Church Of St Mary

GAYTON GAYTON THORPE TF 71 NW 6/19 Church of St. Mary 15-8-60 I Parish church, early C12, mainly of flint with stone dressings, green slate roof. Gable parapet to nave, chancel and porch. Round west tower, nave, chancel, south porch, vestry. Round tower flattened to east, large lumps of Sandringham sandstone and carstone in lower wall, large flints below bell stage, plain parapet, 2 double splayed lancets to west, lower lancet undressed. Semi-circular headed lancet above with lintel and right jamb out of one square headed stone, undressed splay arris. 4 bell openings of 2 pointed lights having round mullions and side shafts, wide semi-circular head with zig-zag moulding above outer side shafts; west opening with zig-zag moulding also to outside of outer shafts. String courses at impost level and below openings, lower string with chevron moulding. Nave and chancel with some carstone and Sandringham sandstone, gault brick eaves dentil cornice; west wall incorporates carstone quoins of earlier nave; diagonal buttresses. North and south nave each with 2 3-light Perpendicular openings under flat 4-centred arches, panel tracery, a super transom to the centre light; left window of south nave with panel tracery. Gabled south porch with plain continuous chamfered arch; square openings to returns; plain south doorway with worn double chamfered moulding and hood mould. Vestry of 1900 across opposing north doorway. Gabled, flint with gault brick dressings and slate roof. 2 brick buttresses to north nave. Chancel with gable cross; diagonal buttresses; 3-light east window of intersecting tracery; north chancel windowless; south chancel openings with Y tracery to right and 2 lights under a square head to west. Interior: 2-tier roof with moulded purlins and principal rafters; collars, with king posts; alternate bays arch braced and with hammer beams, inserted ties at east and west and to hammers, roof repaired 1900; chancel roof boarded. Double chamfered chancel arch springs from corbels with heads at base, male to south, female to north. Plain piscina; rear arch to south window dropped with renewed sedilia. C18 panelling to east wall incorporating forward breaking reredos under classical pediment, fielded panels. Seven sacrament font without base, east face with seated Virgin and Child. Semi-circular headed tower arch.

Listing NGR: TF7450218526