Church Of St Mary

TM 36 SW SWEFFLING THE STREET

7/121 Church of St Mary

7.12.66 II*

Parish church. Medieval; restored 1832 and late C19. Nave, chancel, west tower, south porch, north vestry (built originally as a schoolroom). Flint rubble, with some coursed work to nave and chancel; nave heightened in red brick; stone dressings; slated roof to nave, plaintiled roof to chancel. C15 tower: 3-stage diagonal buttresses to the west face and flat parapet, both with flushwork decoration; restored 2-light west window, 2-light bell chamber openings, the tracery missing on the west and north openings. Late C12 nave,heightened and re-fenestrated in C15: 2-light windows, 3 to south and 2 to north. Fine C15 porch: knapped flint with panelled flushwork to the plinth and lower facade; moulded entrance arch with carved spandrels and 3 empty canopied niches above; stone parapet enriched with flushwork; original side openings. Late C12 nave doorway: one order of shafting, capitals with upright leaves and semi-circular roll-moulded arch. Early C14 chancel with renewed lancet windows to north and south, a C19 Priest's doorway and a renewed 3-light east window with intersecting tracery. The fabric of the east chancel wall contains 2 former windows of C12: these may have been taken from the nave. Chancel roof replaced 1832; nave roof plastered over. C13 Purbeck marble font bowl on modern base; cinquefoil-headed piscina in south santuary. Royal Arms of Anne on north nave wall; below are painted copies of the Lord's Prayer, Commandments and Creed. Graded II* for medieval fabric.

Listing NGR: TM3473463849