Church Of St Mary

CAVENDISH

832/17/5 CAVENDISH 19-DEC-61 CHURCH OF ST MARY

GV I

Doomsday Book records a church of Saxon origin at Clare. This was succeeded by a Norman Church which gave place to the present flint and stone dressed church which is of the C14 to C17. The tower (circa 1300) has a castellated parapet, diagonal buttresses and an octagonal castellated staircase turret. The ground storey is stone, vaulted, with a priests' Chamber above which has an original fireplace and window suround. The nave clerestorey (circa 1485) has a castellated parapet and interesting stone and flint traceried {ornamentation.} An inscription below the parapet, now mostly illegible, attributes its erection to one of the Smythe family. It also has 2 Tudor lead rainwater heads ornamented with roses and leopards heads. The nave has an arch-braced tie-beam roof with carved spandrels, springing from niched wall posts with figures. The north and south aisles are C15, with C17 pendants and ornamentation to the roof of the north aisle. The chancel (circa 1381) was extensively repaired in the C17. It had buttresses and a deep plinth with knapped flint chequer work. The roof is tiled. In the south aisle there is a C14 octagonal font with a traceried shaft and Evangelist emblems on the bowl (defaced during Cromwellian time).

Listing NGR: TL8051346549