Church Of St Mary

SU 74 SE BENTLEY CHURCH LANE

4/3 Church of St. Mary

31/07/63 II*

Parish church. C12, C13, C15, with substantial restoration, including nave arcade aisles, of 1890, by Henry Woodyer. Flint walls and tiled roof. Norman chancel with north chapel (C12) and south chapel (C13), nave of 3 bays, with aisles and arcade added 1890, west tower (C1200 and C18), and south porch. The exterior is mostly restored, with 3 parallel roofs (lower at the east end), and walls of flint with stone dressings. There are old lancets to the chapels and 2 Perpendicular windows to the south aisle (made up of old fragments from the west windows of the chapels), stepped buttresses at most corners. The tower is roughcast (on stonework) in its lower part, with massive diagonal buttresses, the upper stage being of brickwork (C18) with some diaper patterns, and a crenellated parapet. Inside, the nave is Victorian, and contains a Norman Purbeck arcaded font on a Victorian Early English base. The Tower arch is c1200. The arcade on the north side of the chancel has been raised, the original round columns having scalloped caps; above are 3 C15 clerestory windows. The chancel south side has C15 round columns with moulded caps. These are piscinas in the chancel and chapels (of C12, C13, and C14), and the east end roof has old timbers. Jacobean communion rail.

Listing NGR: SP7396140752