Church Of St Mary

WILBY THE STREET TM 27 SW

3/156 Church of St. Mary - 19.7.55 GV I

Parish church. Medieval. Nave, chancel, south aisle, west tower, south porch, north vestry. Flint rubble with stone dressings. Leaded roofs. Fine C15 square tower in 3 stages with a crenellated parapet. Plinth, buttresses and parapet enriched with flushwork. Moulded west doorway with shield-carved spandrels; above is a frieze of flushwork and a 3-light window flanked by empty canopied niches. 2-light belfry openings. C15 4-bay nave with 3-light windows. Moulded north doorway (blocked). 7-bay clerestorey, faced with knapped flint and with flushwork panelling between the windows. C15 south aisle with 3-light windows, mostly renewed. Moulded doorway with shield- carved spandrels; original door. Fine C15 porch of knapped flint with a panelled stone facade. Entrance arch almost semi-circular, carved with various motifs; enriched hoodmould with shield-carved spandrels. Above is a row of 9 canopied niches with image stools, the centre niche larger. The parapet has cresting. The upper face of each buttress also contains a niche. C15 2-bay chancel with 2-light side windows and 3-light east window. Moulded Priest's doorway. Interior 3-bay aisle arcade. Good original arched-braced roofs to nave and chancel. The nave roof has fleuron bosses at the main intersections and the wall posts rest on stone corbels carved as heads. Original lean-to aisle roof with a little medieval colouring to the eastern bays; the angels at the foot of each wall post were added in C20. Simple piscinas in chancel and aisle. C15 octagonal font, the bowl panels carved with angels and figures of the Apostles, all under canopies; further canopied figures around the stem. Fine early C17 pulpit with backboard and tester, all richly carved. Nave has a set of 27 poppyhead bench-ends of C15 date, most with double arm-rests with mutilated carved figures. Other benches and chancel stalls of C19 date in matching style. Medieval painting of St. Christopher on north nave wall. Monuments to Green family at west end of aisle: a) tomb chest with 3 ledger slabs to George Green (1739), Jane Green (1744), Thomas Green (1730); front of tomb chest has a cartouche with 2 putto heads; b) good wall monument with medallion portrait of George Green held by 2 putti, set against a background of draped cloth, with a coat of arms above; c) C19 cartouche to further members of the family.

Listing NGR: TM2414872050