Church Of St Mary

TM 24 NW 4/8

PLAYFORD Church of St. Mary

16.3.66

II* Church. Mainly c.1400; the chancel was rebuilt 1874. Nave, chancel, south west tower/porch, north organ chamber. Flint rubble, with some random limestone rubble, and in the tower some brick of various colours. Plaintiled roofs with parapet gables. Apart from the earlier C14 plain blocked north doorway, all medieval features are of late C14 and early C15. Fine late C14 tower, placed against the south nave doorway, serving also as the south porch. The moulded outer doorway has repeated crown motifs at the jambs, an angel keystone and a square label supported by lions; in the spandrels are the arms of Sir George Felbrigge (died 1400). Above the doorway is an image niche with pinnacled canopy. The 2-light ringing chamber window has a gabled and traceried head. On the south face is a pair of belfry openings, one on either side of a floreated cross outlined in flushwork. The diagonal buttresses are also flushwork-panelled. Large 3-light C15 south nave window, and similar smaller windows in north and west walls. The inner south doorway and chancel arch are both moulded and of c.1400. The chancel was rebuilt and the organ chamber, added in 1874 for the Marquis of Bristol, in the Early English style. In 1887 the nave was given a scissor-braced coupled-rafter roof to match that in the chancel. Octagonal limestone font in the C14 manner; part of the stem is original and well moulded, but the rest was renewed C19. Now affixed to the north chancel wall is a fine brass of Sir George Felbrigge (died 1400) in full armour. Above it is a wall tablet to Sir Anthony Felton (d.1657) and his wife. In the chancel floor are 4 marble ledger slabs of C18 and early C19, to members of the Felton family.

Listing NGR: TM2176548088