south east. C13 west door with 3 pairs of shafts supporting deeply cut mouldings. Niche above with foiled arch beneath a triangular hood mould with carved head label stops. Roof line pertaining to a former west porch. Plain lancet to south. 2-light cusped Y-traceried west window at first floor. Fine 2-light cusped Y-traceried bell openings. Crenellated parapet with blind tracery and corner finals. North aisle with blocked C13 north door on a pair of shafts now missing and within a rectangular hood mould forming spandrels. Late-Medieval 3-light west window. 2 3-light Perpendicular windows in angular style, one re-set C14 3-light reticulated window (probably in the position of a former chapel) and 3 3-light C19 windows in imitation of angular Perpendicular windows. South with 4 3-light angular Perpendicular windows and one C14 wave-moulded doorway of 2 orders. 10 late- Medieval 2-light clearstorey windows. C13 chancel with a rebuilt south wall incorporating a priest's doorway and 3-light window without tracery. Very unusual C13 east window consisting of 3 lancets with an octofoil above, the whole within a moulded containing arch. Interior. Tower arch of 2 plain chamfered orders without responds. Damaged C14 stoup in south respond with broken tracery. 4-bay early C14 arcades of quatrefoil piers with intermediate fillets supporting plain chamfered arches of 2 orders. Easternmost bay lower and divided from main arcade. by an area of blank wall suggesting a former transeptal arrangement. Double-ogee and plain chamfered chancel arch on semi- circular responds. Chancel with 2-bay north arcade of rebuilt quatrefoil pier with responds supporting hollow chamfered arches. East window with moulded scoinson arch flanked by 2 small C13 niches with blind quatrefoils. Nave has a restored C15. arch braced roof with short king posts onto collars. Former rood stair to south now leads to a projecting C19 pulpit in Decorated style. C14 piscina beneath an ogee arch in south aisle. Remains of C15 parclose screen and a late-Medieval cyclical wall painting in south aisle. C13 octagonal Purbeck marble font with shallow blank arcading. Supported on 9 limestone shafts without articulation on a tall octagonal plinth with 4 flights of steps.

Listing NGR: TF8499711462