Church of St Mary is a Grade I listed building in the South Norfolk local planning authority area, England. First listed on 7 December 1959. A 1886-1887 (restoration) Church.

Church of St Mary

WRENN ID
tall-banister-hemlock
Grade
I
Local Planning Authority
South Norfolk
Constituency
Waveney Valley MP: Adrian Ramsay (Green)
Country
England
Date first listed
7 December 1959
Type
Church
Period
1886-1887 (restoration)
Address
Church of St Mary, the Street, Pulham St. Mary
OS grid reference
TM 212 852
Coordinates
52.42068, 1.25211
Source
Historic England listing

Also on this page: flood risk · radon risk · weather exposure · detailed attributes ↓

Description

The Church of St Mary is a Grade I listed building, primarily dating from the 14th and 15th centuries, with a mid-13th century chancel. It was restored between 1886 and 1887 by the architect Bodley. The church features a nave with Perpendicular style north windows, a clerestory, and a south aisle. The mid-13th century chancel has two lancet windows in the north wall and a later four-light east window with reticulated tracery.

The tall west tower is topped with an embattled parapet, decorated with flushwork panelling and supported by diagonal buttresses. A notable feature is the fine 15th century two-storeyed south porch, which has an ashlar front and flushwork-panelled sides, along with a reticulated openwork parapet adorned with pinnacles. The porch entrance is enhanced by fleurons on the jambs and arch, crested capitals, and spandrels depicting the Annunciation, flanked by a pair of niches. Above the doorway, there is a frieze of studs, two two-light windows, and five niches. The interior of the porch boasts moulded and crenellated ceiling beams.

Inside, the church has a Perpendicular four-bay south arcade with double-chamfered arches and quatrefoil piers featuring foils. The nave roof is arch-braced with tiebeams, while the south aisle roof is also arch-braced, displaying tracery in the spandrels. A notable mid-13th century double piscina is located in the chancel, complete with intersecting arches. The chancel roof, painted in the 19th century, features arch-braces.

There is a screen with ten painted figures set in a panelled base, with the upper parts restored by Bodley during the 1886-87 restoration. The organ case is also attributed to Bodley. The church contains a fine set of 15th century benches, which have poppy-heads on the bench ends and traceried panel backs on the westernmost benches. A timber staircase leads to the ringing chamber at the west end. Additionally, early 14th century stained glass can be found in the head of the northeast window of the nave, along with 15th century figures in the head of another north window. The church also features a 15th century octagonal font.

Local climate

Church of St Mary sits in one of the driest parts of the UK, with an average of 690 mm of rain a year. This makes it drier than 96% of listed buildings in the UK. Its exposure to wind-driven rain is lower than that of 95% of listed buildings.

It experiences an average of 30 freeze-thaw cycles a year, fewer than 66% of listed buildings. Of these, 16 follow at least 1 mm of rain in the preceding 48 hours. Average temperatures at this location have risen by 0.3°C per decade since 1991.

Averages for 1991–2020; temperature trend 1991–2025. Figures describe the wider area (a grid cell of roughly 10 km), not the individual site. Contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information 2026.

More on this building

Sign in or create a free account to unlock:

  • No EPC on record for this property
  • No sale records on file
  • No related consent applications matched
  • Detailed attributes — period, style, materials, features
  • Flood risk assessment
  • Radon risk assessment
  • Weather exposure and heating demand — rain and frost month by month and year by year, wind direction, solar and humidity
Create free account

Matched applications, energy data and sale records are assembled automatically and may contain errors. Flag incorrect data.

Similar buildings

The closest matches to this building from all 493,000 UK listed buildings, by architecture, period and materials.

Nearby listed buildings

  1. Pulham St Mary War Memorial Grade II 38 m
  2. Ancient and Modern Grade II 71 m
  3. High Croft Grade II 92 m
  4. The Maid's Head Grade II 113 m
  5. Lymehurst Grade II 121 m
  6. The Old Rectory Grade II 139 m
  7. Granville Cottage Grade II 149 m
  8. Waveney Cottage Grade II 156 m
  9. Post Office Grade II 159 m
  10. Roseville Grade II 172 m