Church Of St Mary

SOMERLEYTON BLUNDESTON ROAD TM 49 NE 4/29 Church of St. Mary 27.11.54 II* Parish church. C15 tower, otherwise rebuilt 1854 by John Thomas; chancel extended 1974. Nave, chancel, west tower, south porch. Flint rubble faced in knapped flint with stone dressings. Slated roofs. Square tower with 3-stage diagonal buttresses to the west face; 2-light belfry openings. Tall stepped parapet added 1854: this formerly had tall crocketted pinnacles at the corners. Below the parapet is a string course with gargoyles. 4-bay nave with 4-centre arched 2-light windows. The chancel is in the Decorated style, with a single 2-light window to the side walls and a 3-light east window. Interior. The nave and chancel have open rafter roofs with scissor-bracing to the main trusses. Well-preserved C15 octagonal font, the bowl panels carved with alternate lions and angels bearing shields; angels to the bowl underside and 4 lions against the stem. C17 font cover. Over the south doorway is a medieval stone slab with 4 well-carved panels depicting the emblems of the Evangelists; this was discovered in 1854. Fine C15 rood screen: crocketted ogee arches and pierced Perpendicular tracery above; the dado has 16 panels with painted figures, mostly of saints. C19 wooden reredos and pulpit in Gothic style. In the sanctuary is a stone tomb chest to Sir Thomas Gernegan (1446): the chest is decorated with lozenge panels within which are quatrefoils containing shields. On the north chancel wall is a large monument to Sir John Wentworth (1651) and his wife: black and white marble, with 2 free-standing busts framed by columns which carry an open segmental pediment. On the south chancel wall is the bust of Sir Thomas Allin (1686), Admiral of the Fleet. One north nave window has 2 C14 Flemish stained glass panels originally taken from St. Olaves Priory.

Listing NGR: TM4930597211