Church Of St Mary

CHURCH LANE 1. 5377 Stoke-by-Nayland Church of St Mary TL 9836 24/817 23.3.61. I GV

2. A fine C15 church built of freestone rubble and brick, with stone dressings. The nave and aisles have castellated parapets and Perpendicular windows. It incorporates the remains of an earlier church built in the late C13 or early C14 of which the south porch, St Edmunds Chapel and part of the aisle wall are part. The late Norman piscina in the north chapel is the only surviving part of the original Norman church which stood on the site and was recorded in the Doomsday survey of 1085. The imposing west tower which is 120 ft high forms a prominent landmark in the surrounding countryside. It is in 4 stages with an embattled parapet with crocketted pinnacles and diagonal buttresses with canopied niches. The south porch is late C13-early C14, with a groin vaulted roof with interesting carved bosses (restored). Above there is a small priests chamber. The South door is of the same date, elaborately carved with figures, birds and insects, said to be a Jesse tree. The nave has 6 tall arches and a stringcourse carved with cherubs (restored 1865) under the clerestory windows. The arch braced tie beams of the roof rest on carved corbels. At the west end there is a tall lancet arch opening into the tower and revealing the west window. St Edmunds Chapel was built circa 1318 by John de Peyton. There is a fine C15 octagonal font carved with the signs of the Evangelists, a band of cherubs and ogee niches in the shaft. The font stands on a stepped base with 4 standing platforms carved with shields, one of King Edward IV. The church has a number of brasses of the C15 and a standing wall monument to Sir Francis Mannock of Giffords Hall (d 1634). Graded for its architectural, historical and topographical value.

Listing NGR: TL9862836281