Church Of St Mary

TR 14 SW 5/69

HASTINGLEIGH Church of St. Mary

GV I Parish Church. C11, C13 chancel and tower, C14 south aisle and porch. Chancel, nave with south aisle, south west tower and western porch.

Flint, the upper stages of the tower rebuilt in red brick, with plain tiled roof. Roll moulded west door with hollow moulded hood set in C14 timber porch on flint base, with cusped bargeboard. Crown post roof and benches within porch. Massive offset buttresses to north nave. Heavily restored outer jambs of Chancel lancets and decorated style nave windows (downpipe hopper dated 1879). Exposed jambs of possible Anglo-Saxon north door, with C12 blocked round headed doorway set within.

Interior: Two bay south arcade on octagonal piers, with double chamfered arches, westernmost respond later in character. Identical chancel arch. Jambs of tall, possibly Anglo-Saxon north door. Roof of three crown posts. C13 double chamfered arch to south west tower, with identical arch to south aisle (the arcade therefore a later rebuild of original C13 aisle openings). Roof of two crown posts and brackets. Chancel with two light ogee headed southwestern window, otherwise four closely packed and uneven lancets to each of north and south walls, with string course. Triple lancet east window with string course. Roof of four crown posts, with extra moulded tie beam.

Fittings: simple trefoiled and deeply chamfered piscina in chancel, and aumbreys in south and north walls. Turned baluster altar rail c.700, and contemporary panelled pulpit. Some late medieval/C17 panelling reused in dividing screens in church after 1879 removal of box pews. C15 rood screen, with five bays with depressed ogee arch and 6 traceried lights over in each flanking bay. Simple arched piscina to south aisle. Wall paintings in nave (within a round headed niche) and aisle (The Annunciation). C13 grisaille glass, a complete lancet in the chancel north wall, and two C16 armorial windows in the south wall. Brass in nave floor, John Halke, d, 1604, and Anne his wife (d. 1596). Simple inscription set in marble slab with a detached hawk over (Grandparents of Dr. William Harvey, the discoverer of circulation of blood).

Listing NGR: TR0929244733