Church Of Our Lady

SU 62 SW WARNFORD WARNFORD PARK 4/10 Church of Our Lady 6.3.67 (formerly listed as The Church) I Parish church. Of Saxon origin, Norman west tower of c1130, Early English single- cell nave and chancel of c1190, Decorated east window of 1377, minor restorations of 1906. Walls of flint with stone dressings, north, east and part of south walls cement rendered, tower of stone but mainly cement rendered. Tile roof. The massive square tower has three stages, flat corner buttresses, roundel openings at the top, narrow central windows to each stage, and a C18 brick parapet with stone coping. The nave has a regular series of lancets at each side and the east window is a fine example of Curvilinear tracery: some later buttresses have been added. Early English south porch (a former north porch now missing). The interior is a fine open hall, with a roof of 1906 (retaining some old tie-beams). On the north side there is the entry to a rood stair, in the centre, at the rear, is a Purbeck font (c1130) on a drum with four corner columns. The oak panelling (of C17 & C18) which formerly enclosed the squire's pew is re-used as a background to a C17 altar table, at the west end. There is a screen of 1634 within the tower arch, supporting a Victorian Gothic retable panel, containing the Prescriptions. There is a fine screen between nave and chancel of 1634, with interlaced arcading on balusters above a panelled base: the altar rails are late C17. Dado panelling in the chancel seems to be the remains of a medieval screen: there are old bench ends in the nave: Jacobean pulpit. On the north wall of the nave are two hatchments and a Royal Coat of Arms of G.IV(1821). Against the east wall are set two fine altar tombs, on the north side of William Neale (d.1601) and at the south side a more elaborate monument to his son Sir Thomas Neale (d.1621) containing his effigy and those of his two wives. Inscriptions refer to the renovation (i.e. rebuilding) of the Saxon church by Adam de Port, holder of the manor 1171-1213.

Listing NGR: SP6127214375