Church Of St Mary

SOMERSHAM CHURCH LANE TM 04 NE 6/154 Church of St. Mary 9.12.55 - I Parish church, mediaeval. Nave, chancel, west tower, south porch. Rendered rubble walling, partly limewashed with limestone dressings; the tower is of unplastered flint, septaria and limestone rubble. Plaintiled roofs. The nave has features of c.1300; a Y-traceried window and two lancets, and north and south doorways, all with scroll hood-moulds. The chancel was remodelled in mid C14; a canted and ceiled roof with moulded tie-beam and cornice, a good net-traceried east window and 2 smaller windows in south wall. Of mid/lace C14 is the good timber-framed porch with a heavy 2-centred doorway, drop- and mouchette-traceried side windows and coupled-rafter roof. The tower is also mid C14 with a 2-light west window, traceried belfry openings to east and west, and lionhead gargoyles. The C14 or C15 south door has original scrap- hinges and sanctuary ring. In the north wall is a 2-centred arched roodloft - doorway, made, unusually, of wood. The sanctus bell bracket is still attached to a beam in the chancel. The nave was reroofed in C15; canted and ceiled with moulded arch-braced tie-beams and cornice. Small early C16 priest's door in the north wall, and a cusped piscina opposice. The altar reredos has enriched panelling dated 1601; also in the sanctuary are C18 panels bearing the 10 Commandments, Creea and Lord's Prayer, flanked by fine paintings of Moses and Aaron, believed to have been given to the church in 1750. Late C17 altar rails with turned balusters. A fragment of C13/C14 wall painting on the south wall of nave. Blocking the outer face of the north nave doorway is a slab with inscription of 1786. On the south external wallface is another, dated 1717/18.

Listing NGR: TM0910248457