Church Of St Mary

CHUTE FOREST LIMEKILN ROAD SU 35 SW 10/98 Church of St Mary 8.5.72 II*

Redundant parish church. 1875, by J.L. Pearson for Fowle family. Knapped flint with brick strings and dressings, tiled roofs. Nave with aisles and south-west porch, chancel with tall vestry at right angles on north side, and tower with spire at east end of south aisles. Gabled porch with stone inner chamfered order on impost columns, and hoodmould. Short lancets to aisles, also with inner stone frame, and similar lancets to chancel. Triple equal east and west lancets, the west having a quatrefoil over. Flush brick mid wall band and chequer pattern above a higher string. Tower of 3 stages, unbuttressed. Tall twin bell openings in stepped brick reveals. Pyramidal spire over slight corbel table. Interior door studded. Interior: Exposed tuck pointed brick with blue brick patterning. Nave and chancel in one, divided by brick transverse pointed arches on varied stone corbels, the arches continued as lower arches over aisles. Arcade of 2 bays to narrow aisles, single bay to chancel and blind arcades to sanctuary. Roof open trussed rafters, with braces to lower arcade plates carried on the transverse arches. High collars. Windows have wide brick embrasures and rere-arches. Chancel floor raised and paved with encaustic tiles, and 3 steps to altar table. Stone bench sedilia and attached vessel table. Carved Portland stone reredos of Christ and Evangelists, quatrefoils below. Vestry has north window and external door. Two vestment cupboards. Fittings: Font, octagonal on a series of small attached shafts. Pulpit, on left, also stone, bold panelling, and steps with parapet. Readers' desks, choir stalls and nave pews contemporary. Bells removed to St Nicholas, Upper Chute (q.v.). Glass: East window by Clayton and Bell, 1914. West windows 1914, in different style. Monuments: At west end. Gilded slate lozenge tablet, to Capt Frank G. Fowle, died 1942. An important and unaltered building by an eminent C19 architect.

Listing NGR: SU3089152060