Church Of St Mary

Church of St Mary

Parish church of 12th-century origin with significant later additions. The building comprises a chancel, nave with south aisle, west tower, south porch, and 19th-century north chapel. It is constructed of random flint rubble and septaria with red brick crenellations to the tower and stone dressings; the buttresses feature stone and flint flushwork. Stone coping and bands decorate the south aisle parapet, with a stone parapet verge and cross at the apex to the chancel. Red plain tiled roofs cover the structure.

The chancel dates to the 15th century and is buttressed at the eastern angles and to the centre of the south wall. The eastern window has three 2-centred arched lights with sexfoils in roundels above, a moulded 2-centred head, and a label. A band runs below the window with a small blank plaque to the apex. The west wall contains a window of 2 trefoiled lights with a quatrefoil over and moulded 2-centred head with label; to its west is a 2-centred arched doorway. The north wall has a similar window to the south wall. The 19th-century north chapel features a gable to the north with a trefoiled plate window of 3 lights, a transom, and a cusped roundel over on the north wall.

The nave retains its 12th-century north wall with a buttress to the eastern angle. The eastern window has 2 cinquefoiled lights with a segmental head and label. Two small Norman round-headed windows survive, one central and one to the west, while a blocked Norman round-headed doorway lies to the east of the latter. The 14th-century south arcade comprises 3 bays with octagonal columns, moulded capitals and bases, and chamfered 2-centred arches. The south aisle has a lean-to roof with chamfered principals on stone corbels.

The south aisle east wall has a window of 3 cinquefoiled lights with tracery above and a segmental head. The west wall window has 2 cinquefoiled lights with a 4-centred head and label. The south wall contains three windows: an eastern window of 3 cinquefoiled lights with vertical tracery above and a pointed segmental head with label, and central and western windows similar to the west wall window. To the west stands the south porch with a low gable and parapet to the returns; a band continues through with a cross to the apex. Each return wall has a 2-centred arched window with Y-tracery. The outer archway has a moulded 2-centred arch with a label featuring King and queen stops.

The west tower comprises 3 stages with red brick crenellations and carved stone panels to the plinth. An angled stair turret rises from the south-east end of the south wall at the second stage, with angle buttresses rising to bell chamber window height and bands below the bell chamber and second stage. Each face of the bell chamber contains a window of 2 cinquefoiled lights with a quatrefoil above and a 4-centred head with label. The second stage has trefoiled windows under square heads on the north, west, and south faces. The tall west window has 3 lights with a transom and tracery above: the lower lights are cinquefoiled with segmental heads, while the upper lights are cinquefoiled with ogee heads. The tracery is decreasing with 6 and 5 cinquefoiled lights, 4 and 3 quatrefoils above, a moulded 2-centred head and label with stops. A trefoiled light serves the stair turret. S-tie plates occur to the bell chamber and buttresses.

Interior—Chancel: A 3-bay roof features a single hammer-beam type with moulded arched braces supported by stone corbels to the hammer-beams and arched braces above decorated with trefoil and quatrefoil tracery. A 19th-century coloured tiled floor is present. The altar rail has cast and wrought-iron posts with a moulded wooden top rail. A reredos dating to circa 1875 by Powell's features blue, white, and gold mosaic depicting corn, lilies, and Evangelist symbols, with carved panels below the mosaic. The north wall has a stone shelf with moulded brackets. A 14th-century Easter Sepulchre with buttresses, crocketed gable, and finial is preserved. A 19th-century north chapel doorway has a moulded 2-centred arch with shafts featuring moulded capitals and bases, a moulded label, and a vertically-boarded door with strap hinges. A piscina on the south wall has a moulded 2-centred arch with a cinquefoil drain. The sedilia features double crocketed gables and trefoiled arches with a marble central shaft, moulded capitals, bases, and rings. 19th-century stained glass fills the east window. No chancel arch survives. A 19th-century stone rood wall is surmounted by an ornate wrought-iron low screen and double gates. Green marble columns to the north and south walls have moulded capitals, bases, and stem rings. 19th-century choir stalls occupy the space.

Nave: A 4-bay roof has double side purlins with arched braces to purlins and collars. A 19th-century red tiled floor is laid. A 19th-century semi-octagonal pulpit features coloured marble decoration. A brass eagle lectern is present. 19th-century pews fill the nave. On the north wall, a medieval painting survives in the splay of a Norman window. A blocked segmental archway marks the north door. A gabled and crocketed monument to Sarah Wood dated 1749 stands on the south wall. A piscina with a trefoiled ogee head and sexfoil drain is located on the south wall. A niche to the north of the east wall is crocketed and canopied with a trefoiled head and moulded shelf. A round-headed niche occurs in the eastern splay of the eastern window on the south wall. Cast-iron heating grills are set into floors. The west tower arch is chamfered and moulded with a 2-centred form and jamb shafts featuring moulded capitals and bases. A chamfered 2-centred arch serves the stair turret doorway, which has a vertically-boarded door.

A 15th-century font is octagonal with panels carved with symbols of the Evangelists and 4 angels. The stem features raised carved lions alternating with woodmen at the angles. The church contains 6 bells: 2 cast in 1611 by Miles Graye of Colchester; 2 in 1722 by Thomas Gardener of Sudbury; and 2 in 1983 by Whitechapel Bell Foundry.