Church Of St Mary The Blessed Virgin

SU 65 NE HARTLEY WESPALL HARTLEY WESPALL 6/34 26.4.57 Church of St Mary the Blessed Virgin

I C14, 'restored' 1868 by Sir Gilbert Scott. Apart from the west wall the church is of the later date, comprising an aisleless nave and chancel, a tower to the north of the chancel, and a small north porch. Tile roof. Flint walls with stone dressings, including 2 and 3-light windows, flush-band and buttresses to the outside corners. Above the eaves level the tower is tile-hung (on framework re-used from the old west tower) with a slatted bell cage and a shingled broach spire. Within the nave, in the form of 3 bays (4 trusses) there remains a fine open roof of the first period, with ornamental struts and arch-braced tie-beams, resting on timber verticals with attached 4-columns; there is also a timber-framed arched door into the porch. A feature of the building is the west wall, which has the exposed frame on the outside, with rendered infill; the upper part continues the roof design of the inside and below the tie-beam there is a massive vertical with braces on each side, all the framing having a cusped effect. Inside, there is a wall monument of 1692, a Jacobean pulpit (from the earlier church) and 2 floor slabs containing fragments of brass inlays (one of 1448). Grade I for importance of the mediaeval timber-framing.

Listing NGR: SU7002957698