Church Of St Mary

Church of St Mary

This is a church of medieval origin, substantially rebuilt during the 19th century. The building dates from the mid and late 12th century, 13th century, and 14th century, with the chancel rebuilt and the church restored around 1844 by Bryan Browning.

The church is constructed of regular coursed and squared coursed limestone, with some rendered sections, and is roofed in lead and Collyweston slate. It comprises an aisled nave, chancel, south porch, north vestry, and a south-east tower.

The chancel's south elevation features a 2-window range of 19th-century lancet windows with a 2-stage buttress between them and another at the corner. It has a gabled roof with Collyweston slates and an ashlar parapet with finial. A 19th-century three-light east window is set in a plate surround with shafts, flanked by shallow buttresses with another buttress below the window, both from the original chancel. A quatrefoil circle occupies the apex of the gable. The north elevation of the chancel comprises 4 bays with a 3-window range of lancet windows similar to those on the south, with the bay to the far right blank, and 2-stage buttresses between the bays.

The south aisle consists of 3 bays with a 2-window range of 3- and 4-light square-head windows; the left window has a transom with castellations. It has a lean-to roof with plain ashlar parapet and rendered south wall. A 14th-century gabled porch projects from the centre bay, featuring a single-chamfered outer doorway with a 2-centred arch-head and polygonal responds. The inner doorway dates to the late 12th century and retains 2 orders of shafts with waterleaf capitals and a 2-centred arch-head with roll moulding. The door is planked with 4 large strap hinges. The porch has ashlar gable parapets and a 2-light square-head window on the return wall. The west elevation of the south aisle is blank.

The north aisle comprises 3 bays with a 2-window range of 3-light square-head windows with moulded surrounds and hood moulds, and a lean-to roof with ashlar gable parapet. A 19th-century gabled vestry projects from the centre bay, each face featuring single-light windows with cusped heads and a shallow gabled roof with plain ashlar parapets. A 2-light east window with a quatrefoil circle is present. The west elevation of the north aisle is blank.

The nave's west elevation has a large central lancet with flanking 19th-century 2-stage buttresses. A moulded string course follows the line of the gable end below the parapet. A nave clerestory of 3 bays contains 2-light square-head windows, those on the north having a plate surround and those on the south having a plate surround with raised moulding and carved label stops. The nave has a shallow gabled roof with a castellated ashlar parapet.

The south-east tower is attached to the east end of the south aisle. Its late 12th-century base has 2-stage ashlar angle buttresses to the corners of the lower 2 stages. A late 12th-century south doorway has a chamfered surround with semi-circular head. Single-light windows with similar heads appear above and to the lower stage of the east face. A lancet window is on the south face of the second stage. The upper stage features 2-light bell-chamber openings with 2-centred outer arches and central columns, partly restored in the 19th century. A short ashlar broach spire with 2 tiers of lucarnes, each with a central shaft similar to the bell-chamber openings, crowns the tower.

C17 inscribed tablets to the Wyles family are set in the base of the vestry, with similar C19 tablets alongside.

Interior

The nave arcade comprises 3 bays. The centre and east bays of the north arcade feature mid-12th-century semi-circular arches with roll-moulded undersides and zig-zag decoration to both faces of the outer angle. The central pier is circular with square scalloped abaci, with similar responds and nook shafts facing into the nave. The west arch dates to the late 12th or early 13th century, with a double-chamfered semi-circular arch and semi-circular responds; the pier between this bay and the other 2 bays is formed from 2 responds. The south arcade is also probably late 12th or early 13th century, with double-chamfered semi-circular arches and circular piers with semi-circular responds. The east pier and respond have waterleaf capitals. A double-chamfered chancel arch features polygonal responds. Triple-chamfered tower arches lead to the south aisle and chancel; the arch into the chancel has a cluster shaft respond, and the arch into the south aisle has a half bracket respond to the north and a part cluster shaft to the south.

The nave and north aisle roofs retain some original timbers, while other roofs are 19th-century. A trefoil-head piscina is present on the south wall of the south aisle, and a fragment of a rood loft stair survives in the south wall of the north aisle. A 13th-century octagonal font is supported on an octagonal base with Y-shaped polygonal shafts. An 18th-century communion rail features turned balusters.

The 19th-century stained glass adorns the east window. Pews to the west of the nave and north aisle incorporate some 17th-century panelling, while other pews, with doors, date to 1844.

Monuments include an inscribed tablet to William Jackson (died 1792) on the south wall of the chancel, probably reset, and an inscribed marble tablet to Thomas Jackson (died 1792) on the north wall of the chancel. Various 19th and 20th-century inscribed tablets commemorate the Goddard-Jackson family, who lived at Duddington Manor.