Church Of St Mary

Church of St Mary

This is a major parish church of exceptional architectural and historical interest, spanning nearly a thousand years of development. The building began as a late Saxon church, dating to around 1000–1050, with a central tower. Around 1200, a significant remodelling converted the original chancel into an aisled nave while the former nave was demolished. Further alterations and westward extension of the nave aisles occurred in the early 14th century. The Wilcote Chapel was built at the east end of the north aisle around 1439 for Elizabeth Wilcote, possibly designed by Richard Winchcombe. The Perrott Aisle was added to the north of the north aisle by Christopher Kempster for James Perrott (died 1724). The church underwent substantial restoration in 1864 by the renowned architect G.E. Street.

The exterior displays coursed and uncoursed limestone rubble with ashlar quoins and dressings. The chancel and other roofs are of lead, while the chancel roof and Wilcote Chapel roof are gabled stone slate. The building comprises a chancel, aisled nave, and west tower. The late 13th-century east window is a fine three-light trefoil-headed design. Mid-19th-century windows in Decorated style were added to each side of the chancel; a south organ chamber was added in 1954. The south side of the nave features two 15th-century two-light square-headed windows and a gabled porch designed by Street. The mid-12th-century south doorway is particularly notable, with a billeted roll-moulded arch set on shafts with scalloped capitals, and a 14th-century inner archway.

The Wilcote Chapel boasts a gabled stone slate roof and offset buttresses, with three exceptionally fine Perpendicular windows displaying panel tracery. The Perrott Aisle comprises two bays with four semi-circular arched windows featuring eared architraves set under straight hoods with scroll brackets. To the west is a round window with a cherub's head as key above a keyed semi-circular arched doorway with Doric pilasters and cornice, flanked by a plank door with decorative strap hinges. All windows retain latticed leaded lights. The west bay of the north aisle has a 15th-century two-light square-headed window above a blocked early 14th-century pointed chamfered doorway.

The three-stage west tower displays an early 14th-century two-light west window and blocked openings in the gabled outline of the former late Saxon nave. An early 11th-century lancet opens to the south, and early 11th-century two-light stone-louvred belfry windows feature imposts. The tower is crowned with a 14th-century crenellated parapet with gargoyles.

The interior is exceptionally rich. The chancel contains an early 14th-century cinquefoiled piscina with credence table, and a hood mould over a late 13th-century trefoiled tomb recess to the north. Two late 13th-century responds with moulded capitals mark the position of the former chancel arch. The chancel screen, in Decorated style with stone open tracery, and the adjoining pulpit, are both by G.E. Street.

The circa 1200 two-bay nave arcades feature chamfered arches set on round piers with scalloped capital to the north and waterleaf capital to the south. The late 13th-century tower arch displays two orders with stiff-leaf stops to the hood mould and capital to the south responds. Chamfered tower arches to the north and south contain voussoirs of a late Saxon blocked order to the south. The nave roof is a 15th-century two-bay tie-beam design with moulded beams.

The Wilcote Chapel, probably designed by Richard Winchcombe for Elizabeth Wilcote (died 1442), features superb two-bay fan vaulting and a cinquefoiled piscina. A crocketed ogee arch with angels bearing a shield on flanking pinnacles frames the tomb of Elizabeth Wilcote and her husband Sir William Wilcote (died 1410). Their tomb chest displays superb alabaster effigies with much carved detail, lying on an alabaster tomb chest with canopied panels. A monument to William Lenthall (died 1576) and his wife shows them at prayer with a mutilated group of children below, flanked by obelisks with grape pendants. The chapel also contains 17th and 18th-century floor tablets.

The Perrott Aisle, designed by Christopher Kempster for James Perrott (died 1724), contains a two-bay Tuscan arcade with acanthus leaf spandrels and heraldic crest. An early 18th-century screen was reset on 19th-century bench ends. The piers feature carved heads and acanthus leaf carving. Eighteenth-century brass plaques with fine lettering, probably former coffin plates, are displayed. A fine memorial to Henry Perrott (died 1740), by Ricketts of Gloucester, displays two cherubs reclining on a sarcophagus with a grey marble pyramid. A wall tablet with an urn commemorates James Musgrave (died 1814). A memorial to James Musgrave (died 1778) features a draped urn with grey marble pyramid set on a sarcophagus. The finest monument, to James Perrott (died 1724), displays an extravagantly carved Baroque frame surmounted by a flaming urn. A stone and alabaster wall monument to Robert Perrott (died 1605) and his wife mirrors the Lenthall monument, with a complete row of children represented.

A brass of a knight in the chancel floor depicts Thomas Beckingham (died 1431). The south aisle contains a fine architectural monument to John Andrew (died 1754) with cherubs' heads set in the tympanum, and an early 18th-century Perrott monument set in an architectural frame with ball finials flanking an urn.

Wall paintings include a fine 15th-century Last Judgement scene on the east wall of the nave, and Perrott Arms on the west wall of the chancel, dating to the early 18th century with Baroque swags.

The stained glass includes a late 19th-century east window, with very fine 15th-century glass set in the heads of the Wilcote Chapel windows. The tops of canopies are set in the heads of the main lights, while the lower range of tracery lights displays vine foliage designs alternating with letters of the alphabet. Inserted fragments appear to the east. Lions' faces are set in vine foliage above, with heraldic badges depicting stags and eagles in the main lights of the north-east window.

Christopher Kempster was a notable architect who worked for Wren on St. Paul's Cathedral, Abingdon Town Hall, and other significant buildings.