Church Of St Martin

TF 60 NE FINCHAM HIGH STREET (north side)

5/12 Church of St. Martin 8.7.59 - I

Parish church. Mid C15, restored 1847 and 1870. Flint and carstone with ashlar dressings. Leaded roofs. West tower, nave, aisles and chancel. 3 stage tower with angle buttresses to belfry. Plinth with course of pointed trefoil arcading. Arched west door under square C19 surround. 4-light west window above. 2-light ringing chamber window south and one-light west. 3 light C19 belfry windows. Battlemented parapet with trefoil arcading. Gabled south porch with angle buttresses and carved parapet bearing inscription 1852, the date of restoration. South aisle with stepped flushwork buttresses leading through flushwork crenellated parapet to pinnacles with crockets and finials. 3-light 4-centred panel tracery aisle windows between buttresses each with stepped transoms. Clerestory windows of 3 lights with rising super- mullions and scissor motif. All windows with brick relieving arches. Rebuilt nave parapet. Chancel rendered. 2 3-light windows as aisle. Arched priest's door and crenellated flushwork parapet. 5-light east window elaborated from aisle type. North chancel obscured by 2 storey vestry of c.1500 : gabled with pantile roof; trefoil lancet to east with moulded hood on labels. One chancel and 5 north aisle windows as before. Plain stepped buttresses to north aisle plain parapets. North clerestory 2-light single reticulation units. 2-light window in nave east gable head under square hood on labels. Interior. Tall, heavily moulded tower arch on polygonal bases. 5 bay arcade : lozenge piers with fillets east and west. Double chamfered arches. Capitals only on south side. Windows above apex of arches. Hammerbeam roof with alternating braced and unbraced hammer-posts, which are in form of angels. Moulded arched braces to collars. One tier butt purlins and ridge piece, both moulded. Aisle roofs of arched braces to principals with pierced tracery spandrels. Chancel screen : 2 bays of 3 lights to right and left of arched central opening. Solid dado with 3 trefoiled arches each bay and painted flower scroll. Moulded stiles and muntins. Double cusped central opening and side lights arched with tracery head above curving transom. Chancel roof : short hammer-posts on arched braces to corbels. Arched braces from hammer- posts to collars. One tier moulded butt purlins and ridge piece. Early C12 font with square bowl on 5 columns, each with roll capital and base. Each face of font of 3 arches of continuous arcade, each roll moulded arch carried on cushion capital, circular engaged column and moulded base. Above and below are dog-tooth decoration. Figures fill arches. South : the nativity with manger, ox, ass, Mary and Joseph; east : the 3 magi; west : Baptism of Christ with St. John the Baptist and a bishop; north : Adam and Eve and a serpent in The Tree of Knowledge.

Listing NGR: TF6880106458