Church Of St Mary

HIGHAM HIGHAM ROAD TM 03 NW (south side, off) 3/5 Church of St Mary 22.2.55 GV II* Church. Tower C13 origins. Otherwise C14-C15. Porch c.1893 by W H A Berry. Restored 1888 at a sum of £1,500 (Kelly's). Coursed flint with knapped flint to chancel, ashlar dressings. Plain tile roof. West tower, nave with 4-bay north aisle,porch and 2-bay chancel. 3-stage tower with offset diagonal buttresses, stair turret to south. Renewed west door. Basket-arched west window with Perpen- dicular tracery. Small lancet to west and north faces at second stage, 2-light restored bell openings. Quoins and embattled parapet. North aisle: roofed separately from nave, offset buttresses. West window head renewed, otherwise 2-light flat-headed windows with ogee lights, probably late C14 with some replaced stonework. Gabled timber porch contains original 2-centred continuously-moulded door. 3-light basket-arched window with Perpendicular tracery to east end of aisle. South side of nave: blocked south door with renewed head. Restored but- tresses and 2 replaced windows with Perpendicular tracery. 2-light flat-headed window to west of door partly renewed. Chancel: renewed 4-centred windows with Perpendicular tracery with hoodmoulds and arches of red brick and flint. East window with intersecting tracery renewed. Diagonal offset buttresses, flushwork to part of plinth. Blocked priest's door to south side. Interior: nave arcade piers of 4 filleted shafts with slender polygonal shafts to angles. Band capitals with alternating patterns of fleurons and vine scrolls. Finely-moulded arches under hoodmoulds with head or foliate stops. Nave roof C19 but incorporates three medieval chamfered arch braces forming pointed arches resting on head corbels. Aisle roof C16 with moulded beams on short wall posts with head corbels, arched braces with tracery to spandrels. Leaf scroll to longitudinal beams and moulded joists with run-out stops. Wall plate with angels and fleurons and rafters probably renewed. Disused broken panelled octagonal font. 4 original poppy heads incorporated into C19 pews. Ogee-arched nave piscina. Chamfered-arched door to tower stairs has original studded door with strap hinges. C19 timber chancel arch with pair of saints in canopied niches on corbels. Chancel roof has elements of c.1500 including brattished wall plate with capitals to truncated wall shafts at bay divisions supporting moulded arch braces incorporated into C19 wagon roof. 4-centred piscina with fleurons probably renewed. Marble and ceramic tile reredos of 1892. The chancel appears to be the most extensively restored part, the walls may be refaced externally or even rebuilt.

Pevsner, N, Suffolk. 2nd edition, 1974, p.271.

Listing NGR: TM0356335232