Church Of St Mary

TL 87 SW WEST STOW

6/57 Church of St. Mary 14.7.55

• II*

Parish church. C11, C14 and C15, extensively restored circa 1878 by the Rev. E.R. Benyon. Mainly rubble flint to nave and chancel, with freestone dressings: plaintiled roofs: traces of coursed flints in lower part of south wall of nave. 3 restored windows with reticulated tracery on south side of nave: 2 3-light C14 windows on north side with remains of crown glass, and one C13 lancet window with deep inner splay. C14 windows to chancel: 4-light east window with reticulated tracery. Diagonal buttresses to east end, and a stone string course to north and south walls of chancel, continued as a hood-mould over the tops of the windows and the priest's door. C15 south porch, with renewed timber roof: steep pitch, plaintiles: diagonal buttresses: knapped flint to side walls. Simple C14 south doorway, similar to the priest's door in chancel. The north doorway is the oldest surviving feature of the building: C11, with a plain tympanum, small volutes on the capitals and a heavy roll- moulding to arch. This doorway now gives access to the vestry, added in 1903 to commemorate the reign of Queen Victoria. Large west tower in 4 stages: mainly black knapped flint, with a chequer-work base of flint and freestone and a plain castellated parapet. The east wall is extended to north and south to form 2 angle buttresses: diagonal buttresses at west end, all buttresses faced with freestone and panels of knapped flint. A full height stair turret on the south side. 2-light windows in Decorated style to all 4 faces of the top stage. A similar west window to the 2nd stage has fragments of medieval glass in the top of the lights. 6 bells: the 15 cwt. tenor and the 2nd bell both dated 1631; the 3rd and 4th dated 1629; the 5th 1674, and the treble cast in 1849. The interior fittings and timber roofs all date from the C19 restoration and are in traditional East Anglian style. C14 chancel arch, and an elaborate angle piscina with credence shelf of the same date, crocketted and finialled. Window-sill sedilia. Memorial stained glass windows of circa 1880. 8 traceried and painted panels from the lower part of the rood screen, removed during C19 restoration, are now in the Victoria and Albert Museum (see Munro Cautley, 'Suffolk Churches and their Treasures' p.339).

Listing NGR: TL8193370554