Church Of St Mary

TM 26 NE DENNINGTON THE STREET

3/49 Church of St. Mary - 7.12.66 GV I

Parish church. Medieval. Nave, chancel, north and south aisles, west tower, north porch, north sacristy. Random flint and stone rubble, the nave plastered at clerestory level; stone dressings; red brick sacristy; leaded roof to nave, slated roof to chancel. Fine late C14 tower with later crenellated brick parapet; 3-stage diagonal buttresses to west, angle buttresses against the north and south faces on the east side; at the north east corner is a staircase turret which rises above the parapet; the west face of the tower has a moulded doorway with original doors and a 3-light window with 3 large stepped niches above; 2-light bell chamber openings. Late C14 5- bay aisles with 3-light windows; 6-bay clerestorey with original 2-light windows. Early C15 porch with flushwork to plinth and lower facade; above and to each side of the entrance are empty niches; original nave door. Fine early C14 3-bay chancel: matching 3-light windows to north and south, 5-light east window, all with reticulated tracery and hood moulds with carved stops; original Priest's doorway to south. Internally the windows are shafted and have hood moulds, both with finely carved capitals and stops. North of the chancel is the 2-storey mid C15 sacristy, in largely original condition. 5- bay aisle arcades with octagonal piers; the eastern bay of the north and south aisles are the Lady Chapel and Bardolph Chapel respectively. Early C14 single framed and braced nave roof; original lean-to aisle roofs. South window recess of Bardolph Chapel has fine carved stonework forming a decorative canopy to a tomb chest below; to either side of the window are stone shafts with candle platforms. South chancel has a fine piscina and sedilia with enriched triangular canopies. The furnishing are particularly fine. In summary: C15 font with medieval cover; very fine set of richly carved C15 benches; some good box pews, mainly C18-C19; three-decker pulpit (1628); exceptionally fine mid C15 parclose screens to both chapels, complete with lofts; carved dado of C15 rood screen; C18 altar rails; pyx canopy of c.1500; Royal Arms of George III above south door; framed copies of Lord's Prayer, Creed and Commandments (1842) in south aisle. Tomb of Lord Bardolph (d.1441) and his wife in Bardolph Chapel: very fine carved alabaster tomb chest with recumbent effigies; good wall monument to Sir Thomas Rous (d.1603) also in Bardolph Chapel. 5 chancel windows retain some good medieval stained glass. Graded I for medieval fabric and furnishings.

Listing NGR: TM2815966965