Church of St. Mary

TG 41 NE 2/45

SOMERTON WEST SOMERTON Church of St. Mary

25.9.62

II*

Parish church. West tower and nave c.1200, the former with C14 belfry stage. Nave remodelled early C14. Chancel C15. Restoration 1867. Quaternary flint and chert with Lincolnshire Limestone ashlar dressings and some brick repairs. Thatched nave roof and slated chancel. Three stage tower, lower two stages are circular. Restored two-light C14 west window: trefoil-headed lights supporting quatrefoil. Brick lancet to ringing chamber with pointed head and brick relieving arch. String course below octagonal belfry stage. Single lancets to each facet, alternatively blocked with knapped flint. Plain brick parapet. Diagonal west nave buttresses. Kneelers at west gable of ashlar bearing rosettes and carved heads. Blocked arched south door. Three two-light late C13 Y windows to south nave and one C18 sloping brick buttress, slated. Above windows is a deep pantiled string course. This pattern similar to north except only two windows: one of two lights and Y tracery as before. The other two-lights and cusped under square head. Gabled north porch has wave moulded entrance arch with one order engaged columns. Thatched roof. Chancel supported by flushwork diagonal east buttresses and stepped side buttresses framing C19 Perpendicular windows. Two of three lights each to flanks, one of five lights to east. Low priests door to north with two orders of wave mouldings.

Interior. C14 chamfered and hollow chamfered tower arch on polygonal responds with capitals. Arched rere arches to north and south nave doorways. Mid C14 chancel arch has concave fluting to engaged columns, high polygonal bases and star capitals, all no doubt by a mason who worked in the choir at Ely c.1328-35. The jambs themselves are wave moulded and restored. Plain C14 octagonal font. Late C14 wall paintings in nave. North wall has entry into Jerusalem, Flagellation and Resurrection, all now badly worn. On south side St. Christopher and large scene of Day of Judgement. C19 boarded scissor braced nave and chancel roofs. C15 hexagonal pulpit with concave sides, the edges moulded and each panel carrying ogee tracery. One facet open to allow entry via C19 stairs, another, facing wall, is blank. Moulded top rail. Plinth also C19. Reduced C15 chancel screen of one and a half bays each side of cusped ogee opening. Two lozenge traceried dado panels. Above are two-light ogeed tracery lights and panel tracery below top rail. Fleur-de-lys cresting to top rail.

Listing NGR: TG4754919547