Church Of St Mary

TF 91 SW FRANSHAM LITTLE FRANSHAM

10/28 Church of St.Mary 30.5.51 - I

Parish church. Medieval and later. Flint with ashlar dressings, some brick and slate roofs. Former west tower, aisleless nave with south porch and chancel. Early C14 nave with 4 (formerly 5) 2-light cusped Y-traceried windows. West wall dated 1583 (datestone at peak of gable) with a 4-light square-headed window with hollow chamfered mullions and transom and hood mould with star label stops. C14 moulded nave doors(blocked to north). C14 chancel with 2 2-light north windows with pairs of mouchettes and single daggers. 3-light east window with similar motifs within 3 soufflets. 2 2-light south windows with similar motifs within single soufflets. C14 priest's door. C15 porch with later brick parvis dated 1743 by tie ends. Diagonal buttresses, flushwork plinth, moulded entrance and 2 square headed traceried windows. Nave has fine 9 bay hammerbeam roof with roll moulded wall plates and butt purlins, wall braces and spandrel tracery. C15 chancel arch with 3-shaft responds and 2 shallow moulded orders. C17 5-bay chancel roof with ashlaring, butt-purlins, collars and wind bracing. Trilobe piscina with C17 panelled and fluted wooden sedile beside it. Some restored C15 benches with poppy heads, arm rest figures and pierced traceried backs. Square font of circa 1200 on 4 columns (one octagonal) with cushion capitals. Bowl with semicircular headed, 2-centred and trilobe arcading on 3 sides and a mandorla with foliage carving flanked by rosettes on fourth side.

Listing NGR: TF9020712283