Church Of St Mary

TG 31 SE SOUTH WALSHAM THE STREET (north side)

5/58 Church of St. Mary. 25.9.62.

G.V. I

Parish church. C14 and C15 with some C19 restoration. Flint with limestone dressings. Slate roofs over nave and chancel, lead roofs over aisles and porch. Crested ridge tiles over nave. West tower, nave, chancel, north aisle, south aisle, south porch.C15 knapped flint west tower with diagonal buttresses to west. Stone-faced plinth. Square traceried sound holes with label moulds. 2-light Decorated bell openings - tracery missing on west and south sides. Three-light Perpendicular west window, much renewed, above west doorway. Polygonal stair turret at north-east corner, with pierced stone vents. Good C15 south porch with parvis over : flushwork panels and diagonal buttresses to south gable. Entrance arch has finely carved spandrels depicting the Annunciation. Small niche above with figure group, flanked by two windows, all under square label moulds. South aisle has two 2-light Decorated and two 3-light Perpendicular windows; central staged buttress of brick and stone. Five widely-spaced 2-light clerestorey windows. South side of chancel has low side window with cusped arch under a square label; two 2-light Decorated windows with staged buttress between. Priest's door to east side of buttress. 3-light reticulated east window, much restored. Slate memorial tablet to John Mitchells (+1776) and wife (+1778). 2-light 'Y'-traceried windows in North wall of chancel. North clerestorey to nave with details as south side. North doorway with continuous double chamfered arch. Two early stone coffin lids form steps down into nave from south porch. Roofs all renewed in C19. 5 bay north and south arcades : double chamfered arches on octagonal piers. Chancel arch of similar date. Rood stair on north side of chancel arch. Double aumbry at north-east corner of north aisle, C15. Square headed screen, with painted panels and inscription commemorating manumission of donor, John Galt, in 1437. Screen retains its original doors, to sanctuary. Traces of wall painting continuing screen design to south. Stone coffin lid with cross set in floor to west of screen. Stone slab set in south east corner of chancel said to originate from the altar tomb of Richard de S. Walsham, Abbott of St. Benets (+1439). Dropped-cill sedilia on south side of chancel. Tall niche in north east corner of chancel, probably a banner staff locker. Monument to Rev. William Beevor (+1718) removed from church of St. Lawrence 1960. Font late C14 octagonal with traceried bowl and massive stem with four shafts. Podium contains medieval tiles. Good set of nave benches with poppyheads and carved borders.

Listing NGR: TG3653413253