Church Of St Mary The Virgin

Church of St Mary the Virgin, Warmington

This is a church of late 12th and 13th-century date, substantially restored in 1850 and 1876 by Benjamin Ferry and Sir George Gilbert Scott, with an organ chamber added in 1892 by Ferry. The building is constructed in regular coursed limestone with ashlar dressings to the tower and spire, and is roofed in lead and Collyweston slate.

The church comprises an aisled nave, chancel, north and south porches, an organ chamber and vestry, and a west tower. The chancel's south elevation displays a 2-window range of 2- and 3-light windows with hollow reveals and 4-centred-arch heads, with a central priest door now blocked. Two-stage ashlar buttresses flank the elevation, and the steeply gabled roof is finished with Collyweston slates, ashlar parapets and a finial. The east window is of 5 lights with hollow reveals and 4-centred-arch head. The north elevation of the chancel has three bays with a 2-window range of 2-light windows containing quatrefoil circles; the left bay is blank. A priest door with semi-circular head and projecting square capital sits left of centre, with 2-stage ashlar buttresses between bays and a gabled clasping buttress at the left corner.

The south aisle extends five bays with a 4-window range. The 3-light windows at the left and right bays are formed as triple lancets with roll mouldings, 2 orders of shafts and dogtooth decoration to the window heads on the right. Between-bay buttresses are 2-stage ashlar; end buttresses are single-stage. A relieving arch sits below the far-left window. The lean-to roof has an ashlar parapet. The 3-light west window has hollow reveals and 4-centred-arch head. A 19th-century organ and vestry chamber is attached to the east end of the south aisle as a one-bay limestone ashlar extension with a 3-light south window under 4-centred-arch head and a lancet to the east. A 2-stage corner buttress and plain parapet with chimney complete this section.

The south porch, restored in 1876, occupies the centre bay of the south aisle. Its outer doorway is hollowed and moulded with 4 orders of shafts and dogtooth decoration, beneath a hood mould with label stops. The inner doorway is similar with 3 orders of shafts. Single-stage buttresses flank the outer doorway; 2-stage buttresses sit at the corners. A shallow gabled roof with ashlar parapets and finial crowns the porch. The inside walls feature triple arcading with detached columns topped by fleur-de-lis at each springing point, and a quadripartite rib vault springs above. The studded plank door retains strap hinges.

The north aisle extends five bays with a 5-window range of 2-light windows containing quatrefoil circles; the centre window is truncated by the north porch. Two-stage ashlar buttresses sit between bays, with a gabled clasping buttress at the left corner. A square turret set diagonally across the right corner provides roof access and features a plain parapet and 2-stage buttress alongside. The lean-to roof has an ashlar parapet, and a 3-light east window illuminates the aisle. The central north porch, restored in 1876, has a chamfered and moulded outer doorway with 2 orders of shafts and a similar inner doorway with one order of shafts. A quadripartite rib vault and gabled clasping buttresses support a shallow gabled roof with ashlar parapet.

The nave clerestory contains a 5-window range of 2-light windows with quatrefoil circles, with small circular windows between the three centre bays. The roof is shallow and gabled with ashlar parapet and finial, continued down the eastern angles. Cusped circles decorate the east wall of the nave on either side of the chancel roof.

The west tower rises in four stages with a plinth; the upper stage is subdivided. Three-stage ashlar angle buttresses rise at the corners. The west doorway has a 2-centred-arch head with inner trefoil head and 4 orders of shafts, decorated with bands of dogtooth and alternate rosette ornament. A blocked opening above the west door bears a moulded arch head, one order of shafts and foliage decoration. Lancet windows pierce the north and south faces of the lower stage. The second stage contains trefoil circles on north, south and west faces. The upper stage is ashlar with large 2-light bell-chamber openings featuring 3 orders of shafts, trefoil circles, roll mouldings and dogtooth decoration. A corbel table above is decorated with trefoils and quatrefoils. The broach spire above carries three tiers of lucarnes; the lower two tiers have 2-light openings with shafts and dogtooth decoration.

Interior

The five-bay nave arcade features stepped and moulded arches; the north arcade has octagonal piers while the south arcade has circular piers. The similar chancel arch bears single shafts with stiff-leaf capitals. The tower arch is triple-chamfered with octagonal responds. The nave roof is a 13th-century wooden quadripartite rib vault with 10 carved bosses, its vaulting shafts matching the chancel arch. The aisle roofs retain some original cross beams; the north aisle roof has carved bosses and corbels dated 1650. The chancel roof is 19th-century barrel-vaulted, with a 5-light window featuring plain mullions now opening into the organ and vestry chamber. Carved fragments are set into walls to the left and right of the east window. A square-head recess stands left of the altar, with a priest door bearing a moulded surround to the left.

The south aisle contains a piscina with trefoil head and pointed hood, a holy water stoup, and two tomb recesses. An octagonal font dated 1662 has four scroll brackets supporting the bowl. A Perpendicular wood screen, restored in the 19th century, spans the interior; a paraclose screen in the north aisle displays early Renaissance detail with some original linenfold panelling. The reredos behind the altar incorporates fragments of screen. A 15th-century pulpit has been restored. Benches in the north-west nave have alternating high and low ends decorated with crude fleur-de-lis.

Stained glass includes late 19th and early 20th-century work in the east window and south window of the chancel.

Monuments and Memorials

A plain chest tomb stands on the north wall of the chancel. A chest tomb of Sir Robert Kirkham, circa 1500, occupies the north wall of the north aisle, decorated with quatrefoils and panel tracery. An oval wreath monument with flanking detached columns and broken pediment for Thomas Elmes, died 1664, is placed on the north wall of the north aisle. A monument to Robert Moyer, died 1719, and his sons features an inscribed tablet with cherub heads above on the south wall of the south aisle. Sarah Cuthbert, died 1723, is commemorated by an inscribed tablet with a bust set in an open segmental pediment on the south wall of the chancel. A tablet on the north wall of the north aisle describes the transfer of lands to Warmington Vicarage between 1735 and 1741. Various inscribed floor tablets and 19th-century wall tablets are distributed throughout.