Church Of St Andrew

The Church of St Andrew is a parish church located in Framingham Earl, dating back to Saxon origins. Archaeological excavations in 1984 revealed evidence of a former apse. The main body of the church consists of a Norman tower and nave, constructed in the 12th century, and an Early English south porch, added in the 13th century. The church underwent substantial restoration in the 19th century. It is built of flint with some ashlar detailing, and has slate roofs.

The west tower is circular and has three stages. A restored western lancet window with a continuous roll moulding provides light to the belfry stage, along with another plain lancet facing west. A plain parapet features a string course and cornice string. The nave has room at its west end to accommodate a lancet window between the tower and the corner. The gabled south porch lacks buttresses and features a moulded arched entrance with flanking lancet windows and a statuary niche above the entrance. Inside, a fine Norman doorway is framed by a round arch created from a roll moulding, stylized beakheads resembling scallop motifs, a hood mould decorated with round billets featuring incised star patterning, a double billet above an incised roll on the west impost, and a chamfered block on the eastern impost carved with rectangles, diagonals, and cross bars. A brick and slate gabled north porch was added in the 19th century, and its north doorway retains Norman features including a round arch with decorated capitals and abaci. Two 19th-century Norman round-headed south nave windows feature colonnettes and zig-zag arches, and a similar window is found on the north side. The chancel retains a single pilaster buttress of Saxon origin, and a double splayed circular light to the north and south. It also has two Early English lancets to the south and one similar window to the north, along with a 19th-century two-light east window with petal tracery.

Inside, the semi-circular tower arch is partially obscured by a 19th-century timber west gallery. A 19th-century octagonal font is found within the tower. The nave has a 19th-century roof with principals and purlins, supported by wall posts that descend to 19th-century corbels. The Norman chancel arch’s responds incorporate 19th-century reconstruction, and a shouldered opening is situated to either side. The responds have single orders of shafts on plain bases and trumpet capitals above astragals, with the southern astragal cable carved. Square imposts are present, along with two orders of zig-zag within the arch and an outer moulding of double chevron. A 17th-century polygonal panelled pulpit stands within the church and is supported by scrolled brackets and features a top rail with masonic mitre panelling. The chancel roof is similar to that of the nave. A square niche with a rounded top is located below the south double splayed Saxon window. A 14th-century re-set piscina has an ogeed and cusped design. Other chancel details are 19th-century replacements. Two 15th-century stained glass figures of St. Margaret and St. Katherine are set within the chancel side windows.