Church Of St Mary

LITTLE BLAKENHAM VALLEY ROAD TM 14 NW 7/65 Church of St. Mary 9.12.55 - I Parish church, mediaeval. Nave, chancel, west tower, south porch. Plastered rubble walling to body of church with freestone dressings. The tower has exposed rubble walls of flint with brick and limestone inclusions. Plaintiled roofs (the tower roof is leaded with battlemented parapets). The porch is probably of C15 origin, with moulded doorway and the remnants of side windows (all in freestone), and coupled-rafter roof; major repairs in brickwork are of C16 and later. Good mid C13 east chancel window of 3 stepped lancets under one arch, with pierced trefoils in the spandrels. On the inner face are engaged columns and on either side are large recesses with trefoiled heads and similar columns; in the survey of J.H. and Jas Parker (1855), both recesses had mediaeval figure paintings. A lancet in the east wall has 2 figures and friezework painted on the reveals; these were repainted in 1850. A mid C14 south chancel window has mask corbels. Extensive late C14 alterations include most of the 2-light windows, the south nave doorway and the plain unbuttressed cower. This has brick relieving arches above windows and a lion-head gargoyle on the west. The bell-frame is original, repaired in C16. Late C14 canted and boarded nave roof with moulded cornice; the chancel roof was probably rebuilt in 1868. Early C16 alterations include 2 chancel windows, priest's doorway and piscina. Plain octagonal font, perhaps of c.1400. A painted coat of arms ofJamesII, dated 1685. Other internal furnishings including Gothick box pews, are of 1868.

Listing NGR: TM1049248858